Galway Entertainment

It's very hard to avoid being entertained in Galway. Even popping into the pub for a quiet pint may find you involuntarily tapping your feet in rhythm to a spontaneous traditional music session. Galway's deserved reputation as a magnet for the arts has resulted in a culturally rich atmosphere, spawning a wide range of creative expressions.  Every facet of the arts is represented in Galway, from painting and photography exhibitions to internationally-acclaimed theatre and a vibrant and varied music scene.

Nightlife

The pub has a tremendous significance in Irish culture, and nowhere more so than in the west of Ireland. The pub is not just considered to be a social outlet, but it is seen as a worthwhile pastime, especially in a place like Galway, which makes no apologies for its pub culture and in fact, thrives on it.

With its many traditional and modern pubs spanning the city centre and Salthill, there is a pub for every taste. Some of the better pubs to visit for great craic and fantastic live music include The Roisin Dubh on Dominick street, which plays host to a variety of modern music; The Quays on Quay street, which has a nightly variety of music; and The Crane Bar on Dominick street, which also offers traditional Irish music.

Nightclubs in Galway tend to be wastelands until 23:00, and then packed until 02:00 when most of them close. Because of its small size and concentration of pubs and restaurants, Galway can seem even livelier at 23:00 than it does at 11:00. At weekends, when there are lots of students and other revellers in town, Eyre Square and its environs can be rowdy after pub-closing time.

Theatre and music

Galway’s cultural evening entertainment scene has a broad variety of venues offering lives performances in areas such as drama, dance and music. Theatre is big in Galway and it is home to no less than three theatres.

The Taibhearc is an Irish language theatre, whereas the Town Hall hosts a wide selection of plays, from Irish to international. The renowned Druid group, Ireland's best-known independent theatre company, stages the cream of Irish plays, both old and new, as well as international plays.

Another company, SIAMSA, put on an exuberant night's entertainment of Irish music, singing and dancing. Their captivating and lively approach to traditional arts is unparalleled. The audiences enjoy modern step dancing, typical of the Riverdance style. For music, it is best to head for one of the pubs where live performances are held most nights.

Festivals

There are a number of annual festivals in the city and its surrounding areas, with highlights including:

• The Salthill Air Show (June) is a free air show, held every summer along the Salthill Promenade, on the shores of the famous Galway Bay.
• The Galway Arts Festival (July) is Ireland’s foremost arts festival and one of Europe’s main cultural events. Annually presenting a programme of theatre, dance, music, visual art, literature and comedy, in recent years, the festival has broken new ground in the creation and presentation of original and dynamic work.
• The Galway International Oyster Festival (September) heralds the beginning of the oyster season. Fresh oysters, Guinness and live music and performances offer something for old and young alike. The main events are two oyster opening championships: the Guinness Irish Oyster Opening Championship and the Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship.
• The Salthill Folk Festival, one of the very few folk festivals in Ireland, is recognised for its top-class traditional Celtic bands from Ireland and Europe. There are concerts and sessions held every night, culminating with hooker racing on the bay and a new initiative, the Heritage Proms, one of the major successes of the festival. A full children’s programme operates during the week-long festivities, with theatre, workshops and puppet shows.