Galway International Arts Festival and Róisín Dubh present Patti Smith Quartet, The Flaming Lips with special guests Mercury Rev, Dec Pierce’s Block Rockin Beats, Emeli Sandé and James Morrison, Bell X1, Cian Ducrot, Sophie Ellis-Bextor with special guest Kate Nash, James, The Saw Doctors.
This July, the iconic blue Heineken® Big Top will once again rise on the banks of the River Corrib, heralding the arrival of the 2026 festival. Over the course of the fortnight, legendary international acts will share the stage with both established and emerging Irish artists. Music fans can experience the psychedelic brilliance of The Flaming Lips, joined by Mercury Rev, as well as a powerful performance from the incomparable Patti Smith, making for a standout midweek lineup. The excitement continues into the weekends with a series of major shows — from the soulful pairing of Emeli Sandé and James Morrison to the high-energy homecoming of Galway favourites, The Saw Doctors.
A night at the Heineken® Big Top is always one of the highlights of Galway International Arts Festival for many and tickets are selling fast. This year the Heineken® Big Top is back in Fisheries Field with a standout programme of international and Irish artists including the Patti Smith Quartet, Sophie Ellis-Bextor with special guest Kate Nash, James, The Saw Doctors, and, in an Irish exclusive this year The Flaming Lips with special guests Mercury Rev, who will all bring unforgettable live performances to the Festival. In a special double bill, Emeli Sandé and James Morrison share the stage, while Irish acts Bell X1, Block Rockin Beats and Cian Ducrot complete a vibrant Heineken® Big Top line-up.
The line up day by day:
Patti Smith Quartet - Wednesday 15 July 2026
Iconic musician Patti Smith will perform what promises to be an unmissable concert. Her groundbreaking 1975 debut album Horses, now enshrined in the National Recording Registry, announced a fearless new voice, whose influence continues to reverberate across generations. For this special GIAF performance, Smith appears with Tony Shanahan on bass and keyboards, who she has collaborated with since 1996, her son, guitarist Jackson Smith, who she has collaborated with for over a decade, and Seb Rochford on drums. Patti Smith’s Galway debut promises an electrifying, deeply moving night at the Heineken® Big Top.
An Irish Exclusive - The Flaming Lips with support from Mercury Rev - Thursday 16 July 2026
In their only Irish gig this year, with support from indie rockers Mercury Rev, The Flaming lips are renowned for staging one of the most extraordinary live shows in the world. Their surreal, high-energy performances, complete with giant zorbs, confetti cannons, and kaleidoscopic visuals, have earned them global acclaim. The six-time GRAMMY®-nominated band promise another night of dazzling colour, euphoric sound and unbridled joy.
Block Rockin Beats - Friday 17 July 2026 – SOLD OUT
Created by Dec Pierce, Block Rockin Beats is a high-octane fusion of the world’s biggest dance anthems and rock classics, where rave meets rock in a thrilling live performance featuring a full live band. Block Rockin Beats celebrates the sounds that shaped dancefloors across three decades. Dec has built a reputation for unforgettable performances packed with passion, nostalgia and crowd energy. Experience a unique mix of music and visuals - louder, rawer and more powerful than ever.
Emeli Sandé and James Morrison - Saturday 18 July 2026
Emeli Sandé is celebrated as one of the most powerful and distinctive singer-songwriters of her generation and known for emotionally charged, vocally stunning live shows. Her record-breaking 2012 debut Our Version of Events remains one of the decade’s best-selling albums, featuring hits such as Heaven, Next to Me and Read All About It. BRIT Award-winning James Morrison brings his soulful voice and timeless hits, from global breakthrough You Give Me Something to favourites like Broken Strings and I Won’t Let You Go, alongside songs from his 2025 album Fight Another Day. On stage, Morrison is magnetic - warm, expressive and vocally electrifying.
Bell X1 - Saturday 25 July 2026
Renowned for their musical range and fearless experimentation, Bell X1 have embraced everything from alternative and indie rock to electronica, folk and synth-pop, earning a reputation as one of Ireland’s most consistently innovative acts. Expect soaring melodies, sharp lyrics and unmistakable chemistry when they take to the Heineken® Big Top stage.
Cian Ducrot - Sunday 26 July 2026 – SOLD OUT
One of Ireland’s most compelling contemporary artists, Grammy Award–winning Irish musician Cian Ducrot has enjoyed a meteoric rise, driven by undeniable talent, emotional honesty and relentless determination. A breakout star of recent years, Ducrot has amassed hundreds of millions of streams, scored multiple Top 20 singles, and achieved a No. 1 debut album in both Ireland and the UK with Victory. In 2025, his extraordinary ascent was crowned with his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, awarded for his co-writing work on SZA’s global hit Saturn.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor with special guest Kate Nash - Wednesday 22 July 2026
Pop superstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor will return to Galway following her spectacular concert there last year. This July she will be joined by acclaimed singer-songwriter Kate Nash as special guest. With a remarkable career spanning over 25 years, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has delivered five Top 10 albums and eight Top 10 singles. Her catalogue of hits includes the iconic Murder on the Dancefloor, Take Me Home, Get Over You and Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer) and her recent single, the disco-pop anthem Freedom of the Night.
James - Thursday 23 July 2026
Pop icons James will perform for the very first time in Galway. Few bands have sustained a career as rich, fearless and celebratory as James. For over four decades, the Manchester legends have created the anthems that have defined generations, from the euphoric Sit Down and the ecstatic Laid to soaring classics like Come Home, She’s A Star and Born of Frustration. Their songs - poetic, spiritual and joyously alive - have soundtracked countless moments of collective release.
The Saw Doctors - Friday 24 July 2026 – SOLD OUT
Following their spectacular, sold-out performances at GIAF 2023 and 2024 that left fans roaring for more, The Saw Doctors are set to ignite the Heineken® Big Top once again with their infectious mix of rock, folk and unfiltered Irish spirit. Expect a night of electric energy, huge singalongs and pure, joyful mayhem as the crowd belts out favourites like N17, Clare Island, To Win Just Once, I Useta Lover and Hay Wrap.
Galway International Arts Festival would like to acknowledge the support of its principal funding agencies the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland; its Drinks Partner Heineken®; and Education Partner University of Galway.
