Galway International Arts Festival 2025

The 48th Galway International Arts Festival in 2025 will take place from the 14-27th of July and will feature a wealth of theatre, music, comedy, visual art, dance, and literary events from artists from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and of course Ireland and Galway!

What's On

Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF) 2025 is set to deliver its most ambitious and wide-ranging programme to date. Over two weeks this July, the city and county of Galway will become a stage for global creativity, showcasing ground-breaking theatre, dazzling circus, world-class music, striking visual arts, thought-provoking talks and unforgettable street spectacle. With 8 new world premieres, major commissions, and collaborations with artists from across the globe, GIAF 2025 promises an unmissable celebration of imagination and talent.

Theatre, Opera, Circus & Dance

At the heart of this year’s performance programme is NoFit State Circus‘s jaw-dropping Sabotage, staged in their iconic Big Top at Nimmo’s Pier. This adrenaline-charged spectacle features acrobatics, live music and stunning imagery.

Druid Theatre celebrates its 50th anniversary with a powerful double bill: J.M. Synge’s Riders to the Sea and Shakespeare’s Macbeth, directed by the legendary Garry Hynes. Meanwhile, Kevin Barry’s pitch-black comedy The Cave returns Tommy Tiernan to the Galway stage in an Abbey Theatre production.

Highlights also include:

• Scorched Earth: Luke Murphy’s dance-theatre fusion exploring land and legacy.

• Mars: A futuristic new opera from Jennifer Walshe and Irish National Opera.

• Oh …: A solo performance by Mikel Murfi staged underwater at Galway Atlantaquaria.

• The Genesis: High-flying acrobatics from the multinational Copenhagen Collective.

• Dimanche: A poignant look at climate chaos from Belgian duo Focus & Chaliwaté.

New immersive theatre pieces include The Baby’s Room from Enda Walsh and Paul Fahy, and Why the Moon Travels from Moonfish Theatre, developed with an all-Traveller ensemble.

Additional theatrical works span from Simon Stephens’ Blue Water and Cold and Fresh and Sea Wall to Irish-language Beckett works from An Taibhdhearc.

Two musicals in development also premiere:

• Dating Amber, based on the acclaimed Irish film.

• The House Must Win, from songwriter Mick Flannery and Rosa Productions.

Music

The Heineken® Big Top returns to Fisheries Field with an electrifying line-up featuring:

Artist	Date
Amble	July 16, 2025
Sophie Ellis-Bextor & Natasha Bedingfield	July 17, 2025
Block Rockin Beats	July 18, 2025
The Mary Wallopers	July 19, 2025
Kingfishr	July 20, 2025
Picture This	July 21/22, 2025
Mogwai	July 24, 2025
Mary Coughlan & Guests	July 23, 2025
The Stunning	July 26, 2025

Elsewhere, venues like the Róisín Dubh and Monroe’s Live will host acts including:

• Bernard Butler

• Richard Thompson

• Villagers

• Soda Blonde

• Josephine Foster

• Biig Piig

• Novalima

• Maverick Sabre

• Gonora Sounds

• The Magic Numbers

• Traditional music showcases and more

Visual Arts

A major festival highlight is David Mach’s new large-scale installation Burning Down the House at the Festival Gallery. Known for his immersive, often provocative works, Mach’s return follows past hits like The Oligarch’s Nightmare.

Other visual art standouts:

• Funeral for Ashes by Conor Maloney & John Conneely

• This Too Will Pass featuring Richard Long at Interface

• Not Breaking – This Wave Drowns Hate by Kat Austen

• Tactile Tunes by Arts Alive and Jane Cassidy

Additional exhibitions include:

• Erin Lawlor at Printworks Gallery

• Darran McGlynn at 126 Artist-Run Gallery

• Hazel O’Sullivan at Outset Gallery

• Joan Sugrue at Engage Studios

• Druid@50 by Joe O’Shaughnessy at Kenny Gallery

• pass the baton by Laura O’Connor and Leann Herlihy at Galway Arts Centre

• What Lies Beneath the Rubble by Eman Mohammed

• Through the Lens – President Michael D. Higgins retrospective at Galway City Museum

First Thought Talks

The First Thought strand explores urgent issues and big ideas. This year’s speakers include:

• Congresswoman Parmila Jayapal

• Fintan O’Toole

• Lara Marlowe

• Róisín Ingle

• Eman Mohammed

• Máiría Cahill

• Phillips P. O’Brien

• Diarmaid Ferriter

• Catriona Crowe

Topics include political trauma, global conflict, climate crisis, kindness in healthcare, conspiracy culture, and creativity.

Street Spectacle

Galway’s streets will once again come alive with:

• Microcosmos by Planet Vapeur – featuring a giant insect roaming the city

• Silent Disco Walking Tours with Guru Dudu

• Six by Flip Fabrique – a high-energy show in Eyre Square

Festival Garden

The Festival Garden in Eyre Square returns, offering a lively social hub with food, drinks, DJ sets, and live music. Open daily from 11am–10pm.

GIAF Venues

Galway International Arts Festival 2025 will animate the city with performances at venues like the Heineken® Big Top, Town Hall Theatre, An Taibhdhearc, Nun’s Island Theatre, and the Festival Gallery on William Street. Additional events will take place at the University of Galway Aula Maxima, the Festival Garden, and various outdoor locations across Galway and Connemara.

Tickets

Some performances, including the street spectacle are free, but others require advance booking, with prices between €5-€35.