Galway International Oyster Festival 2010
The Galway International Oyster Festival takes place this year from 22nd to 26th September 2010. Enjoy four days and nights at the world renowned Galway International Oyster Festival with Guinness & Oysters, sensational live music and entertainment, craic, Best Dressed Lady competition, Street Party in the Latin Quarter and the Guinness World Oyster Opening Championships. For the best in gourmet seafood, live music and the best Guinness in town, it has to be the Galway Oyster Festival.
Where did it all begin? It was the first week of September in 1953 and the worried manager of the Great Southern Hotel, Brian Collins, was looking at his near empty hotel. How could he extend the tourist season into September? Later that day, while discussing menus with the head chef, it was suggested that oysters should be on the menu as they had just come into season. An idea came into Brian’s head –“why not celebrate the opening of the oyster season with a festival?” – “In September 1954 we will have an oyster festival!” True to his word with help from local businessmen and Guinness, the first festival took place the following September with 34 guests attending the first Oyster Festival Banquet and from such humble beginnings grew what is now regarded as one of the most celebrated and longest running festivals in the world.
The Galway International Oyster Festival has been voted one of the 12 greatest shows on earth! A weekend of non-stop entertainment which features top-class national and international artists, cabaret and dancing from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 26th September. Galway City will come 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 Festival takes place at a variety of venues around Galway including the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway City.
