Each year since 1978, creatives and culture consumers have descended on the west of Ireland to take part in Galway International Arts Festival. In 2023, over 600 performances took place in 32 venues over the course of 14 days, with an attendance in excess of 400,000. It employed a small core team as well as over 100 contract staff and was supported by 478 volunteers.The Guardian named the festival as one of the Top 5 Summer Festivals in Europe.
The last few years have seen various challenges across the arts sector and beyond, yet we have always worked hard to deliver a meaningful programme, adapting during times of uncertainty. As our ambition for the Festival and for Galway remains strong, your support is more important than ever. All income from our activities is invested back into the Festival each year, so that any monetary support you give goes toward delivering critical impact.
Likewise, as a participating artist, volunteer or intern, you can see in real time the growing force of the positive effect you have.
There are so many ways to utilise your particular passions and talents to support creativity through Galway International Arts Festival. Whether you make a generous gift to our Production Fund to help bring a ground-breaking new Enda Walsh play to life, become a vital Friend of the Festival or volunteer to help us build an entire cardboard building in one weekend in Eyre Square, you can help people experience extraordinary through GIAF.