Galway International Oyster Festival 2024

27 - 29 Sep, 2024 (tbc), Galway Events Calendar

Ireland’s top seafood festival 🦪

Galway International Oyster Festival
2024 Programme

The Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival is an annual event held each year on the last weekend of September in the centre of Galway City. A highlight in the west of Ireland’s festival calendar, it is the world’s longest running Oyster Festival and one of the most internationally recognised Irish events.

Festival Background & Highlights

Running annually since 1954, The Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival has welcomed over half a million visitors, consumed more than 3 million oysters and all washed down with champagne and stout whilst listening to some of the best musicians in Ireland overlooking the famous Claddagh area by the sea in Galway City.

During this popular food festival, you can expect to experience a wide variety of tantalising events to enjoy from seafood trails, oyster hot spots, oyster opening (shucking) championships including the Oyster ‘Olympics’ or World Oyster Opening Championship, foodie talks & tasting events in some of Galway’s finest restaurants, food provenance tours, sample delights at the intimate food village at The Festival Marquee, a Mardi Gras style Gala Event through the streets of Galway, Best Dressed Lady competition, the Tribal Oyster Feast Off oyster eating competition along with family activities, live music, cooking demonstrations, ‘Hot Oyster Awards’ cooking challenge and more.

Traditionally, over the three days, the festival hosts the World Oyster Opening Championship, an annual beauty contest to select the Festival Pearl, a Mardi Gras Party with Champagne, Guinness and Oyster reception and an electrifying line up of top class artists, an afternoon Marquee Reception (with more Guinness and Oysters) and the grand finale, the Gala Ball.

Galway Oyster Festival: What to expect

The Seafood Trail 🦀

A Seafood Trail is a new addition to the festival which includes a selection of Galway’s best restaurants serving locally sourced ingredients & seafood; each restaurant will have Galway Oysters available from Thursday to Sunday during the festival so all visitors can try the famed delicacy. It is expected that the 2023 Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival will once again feature the popular Seafood Trail which involves 17 of the city’s leading seafood establishments from McDonagh’s world-renowned seafood restaurant on Quay St, to the city’s best known oyster houses Tigh Neachtain and Chef JP McMahon’s Tartare. The trail extends all the way out from the city to West at the Twelve and then joins up with the BIM.

The Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival – Seafood Trail Participants

  • Tigh Neachtain
  • West @ The Twelve
  • Bay Brasserie at The Galway Bay Hotel
  • Brasserie on the Corner
  • Rúibín
  • McDonaghs
  • Marinas Restaurant at The Galmont Hotel
  • Dillisk on the Docks at the Harbour Hotel
  • Sonny Molloys
  • Cava Bodega
  • The Huntsman Inn
  • McSwiggans
  • Martine’s Wine Bar
  • Cava Bodega
  • The Front Door Pub
  • The Dáil Bar

View Large Seafood Trail map

Galway Oyster Festival FAQs

Is the Galway Oyster Festival on this year?
This year the world renowned Galway International Oyster Festival is expected to take place from Friday September 27th to Sunday September 29th 2024 (to be confirmed).
Where is the Galway Oyster Festival held?
The oyster festival takes place at a variety of venues throughout Galway City, with the main competition events held in a large marquee at Nimmo’s Pier overlooking the River Corrib at The Claddagh Quay.
What is the oldest oyster festival in the world?
Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival is considered to be the oldest oyster festival in the world. This autumn event is held on the final weekend of September each year. Did you know that Galway is the only place in Ireland where you harvest native flat oysters in natural wild oyster beds?
When was the first Galway Oyster Festival?
One of Europe’s longest-running food events, the Galway International Oyster Festival was first launched in September 1954 by the then manager of the Great Southern Hotel, Brian Collins.

Contact

📞 00 353 91 394637
📨 [email protected]
💻 www.galwayoysterfestival.com

Address

The Claddagh,
Galway City,
Ireland

Directions

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