Festival 2026

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GIAF took place from 13-26 July 2026. Join us next summer!

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Survivor Stories Exhibition

Survivor Stories: Tuam and Ireland’s Institutional Past

1 July - 19 September 2026

Visual Arts

Aleana Egan A maritime child image

Aleana Egan

A Maritime Child

11 July - 16 August 2026

Visual Arts

Gertrude Degenhardt Farewell to Connacht

Gertrude Degenhardt

Ómós

13 July - 18 August 2026

Visual Arts

Luke Reidy Outset Gallery

Luke Reidy

The Space Between

13 July - 30 August 2026

Visual Arts

John Rainey Lead Image

John Rainey

Deviations

13 July - 27 September 2026

Faces of Galway Banner

Faces of Galway, 1988-89

13 July - 29 September 2026

<p>Wide shot of a circus big top tent interior bathed in pink light, showing performers climbing rigging towers and a large illuminated ring suspended overhead, with a packed audience seated in the round.</p>

Carnation

10 - 26 July 2026

<p>SAOIRSE | An Taibhdhearc | Image Credit Laurence Winram</p>

SAOIRSE

10 - 26 July 2026

Theatre

Decadent TWO Credit Faolan Carey

Two

10 - 26 July 2026

Awash Banner

Awash

12 - 26 July 2026

Visual Arts

Artspace Studios Portrait

Artspace Studios: 40th Anniversary

13 - 25 July 2026

Theatre

Druid The Shaughraun

The Shaughraun

13 - 25 July 2026

Dolores Lyne Mc Carthys House

Dolores Lyne

Rebel Kin

13 - 26 July 2026

Dressing Room Enda Walsh Paul Fahy

Dressing Room

13 - 26 July 2026

GIAF Thursday Evening 9 Banner

Festival Garden

13 - 26 July 2026

Theatre

Flight DARKFIELD Credit Mihaela Bodlovic

Flight

13 - 26 July 2026

Ireland at Venice Assembly Photo Ste Murray

Ireland at Venice

Assembly

13 - 26 July 2026

Visual Arts

Jackie Nickerson

Jackie Nickerson

Stateside

13 - 26 July 2026

Visual Arts

Lorraine Tuck Limbo Glenhoghan Cillin

Lorraine Tuck

Limbo

13 - 26 July 2026

Sean Henry Ramp

Sean Henry

Presence

13 - 26 July 2026

Sioban Piercy Restless Object

Sioban Piercy

Restless Objects

13 - 26 July 2026

Visual Arts

Tadhg O Cuirrin

Tadhg Ó Cuirrín

Brass Waterbed

13 - 26 July 2026

Theatre

Curious Incident Illustration by Gareth Jones

The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Nighttime

13 - 26 July 2026

Comedy

Foil Arms and Hog

The Laughter Loft

13 - 26 July 2026

Theatre

Bru Padraicin Photo Emilija Jefremova

Pádraicín

14 - 26 July 2026

Free

Electric Festival Club

Festival Club

15 - 26 July 2026

Visual Arts

James Wellwood The Quiet Yard

James Wellwood

As It Darkens

15 - 26 July 2026

Guru Dudu Silent Disco Walking Tours

Silent Disco Walking Tours

15 - 26 July 2026

Music

Traditional Music Showcases Mairin Fahy and Patsy Broderick

Traditional Music Showcases

16 - 25 July 2026

Theatre

Without Sin Photo Ste Murray

Without Sin

17 - 26 July 2026

Dance

Stephanie Lake Colussus Credit Mark Gambino

Colossus

The Bookbinder Trick of the Light Photo Philip Merry Axolotl Photography

The Bookbinder

21 - 26 July 2026

Music

Cardinals

Cardinals

Music

The Saw Doctors performing on stage.

The Saw Doctors

Human Geography John Scott and GIAF Photo Pato Cassinoni

Human Geography

24 - 25 July 2026

Music

SPRINTS David Willis 12

Sprints

24 - 25 July 2026

The Air Between Us Chloe Loftus Dance Photo Sander Spolspoel

The Air Between Us

24 - 25 July 2026

Irish National Opera Testament

Testament

24 - 26 July 2026

Talks

Andrew O Hagan 3

On Friendship

Talks

Partition Independence Assignation and Jazz Ireland in the 1920s

Partition, Independence, Assassination and Jazz; Ireland in the 1920s

Talks

Colm Toibin Singing Iarla

Singing

Talks

Marion Mc Keone War Tarrifs ICE and the Price of Gas

War, Tariffs, ICE and the Price of Gas

Talks

Catriona Crowe and Diarmaid Ferriter What Were We Lik

What Were We Like - The Pope in Galway

Talks

AI So What Happens Next

AI: So What Happens Next?

Music

Cian Ducrot on stage black and white

Cian Ducrot

Music

Paddy Hanna1

Paddy Hanna performs Burt Bacharach

Music

Sexy Tadgh Credit Kate Lawlor 10

SexyTadhg

Talks

The Wounds of Palestine Photo Artaxerxes Longhand

The Wounds of Palestine and Love Stories of Conflict

Music

The Wellermen

The Wellermen

Theatre

Pony Cam Burnout Paradise

Burnout Paradise

13 - 18 July 2026

Music

Just Mustard Photo PC Conor James

Just Mustard

Talks

Vinyl Hours Portrait 2026

Book Free Tickets

Vinyl Hours

14 - 16 July 2026

Theatre

Fishamble For Dolores Image by Leo Byrne and Publicis

For Dolores

14 - 18 July 2026

Talks

Human Presence Sean Henry Embrace 2025 b

Human Presence

Music

Le Bal Chaloupé

Le Bal Chaloupé

Music

Lucy Rose

Lucy Rose

Music

Patti Smith performs on stage under a spotlight

Patti Smith Quartet

Music

Kevin Burke Dermot Byrne Noriana Kennedy and Jim Murray

Kevin Burke, Dermot Byrne, Noriana Kennedy and Jim Murray

Music

Simple Things

Simple Things

Music

The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev 2026

The Flaming Lips

with special guests

Mercury Rev

Music

The Latchikos High Res

The Latchikos

Music

Block Rockin Beats on stage in front of a large crowd

Block Rockin Beats

Music

Bricknasty LEAD PRESS SHOT

Bricknasty

Music

Shark School

Femme Fest with Shark School

Music

Le Boom

Le Boom

Talks

Neutrality A Rational Conversation

Neutrality: A Rational Conversation

Music

The Metropolitan Flute Orchestra

The Metropolitan Flute Orchestra

Compagnie PPP The Whale Street

The Whale Street

17 - 18 July 2026

Talks

A Few Good Men Theo Dorgan

A Few Good Men

Music

Chasing Abbey

Chasing Abbey

Music

David Kitt

David Kitt

Talks

Martina Evans 2026 Drunken Driving

Drunken Driving

Music

Emeli Sandé and James Morrison side by side headshots

Emeli Sandé and James Morrison

Talks

Falling Fertility

Falling Fertility and its Consequences

Talks

Fintan O Toole and Sam Mc Bride 1

For and Against a United Ireland

Talks

Bel Trew From the Front Lines

From the Front Lines

Talks

Can Ordinary People Afford to Retrofit

Can Ordinary People Afford to Retrofit?

Music

DUG

DUG

Music

Glasshouse

Glasshouse perform Sigur Rós

Galway GAA

Live Screening: 2026 GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final - Galway V Limerick

Talks

Paula Meehan Rory Gallaghers Guitar Photo T Nolan

Rory Galagher's Guitar

Talks

Ben Brantley Photo Sara Krulwich The Room Where it H Appens

The Room Where it Happened

Music

Gwenno

Gwenno

Talks

Garry Hynes Strange Country

Strange Country - Ireland in America

Music

Badly Drawn Boy

Badly Drawn Boy

Music

The Wran

The Wran

Music

Puerto Candelaria 2026 Theo Ulloa y Nicole 3

Puerto Candelaria

Music

Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Kate Nash

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

with special guest

Music

Ag Tarraingt On Tobar Con Tempo Quartet with Seamus and Caoimhe Ui Fhlatharta

Ag Tarraingt Ón Tobar

Music

James Band Group Photo

James

Music

Lloyd Cole

Lloyd Cole

Music

Tolu Mc Kay

Tolü Makay

Music

Bell X1 Band Members

Bell X1