Looking for things to do in Galway this weekend? We've got you covered! From markets to music festivals, workshops to talks, there really is something happening to suit everybody in Galway this weekend. Check out our ultimate guide to the best events happening in Galway this weekend and start planning your perfect getaway!
The weekend guide is sponsored by The Skeff Bar & Kitchen, the home to live music 7 nights a week in Galway. Check out The Skeff's weekend lineup right HERE.
Galway Folk Festival
When: Running until Sunday, June 7th
Where: Galway City
More information here
This weekend, Galway Folk Festival continues its 5th year celebrations with even more live music, special events and a vibrant city-wide programme. Alongside headline concerts, audiences can enjoy intimate seated performances, late-night sessions and a packed free daytime programme throughout the festival. Among the standout artists performing this weekend are Galway favourites CLADA (pictured below), taking to the stage on Friday, June 5th, acclaimed singer and broadcaster Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh on Saturday, June 6th, and internationally celebrated young guitar virtuoso Muireann Bradley, also appearing on Saturday, June 6th. The festival concludes on Sunday, June 7th with performances from renowned singer-songwriter Niall McCabe and rising folk collective NOTIFY. The popular free daytime programme also returns, featuring outdoor performances hosted by Cuppa Tea TV across Saturday and Sunday, alongside Tony Clayton-Lea's Culture Vultures series of conversations and events. Festival favourites including Westend Sessions and Youth in Music will add to a weekend showcasing the very best of Irish folk music.
Cruinniú na nÓg: Youth Lates
When: Saturday, June 6th, from 4pm
Where: Fr Burke Park, Galway’s Westend
More information here
Galway City is hosting a vibrant all‑day celebration of young creativity at Fr. Burke Park from 12pm to 9pm as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2026. Families can enjoy a packed programme of art, crafts, circus, storytelling and music, with highlights including interactive theatre and mask‑making, sensory storytelling workshops, and creative T‑shirt design. From 4pm, the park comes alive with Youth Lates, a live music event for ages 14–18, headlined by rising Cork band BABYRAT alongside emerging Galway talent. All events are free, though booking may be required for some workshops due to limited capacity. The events promise a full day of imaginative, hands-on fun for all ages.
Donnacha Cahill: Chelsea Flower Show Exhibition Launch
When: Thursday, June 4th, at 7pm
Where: West of the River Gallery
More information here
Come along to the launch night of Donnacha Cahill’s stunning collection at West of the River Gallery, a new contemporary art space in the heart of Athenry. The exhibition will then be on display at the gallery until June 19th. The collection comes to West of the River Gallery directly after Cahill’s appearance at this years’ Chelsea Flower Show and before it continues to France where he will be representing Ireland at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient. This exhibition marks a meaningful collaboration between Cahill and the West of the River Gallery as both the artist and the gallery owners grew up locally and share an ambition to ensure that work shown on international stages is also accessible to the communities that nurtured and inspired it.
NARS - All That Glimmers Makeup Masterclass
When: Thursday, June 4th, at 7.30pm
Where: Electric
More information here
Join Electric for the NARS - All That Glimmers Masterclass led by talented artist Emma Lee. This exclusive event invites you to celebrate the launch of The Light Reflecting™ Luminizing Collection by immersing yourself in makeup innovation, featuring ethereal shades that catch, reflect, and radiate light. This is your chance to elevate your glow with exclusive pro tips from the NARS Artistry team. Discover how to turn cheeks on with Light Reflecting™ Luminizing Blush, delivering a sheer, sensorial rush of radiance with its seamless serum‑to‑powder texture, and glide on effortless glow with Light Reflecting™ Luminizing Stick for a dewy, glass‑like finish across cheeks, eyes, and lips.
Gallery Lates: Wolves in Ireland
When: Thursday, June 4th, at 6pm
Where: Galway Arts Centre
More information here
Presented in association with Unworlding, the solo exhibition by Patrick Hough, this special talk explores the story of wolves in Ireland through archaeology, myth, folklore, place names and documentary records. Tracing the wolf’s historical presence across the Irish landscape, Kieran Hickey will examine the social, environmental and political forces that led to the species’ extermination, before considering contemporary debates around their possible reintroduction. Echoing themes within Unworlding, including ecological loss, shifting relationships between humans and the natural world, and the haunting afterlives of vanished species, this talk invites audiences to reflect on how landscapes are shaped by memory, absence and human intervention.
The Market H91
When: Saturday, June 6th, 11.30am - 5pm
Where: Electric
More information here
It’s the start of a brand new month so you know what that means! On the first Saturday of every month, The Market H91 transforms Galway's premier nightclub into a cool day-time vintage market! The Market H91 is organised by three local legends of the market stalls: Paula of Paula Loves Vintage, Marianne of Lawless on Trend and Jasmin of Vintage Galway. Set inside one of the city’s most iconic venues, The Market H91 flips the dance floor into a treasure trove of rails and record crates, spotlighting independent traders and circular style with a proper club atmosphere. Expect era-defining fashion, statement home pieces, rare pressings, and a soundtrack to match.
Artist Talk with HERmetics & Meadhbh McNutt
When: Saturday, June 6th, at 12.30pm
Where: Outset Gallery
More information here
Join Outset Gallery for an artist talk, in conversation with Meadhbh McNutt, as part of the exhibition HERmetics: How Painters Think. This informal discussion brings together exhibiting artists Sinéad Aldridge, Mary Theresa Keown, and Patricia Doherty in conversation with Meadhbh McNutt, writer of the exhibition text. Together, they will discuss their individual practices, creative processes, and approaches to contemporary painting. The conversation will offer insight into the ideas, materials, and methods that inform the works presented in the exhibition, while also exploring broader themes surrounding abstraction, experimentation, and studio practice. Audiences will have the opportunity to hear directly from the artists about the development of their work and engage in an open discussion on contemporary painting today. The talk will conclude with an audience Q&A.
Talk - Can technology save us? The Digital Twin of the Ocean and AI in ecological monitoring
When: Friday, June 5th, at 1pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
Could artificial intelligence improve the way we monitor Galway Bay? Join the team at Galway City Museum for an interactive talk with Yvonne Wiese and Marco Francescangeli from the Marine Institute. They will explore advanced ecological monitoring, the SmartBay Observatory, and the Digi4Eco project (funded by Horizon Europe). The event is FREE of charge, but seats are limited. Please email Museum@GalwayCity.ie to make a booking and call the Museum on (091) 532460 for further details.
Kettle Boilers
When: Saturday, June 6th, doors at 8pm
Where: Róisín Dubh
More information here
Kettle Boilers are a high-energy, trad-influenced folk rock band hailing from Galway. Their debut album ‘The Fear’ was self-released in 2024, with them crafting their own unique blend of music by taking broad inspiration from acts such as Horslips and Lankum to rock and grunge bands from the 90’s. Their live act is highly acclaimed as an upbeat rock and trad experience with audience members ranging from céilí dancing to bopping around a mosh pit. The gang are currently writing their second independent album, expanding on their sound, exploring ceol as Ghaeilge, and honing their craft. They are very excited to be back gigging around Ireland this summer and you do not want to miss their gig at the Róisín Dubh this weekend so make sure to get your tickets!
Ryan Molloy & Fergal Scahill - Irish Summer Tour 2026
When: Thursday, June 4th, at 8pm
Where: Clifden Station House Theatre
More information here
Join Clifden Station House Theatre for an evening of true musicianship with two multi-instrument maestros bringing the best of traditional Irish music to Clifden. Ryan Molloy & Fergal Scahill are two musical maestros whose friendship dates back to their sparring days at the fiddle competitions of the Fleadhanna Cheoil in the late 90s and early 2000s. The fiddle and piano duo have performed across the globe and recorded four albums together to great critical acclaim. Their most recent release, The Gannet’s Dive (2025), reveals two masters at the height of their craft as composers and performers. Across eleven tracks and thirteen new tunes, ranging from the evocative title track – a reflection on the effortless swooping of the gannets in Galway Bay – to rollicking tunes such as The Goddaughter Reels, Scahill and Molloy have created a distinctive musical voice that emanates from years of collaboration and shared experience.
Monthly Ride Out & Horses Hoof Care Course
When: Saturday + Sunday, June 6th + 7th
Where: Slieve Aughty Centre
More information here
Calling all horse owners! This Sunday afternoon, Slieve Aughty Centre is hosting their monthly ride out which will take you around the stunning countryside of Slieve Aughty. After the ride you are invited to join them for warming soup and bread back at the centre. Additionally, if you want to learn more about how you can better take care of your horse’s hooves, sign up for their Holistic Hoof Care Course with Lara Sportelli (taking place on both Saturday and Sunday) which will give you the ability to maintain your own horses hooves and keep them in optimal condition. Please see the above link for more on both these events.
The Great Hearts Northern Oaks Honor Choir
When: Thursday, June 4th, at 6.30pm
Where: St Nicholas Collegiate Church
More information here
The Great Hearts Northern Oaks Honor Choir from San Antonio, Texas, is currently touring internationally and this Thursday will present a varied programme of sacred, folk, and classical choral music, including works such as Be Thou My Vision, Shenandoah, and Rachmaninoff’s Bogoroditse Devo at St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church. The ensemble is made up of highly talented young singers and is directed by Music Director Kevin Austin. This promises to be a special musical occasion in one of Galway’s most historic sacred spaces. The concert is free to attend and open to all.
Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show
When: Sunday, June 7th, at 6pm
Where: EYE Cinema
More information here
Having originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, Riverdance has gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon. This 25th Anniversary production is a powerful and stirring reinvention of the show, celebrated the world over for its Grammy Award-winning music and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. See the close-ups, the amazingly fast feet, the expressions and emotions of the dancers and musicians, and the creative camera angles that show the work more intimately and revealingly than is possible for an audience sitting in the stalls. The show is preceded by a brief documentary detailing the history of Riverdance and the interval features a behind the scenes look at this incredible show.
Classic Fest
When: Sunday, June 7th, 11am-4pm
Where: Galway Racecourse
More information here
Classic Fest is a fun day for all the family, featuring hundreds of vintage and classic cars on display alongside live music, a food village and lots of free family entertainment. Classic Fest brings together car, motorbike and truck enthusiasts, families, local businesses, and supporters for a shared purpose: giving back to the community while preserving the passion and heritage of our classic vehicles, and the excitement of the future classics and the horsepower of everything in between. This year this event is supporting Galway Sick Kids and Rosabel’s Rooms, two great Galway charities as well as many other local community organisations.
The weekend guide is sponsored by The Skeff Bar & Kitchen, the home to live music 7 nights a week in Galway. Check out The Skeff's weekend lineup right HERE.
Feature photo by Chaosheng Zhang.
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