Festivals in Galway City and County

Need an excuse to come and sample the coffee?

This is Galway's only independent festival listing. 

The following are annual events, the month shown is the usual time, the actual dates vary each year.  Some are based in the city, others are further afield.

January:

• Traditional music and entertainment:  New Inn Mummers Festival
• Music:   Galway Midwinter Festival
• The stars:  Galway Astronomy Festival
• European Film Festival / Subtitle Film Festival - tickets sold via the Town Hall Theatre

February:  

• Harry Potter:   PotterFest in Galway
• Prayers:  Galway Novena 
• High-performance cars:   Safety Direct Galway International Rally
• Art,music and performance on campus:   Múscailt Arts Festival
• Father Ted:  TedFest
• Traditional music:   Corofin Traditional Festival
• Lifelong learning:   Adult Learner's Festival - a nationwide festival, with events in Galway

March:  

• Irishness:  St Patricks / Paddy's festival (because one day just isn't long enough)
• Irish culture:  PaddyFest
• Irish Language - Seachtain na Gaeilge / Irish Language Week
• Drama:  Claregalway Drama Festival
• Drama: Glenamaddy Drama Festival
• Orchestral Music - Coole Music Orchestra Festival - Gort

April:  

• Books:  Cúirt International Festival of Literature
• Food:  Galway Food Festival (Easter weekend - Galway city centre)
• Running: Connemara International Marathon (Connemarathon)
• Traditional music:   Clifden Traditional Music Festival
• Walking: Inisboffin Walking Festival 
• Gin:  Latin Quarterly Gin Festival
• Yoga:  Galway Yoga Festival  (Esker, near Athenry)

May:

• Medieval, renaissance and baroque music:   Galway Early Music Festival  - city centre
• Drama:  Galway Theatre Festival
• Irish traditional music:   The Cuckoo Fleadh / Fleadh na gCuach - Kinvara
• Creativity for older people   Bealtaine festival - county-wide
• Hill walking:  Leenane Mountain Walking Festival - Connemara, around the village of Leenane 
• Mussels:    Connemara Mussel Festival
• Irish coastal traditions, language and music:     An Tóstal festival - Salthill
• Traditional singing:   Joe Heany Festival of Traditional Song - Carna
• Beer:   Brewers on the Bay (formerly Galway Beer Festival)
• Africa:  Africa Day / Galway African Film Festival
• Arts and Crafts:   Féilte na Ceardlianne   (Spiddal village)
• Arts:  Inisboffin Arts Festival (Inisboffin)
• Technology / Software :  AtlanTec
• Fly-fishing:  Mayfly Festival (Oughterard) 

June

• Traditional music:
  Galway Sessions  (various Galway city venues)
  Killimor Traditional Music Festival (east Co Galway, between Loughrea and Portumna)
• Boats:   Boats: Galway Hooker Festival / Húicéirí Na Gallimhe - Claddagh Traditional Boat Festival
• Cuban culture:   Little Havana Festival - city centre
• Cycling: Galway Bike Festival
• Quilting and fabric art:  International Quilt Festival of Ireland
• Rural life - St. Kerrill’s Festival,  Gurteen, East Co Galway
• Health and fitness: Challenge Galway 
• Food: Bia Lover Festival of Food - Athenry
• Rock music: Rock the Docks
• Things maritime:  SeaFest
• Community Arts  Carribane Arts for Everyone (CAFE) Festival - Carrabane, near Athenry
• Walking and food:  Oughtetard Trails

July:

• High arts and culture:  Galway Arts Festival
• Horse-racing and socialising:  Galway races
• Movies:   Galway Film Fleadhhttp://www.loughreatriathlon.ie/
• Animals: Roundstone Connemara Pony, Dog & Sheep Show
• Arts on the edge:   Galway Fringe Festival
• Community arts Colours Fringe Festival
• Gardening / horticulture and a medieval castle - Galway Garden Festival - at Claregalway Castle
• The sea:  Cleggan / Claddaghduff Festival of the Sea - Aghrus Penninsula
• Traditional music and arts - Traidphicnic - Spiddal
• Triathlons - Galway Aquathon Festival
• Connemara Ponies:  Ballyconnelley Pony Show
• Spirituality:  Hare Krishna Festival 
• Fr Ted: Craggy Island Festival (Inis Óirr (Inisheer) Aran Islands)
• Maritime things: SeaFest
• Women's issues:  Galway Feminist Festival
• Music:  Strings Festival , Ballinasloe
• Music and Dancing:   Portumna Music and Dance Festival, Portumna

August:

• Connemara Ponies:  Connemara Pony Festival - Co Galway
• Traditional boats:Cruinniu na mBad - Kinvara, County Galway
• Galway Hookers (the nautical kind):  Féile an Dóilín  - Doolin,
• Community arts:  Earwig! - Tuam arts festival - Tuam, Co Galway
• Old things - National Heritage Week - county-wide
• Poker:  Full Tilt Galway Poker Festival - Galway city
• Community:   Galway Pride Festival - Galway city
• Traditional music:   PJ Conlon Festival - Miltown, Co Galway
• Music / community:  Headfest - Headford, Co Galway
• Music:  Sugarbeat Music Festival- Tuam Co Galway
• Community:   Fields of Athenry Festival - Athenry, Co Galway
• Old things:   Loughea Medieval Festival - Loughrea, Co Galway
• Running, cycling and swimming:  Loughrea Triathlon Festival
• Local food and drink:  Brownes Blas Festival (Tuam)

September

• Community: Monivea Fair
• Molluscs:   Galway International Oyster and Seafood festival, and Clarenbridge Oyster Festival
• Culture for everyone:  Culture Night - city and county
• Autumn food, arts and crafts:  Leenane Autumnal Festival - 
• The Arts - Clifden Arts Week
• The Arts - Shoreline Arts Festival, Portumna
• Traditional music:   Tuam Trad Fest
• Hurling:  International Hurling Festival
• Film:  The Little Cinema Festival
• Burlesque:  Galway Burlesque Festival
• Tattoos: Galway Tattoo Showhttp://www.galwaytattooshow.ie/
• Literature:   Oscar Wilde Festival
• Writing:   Lady Gregory Autumn Gathering - Gort
• Neighbourhood:  Moycullen Festival 

October:

• Jazz:  Galway Jazz Festival
• Arts for children -  Baboro International Children's Arts Festival
• Halloween:  Galway Aboo Halloween Festival - city centre and Macnas Parade 
• Horses:   Ballinsloe Horse Fair - Ballinasloe, Go Galway
• Architecture:   Open House Galway - mainly city-wide
• Humour:   Vodafone Galway Comedy Festival
• Cakes:  Galway Bake Fest
• Food:   Irish Food Symposium
• Symposium
• Movies:  Sky Rd Film Festival,  Clifden 
• Toughness:  Turf Warrior Challenge - Connemara

November:

• Visual arts:  Tulca
• Vocal arts:  Spirit of Voice
• Design:   Design Week
• Technology:   Galway Science & Technology Festival Exhibition
• Theatre:  Dunmore One Act Drama Festival

December

• Winter / Christmas:  Galway Christmas Market