The Flaming Lips to play Heineken® Big Top Galway International Arts Festival with support from Mercury Rev!
Galway International Arts Festival and Róisín Dubh today announced that The Flaming Lips will make a triumphant return to the Heineken® Big Top in July 2026, their only Irish gig next year, with support from indie rockers Mercury Rev.
Click here to book your tickets!
Renowned for staging one of the most extraordinary live shows in the world, the six-time GRAMMY®-nominated band promise another night of dazzling colour, euphoric sound and unbridled joy.
Formed in Oklahoma City in 1983, The Flaming Lips have become one of the most influential and inventive forces in American alternative rock. Their surreal, high-energy performances, complete with giant zorbs, confetti cannons, and kaleidoscopic visuals, have earned them global acclaim and a place on Q Magazine’s list of ‘50 Bands to See Before You Die.’
Audiences can expect much-loved anthems such as Do You Realize?? and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1, alongside songs from their critically praised albums King’s Mouth and American Head.
With their unique blend of creativity, theatricality and heart, The Flaming Lips’ return to Galway promises to be one of the most spectacular nights of the summer.
Mercury Rev
Formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York, Mercury Rev are celebrated for their kaleidoscopic blend of indie rock, psychedelia, and orchestral pop. Forever evolving, the band has drawn on jazz, folk, funk, and electronic textures to craft what The Guardian called ‘music that pushes the boundaries of what rock means.’ Their 1991 debut Yerself Is Steam introduced their dreamlike sound, while 1998’s Deserter’s Songs, featuring the soaring singles Goddess on a Hiway and Holes, became a modern classic, topping NME’s Album of the Year list and inspiring a new wave of chamber-pop experimentation. Later releases such as All Is Dream and The Secret Migration cemented their reputation as one of America’s most imaginative and enduring alternative bands.
Tickets Available - Book Yours Today!
Tickets €65.20 (incl. booking fee) on sale now.
For nearly half a century, Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF) has helped shape Ireland’s cultural landscape - presenting a world-class annual festival that unites Irish and international artists across a vibrant, multidisciplinary programme; commissioning, producing and touring new work; and championing leading ideas through its First Thought series, while increasingly embedding inclusivity and sustainability across its programmes.
As it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027, GIAF will build on its legacy in Galway to enhance Ireland’s reputation for creativity, innovation and international connection. GIAF 2026 will take place from 13–26 July.
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 its Education Partner University of Galway.
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