Ten Years, Thousands of Cartoons: Galway Cartoon Festival 2026 marks Milestone Birthday

Galway Cartoon Festival - Ireland's only festival devoted to cartoonists and satire - marks its 10th anniversary with two launch events this week, kicking off six days of free exhibitions, talks and live drawing across Galway City and Inis Óirr. Discover more below...

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The first of the Festival’s two launches takes place in The Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane, on Thursday 1st October at 5.30pm, with speeches, announcements, cartoons, and refreshments. The Festival then kicks into high gear on Friday 2nd with the Main Festival Launch at the Town Hall Theatre, from 5pm, with the opening of the exhibition ‘Having a Laugh’ - this year’s Festival theme.

above by Fergus Boylan 

Featuring work by cartoonists from around the globe, including Marco De Angelis, Marilena Nardi, as well as this year’s featured Irish artist, Fergus Boylan, this is a snapshot of cartooning in the world right now. Friday also marks the opening of the Festival’s flagship exhibitions. The 10 Year Retrospective at Galway City Museum marks how this unique event has grown from a single show into a major national celebration of cartoonists and cartooning. On display will be a selection from the thousands of cartoons which have been exhibited in Galway over the last decade.

Belgium is a special focus of this year’s Festival. On Friday, members of the Belgian Embassy will attend the opening of From the Flemish Masters to the Comic Strip: Belgian Art History in Cartoons (Galway Chamber, Commerce House, Merchants Road). Organised and presented by the European Cartoon Centre in Kruishoutem, the exhibition features work by 20 Flemish cartoonists, including the celebrated Luc Descheemaeker (aka “O-Sekoer”), winner of 300+ international awards.

above by Marco De Angelis

Two other Friday highlights are Martin Rowson Live!, a stand-up show from The Guardian’s great cartoonist (LIV Vintage Studios, Fagan Court Offices; 3 Lower Cross Street) and The Fall of The Phoenix, an exhibition commemorating the 40+ year lifespan of Ireland’s chief political satirical magazine (Kenny Gallery, Liosbán).

“Welcome then to the tenth episode of Galway Cartoon Festival, and it’s a celebration,” said Festival co-founder and Artistic Director, Richard Chapman. “To make that party atmosphere, the emphasis this year will be on activity and action. As well as a host of exhibitions and talks, there’ll be public drawing sessions, a Festival club, and all sorts of things you can get involved with like the Freedom Wall. We’re going to have a laugh. We hope you do too.”

Galway Cartoon Festival 2026 runs from 1st October - 6th October with events in Galway City and Inis Óirr, Aran Islands. Admission to all events is free. Full programme details are on galwaycartoonfestival.ie.

All photos courtesy of Galway Cartoon Festival, main photo by John Walsh.