Events

The Galway Jazz Festival presents a weekend of leading local, national and international jazz artists in a broad range of venues, throughout Galway City. Annually, the aim is to foster jazz as a contemporary art form in the West. Jazz admirers will have plenty to choose from in a line up that includes artists from Norway, The US, Germany, The UK and Italy and the best of Irish artists. Venues include The Crane Bar, Druid Theatre and St Nicholas' Church. Takes place in November.

Enjoy four days and nights at the world renowned Galway International Oyster Festival. For the best in gourmet seafood, live music and the best Guinness in town, it has to be the Galway Oyster Festival. Every year in September, Galway City comes alive as thousands of people travel from the four corners of the world to enjoy a remarkable festival celebrating the oyster, a food known for it’s mysterious luxury and passion.

The Galway Sessions Festival of music takes place all over Galway city and includes some of the best in world renowned artists. Held annually, a good time and plenty of craic is assured for all. The main music sessions take place in Crane Bar, Róisín Dubh, Monroes Tavern, The Quays, Tigh Neachtáin, Tigh Cóilí, Taffees, Richardson's, M T Pockets and the Radisson SAS Hotel.

Galway Swing is the home of Swing Dancing in the West of Ireland and was established by Paul Neary, a dancer with many years of performance and competition experience in both Ireland and abroad, to bring partner dancing back to the city. Galway Swing is now recognised as one of the premier dance clubs in Ireland and continues to add to Galway’s vibrant dance and music scene. Galway Swing provides swing dancing classes to wannabe swing dancers of all ages and experience. Our club comprises of a number of talented teachers dedicated to passing on their skills and knowledge in a fun and professional environment. Classes with Galway Swing are relaxed and informal, giving our dancers the opportunity to learn at their own pace with a range of tailor-made swing dancing classes and courses set around a flexible timetable.

Galway's second annual theatre festival takes place from 20th to 25th October 2009. The Galway Theatre Festival provides an opportunity for emerging local and national theatre companies to showcase new and revised work. Shows take place throughout a wide variety of venues around the City of Galway including the Nuns’ Island Theatre, Town Hall Theatre and the Galway Arts Centre. The festival programme features a strong combination of new plays and established works by the likes of Brian Friel, Harold Pinter, and Neil LaBute. <br><br> Decadent Theatre Co present the latest play by Christian O’Reilly, Here We Are Again Still, which was commissioned by the Galway City Council. It is a moving and funny play about two broken men trying to make their way back from the margins. Mephisto stage Pat Hynes’ Wrecked, which was one of the scripts to receive a rehearsed reading at last year’s festival. Danu Theatre Company stage Dolores, the British and Irish premiere of American author Edward Callan Barker’s drama about spousal abuse, while Fregoli present Shane McDermott’s Dispersia, all about “a place full of lost things”. Also featuring in this year’s programme is Moonfish Theatre Co with its adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic story, The Secret Garden All in all, plenty to look forward to then and Galway Theatre Festival looks well set to build on the success of last year’s debut offering.

The Leenane Mountain Walking Festival takes place annually on the first weekend in May! Enjoy a unique combination of mountain and sea as Leenane is situated on the edge of Killary Harbour and surrounded by mountains in all directions. There are a number of guided walks each day with a level to suit everyone!

The Live Lounge at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Galway is a purpose-built, high-tech, fully equipped, state of the art venue over two floors with a dedicated VIP area. The Live Lounge is 6000 square feet of style and technology in a great space!<br><br> With digitally processed, fingertip control sound, the top of the range sound system ensures the Live Lounge is the ultimate live gig venue. With the most advanced technology available providing excellent sound quality and a 900 person standing capacity this is now one of the best music and entertainment venues in the West of Ireland.

Set amid the stunningly-beautiful scenery of Connemara, Roundstone Arts Week is held annually over 2 weekends in late June and early July. The festival provides a wide variety of events such as writer's workshops, art exhibitions, traditional music sessions, drama and activities for children.

Roundstone Summerfest is a festival of music, fun, laughter, activities and games for the young and the young-at-heart. A weekend where people can come and sample the beauty of the village of Roundstone and the warmth and friendliness of the inhabitants and fellow visitors.

The Spirit of the Voice Festival in Galway is a popular cultural celebration of song and spoken word. The 2009 festival takes place in Kinvara on the 3rd November and in Galway on the 8 & 9th November. The festival covers a wide range of styles, with a huge number of performance of sean nós, rap, choirs, gospel, soul, slam, poetry, overtone, opera and storytelling taking place at many venues throughout the city including Galway City Museum, The Crane Bar and Áras na Gael, Dominick Street. This is Galway's multi-cultural festival which features song and spoken words from stylish voices that make this city a unique and refreshing place to be.<br><br> The festival is also a celebration of the growing diversity of culture within Ireland, with Asian, African, South American, Eastern European, Canadian and Caribbean Irish performers will take part. The festival includes Children's Storytelling at selected venues. Be assured that there will be an electric atmosphere on the streets of Galway for the duration of the festival.

Tri-Burgh is a triathlon taking place on the June 5th 2010 in Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. 2010 is the inaugural year for Tri-Burgh but it is set to grow to become an established annual event on the Irish triathlon circuit. We hope that you, your friends & family are able to join us for what will be a challenging & memorable event set in some of the most dramatic & panoramic scenery in Ireland, we invite you to stay and enjoy the warm Mayo hospitality afterwards. If there is anything that we can help with please let us know. We are really looking forward to welcoming you to Louisburgh in June.

Tuam Arts Festival, held in mid-August, is produced by award winning Earwig Arts with a mix of local, national and international spectacle, theatre, music, comedy literature, visual arts and family events. The two-week festival will feature some of the region's best known and loved acts, as well as shows by some of the country's top performers. The festival boasts itself as providing a great variety of local, national and international events, performing at a range of indoor and outdoor venues in the town.