Mission Statement:

St Patrick's Festival Galway is a platform to showcase local artists and community groups. It celebrates our city's diverse culture and talent through an inclusive programme of events. We aim to create a carnival atmosphere that the whole city can be part of.

About The Parade:

Pipe bands, dance groups and performance artists come from all over the world to Galway each year to experience a parade that is widely regarded as one of the best in Ireland. The beauty of the Galway Parade is that it is small enough for group to truly feel a part of, yet big enough to create a special atmosphere. Up to 50,000 spectators line the streets each year and some of the narrow walkways create an intimate cauldron that is an unforgettable experience for all participants. The Parade route moves through the centre of the medieval city, a 1.5 mile journey through narrow cobbled streets, turning onto long wide roads. The route is thronged with spectators from start to finish, creating a non-stop carnival atmosphere.

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Situated on the west coast of Ireland by the Atlantic Ocean, Galway has long been considered a centre of cultural excellence. The fastest growing city in Europe, Galway is a vibrant university city with its city centre, a labyrinth of winding medieval streets, squares and waterways. With a population of 75,000 Galway sits on the edge of the River Corrib surrounded by Galway Bay facing the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

 Galway Arts Festival is the defining cultural expression of Galway and is at the heart of all aspects life in the city. The Festival’s contribution to the economic, social and cultural life of the west of Ireland is immeasurable and while the Festival celebrates Galway in July each year, Galway itself is a city in celebration during the Festival.

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Adrenalin-pumping action, heart-stopping finishes and breath-taking fashion; you are at the Galway Races. Situated on the outskirts of Galway city, in the West of Ireland, the Galway Racecourse is the place to be.

Veteran race goers, and indeed those who simply love the atmosphere, travel from around the world for the unique experience that is, the Galway Races.

The Galway Races is certainly a festival for everyone. The Festival runs for seven consecutive days at Galway Racecourse starting from the last Monday in July each year.

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Baboró was originally conceived and nurtured under the auspices of Galway Arts Festival and first presented a Baboró programme in 1994.  By 1997, to address the needs of children who may not usually be included in cultural events, it was decided to create a festival independent of Galway Arts Festival, offering a fully formed multi-arts programme to schools during the month of October in Galway and surrounding areas.

Baboró is Ireland’s flagship arts festival devoted exclusively to children and families.   It brings the most diverse selection of the finest in performing arts from Ireland and around the world to its annual one-week festival in Galway. The festival programme varies from year to year to bring a wide diversity of exposure to the arts especially created for young audiences and their families.

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Galway Theatre Festival was founded in 2008 by Páraic Breathnach (Galway Arts Centre) and Andrew Flynn (Galway Youth Theatre) with almost back to back theatre performances in Nun’s Island Theatre featuring Dragonfly, Mephisto, Zeilig, Aindrias De Staic, Fregoli and many more.

In 2009 the Festival expanded to include Town Hall Theatre and Galway Arts Centre, a festival club,
a rehearsed reading series and a host of world premieres. Last year’s Rehearsed Reading Series saw two new plays go on to full productions: John McManus’ ‘The Quare Land’ for the 2010 Galway Arts Festival, and Jaki McCarrick’s ‘Leopoldville’ which ran in Covent Garden and also scooped the Papatango Award for New Writing.

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From cafe, to restaurant to bar, everywhere the dress code is simple . . . ghoulish gear, creepy clobber, devilish dress or freaky fashion. Elsewhere in the city the streets will be taken over by fancy dress parties, traditional games and Trick or Treating...

Devilishness will be found throughout the ‘Latin Quarter’, an area which covers St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, O’Brien’s Bridge, the Spanish Arch area, Middle Street, Buttermilk Lane and Walk, St Augustine Street, High Street, and Quay Street.

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