Taking place this October 22nd-28th, Galway city and county is transforming into Ireland’s Comedy Capital as the Galway Comedy Festival takes to the stage once more. Bringing us seven nights of laughter, mischief and merriment, this year’s festival is shaping up to be one of the greatest to date! Check out our top picks of what to see at GCF24 right here…
We are only providing you with a snapshot of the amazing events and hilarious comedians that are gracing the Galway stage. If you want to check out the full festival itinerary please tap here to see the full Galway Comedy Festival 2024 programme and get ready for the party of the century as Galway once again lights up with laughter!
1. Russell Howard
Tuesday 22nd & Wednesday 23rd October / Leisureland / tickets here
The first shows in Galway in more than a decade from one of the biggest stars of British comedy, Russell’s two nights at Leisureland will be the unmissable events of #GCF24. His numerous TV shows, including Russell Howard’s Good News - where he first came to wide attention - revealed a man whose comedy is topical, thought-provoking, and deeply humane, but always optimistic and feel-good, driven by a strong belief in comedy as a way to deal with a world in crisis. Just the tonic we need for these times.
2. Al Porter and Friends
Thursday 24th October / Town Hall Theatre / tickets here
Al Porter, the dapper Dublin comedian will host a night with some of the best funnywomen in Ireland, displaying all their (to borrow a phrase from Ru Paul) charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Joining Al is internet sensation turned stand-up sensation Enya Martin; Aideen McQueen, who the Irish Independent called “a natural storyteller and fantastic comic”; and the Queen of Ballymun herself, Dame Stuffy (AKA 98fm radio host, Karl Dawson), an old-style drag queen who promises plenty of “glam, glitz and giggles”.
3. Rich Hall Live at The Mall
Tuesday 22nd October / The Mall Theatre, Tuam / tickets here
Galway Comedy Festival is no longer just a City phenomenon, it is expanding to bring major international comedians to the County as well! And how appropriate is it, that in Tuam, a town with a formidable musical reputation in Ireland, that it is Rich Hall to play The Mall Theatre. Armed with a grouchy, yet endearing manner; a storyteller’s flair; and an acoustic guitar slung across his shoulder, Hall takes the styles of American folk and country music, and through audience suggestions, weaves witty and funny songs that get the laughter going and the toes tapping.
4. Gáire As Gaeilge
Tuesday 22nd - Thursday 24th October / Cois Cuain, An Spidéal & The Crane Bar / tickets here
Ri ra agus rúla búla go leor awaits at GCF’s annual Irish language stand-up comedy shows. As well as taking place in The Crane Bar in Galway City’s West End, Gáire as Gaeilge will also be happening in the county, with a show in Spiddal. And what could be more appropriate for a night of comedy as Gaeilge than for it to take place in An Gaeltacht? The shows will feature Eddie Mullarkey, Al Porter, Aideen McQueen & Bernard Casey - while the Fear an Tí will be the force of nature that is Hector Ó hEochagáin himself. Fáilte isteach!
5. Miles Jupp
Thursday 24th October / An Taibhdhearc / tickets here
You’ve seen him on Have I Got New For You, Would I Lie To You? and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, now see him in the flesh at his Galway debut for #GCF24! And what a story Miles Jupp - comedian, actor, and singer - has to tell! In 2021, he suffered a seizure and underwent a craniotomy and has since been monitored with annual scans. In his new show, On I Bang, he shares the experiences of this very personal journey in what The Guardian described as an “elegantly funny, terribly English account of a tumour”, resulting in the most life-affirming comedy.
6. The Dirty Circus
Thursday 24th October / Róisín Dubh / tickets here
A Galway institution and Róisín Dubh regulars, no Galway Comedy Festival is complete without the City’s legendary burlesque and cabaret show. Promising elegance and decadence, sauce and sexiness, stockings and suspenders, in equal measure, The Dirty Circus is a haven for alternative performers and noted for its diverse, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for both artists and audiences. There will be burlesque dancers, pole performers, and acts that are original and indescribable. Be titillated and rib-tickled at the naughtiest night of the year at the biggest comedy festival in Ireland. Go on! What are you waiting for? You deserve it!
7. Karl Spain's Late Night KARLnival
Wednesday 23rd - Sunday 27th October / Róisín Dubh / tickets here
The Late Night KARLnival is often the night that every hardcore comedy fan in Galway most wants to be at, and every comedian playing the Festival wants to play. This is where comedians are free to be as outrageous and as daring as they want and where audiences would be aghast if they weren’t. This is comedy at its edgiest! The first acts have been revealed: Rich Hall, Emma Doran, and Sharon Mannion (Wed 23 Oct); Miles Jupp, Terry Alderton, and Enya Martin (Thu 24 Oct); Phill Jupitus, Shane Todd, and Marcus Brigstocke (Fri 25 Oct); David McSavage, Al Porter, and Mark Simmons (Sat 26 Oct); and Dylan Moran; John Colleary, and Danny O’Brien (Sun 27 Oct). Please know that MORE will be cajoled into performing each night, so book your tickets NOW!
8. Eddie Mullarkey: AIrish
Saturday 26th October / The Loft at Seven Bar / tickets here
Galway Comedy Festival is full of mirth and mischief, but Team GCF takes supporting and promoting local talent very seriously. Eddie Mullarkey is a Galwegian and a rising name in Irish stand-up, who performs his new show, AIrish, in Seven Bar. According to Eddie, it will involve live music, a robot, observational stand-up, crowd interaction, AI tech, and ancient Irish wisdom. “It’s going to be a blast,” says Eddie, and we’re inclined to believe him. Support is from local comedy legend, Bob Hennigan.
9. ‘The Hurler: A Campion's Tale’ Screening plus Q&A
Saturday 26th October / An Taibhdhearc / tickets here
GCF is a comedy festival with a difference, and this is one of the shows that proves it. Here we will get a screening of the surprise hit Irish film, The Hurler, which celebrates our much loved, ancient, national sport; is a redemption story (and who doesn’t love one of those?); a comedy mockumentary; and stuffed with appearances from Irish comedians. The film’s writer, director and star, Tony Kelly, will attend and the audience will have a chance to ask him about the film, what went into making it, and anything else they might think of.
10. Mark Simmons: Quip Off The Mark
Sunday 27th October / The Loft at Seven Bar / tickets here
Mark Simmons hit the headlines in August when his joke was voted the funniest of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe: “I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it.” Good, isn’t it? Want more? Then don’t miss Quip Of The Mark, where an hour of full-throttle, razor-sharp, one-liners, will be coming at you thick and fast. Also, Mark’s GCF appearance will be his debut show in Galway, so make sure you are among the very first people in the City to see this rising talent.
Words by Kernan Andrews.
Photos courtesy Galway Comedy Festival.
