What To Do During The Galway Arts Festival

If there’s one time Galway truly comes alive, its summer.

The Streets buzz with buskers, every pub seems to have a trad session spilling out the door, and during the Galway International Arts Festival, the city transforms into one giant stage. Whether you’re here for theatre, live music, comedy, or simply chasing the Galway craic, there’s no shortage of things to do.

Here’s Stroll To The Stout’s recommendations to make the most of your summer visit.

Wander through the Galway International Arts Festival

The Art’s Festival is one of Ireland’s biggest cultural celebrations, attracting performers and artists from all over the world. Expect everything from jaw-dropping theatre and circus acts to incredible street performances, art exhibitions, along with comedy and live music at every corner.

The best part? Even if you haven’t booked tickets, simply wandering through the city is an experience itself. You’ll stumble across performers around every corner, with Eyre Square, Shop Street and the Latin Quarter buzzing from morning until late.

Stroll To The Stout top tip! Book your evening shows in advance, but leave your afternoons free to get gloriously distracted.

Explore Galway with a local - Before the crowds do

It’s easy to wander Galway, but it’s much more rewarding to understand it.

That’s where Stroll to the Stout come in.

Instead of reading plaques or following a map, you’ll hear the stories behind Galway’s medieval streets, colourful characters and hidden corners from people who actually live here.

Choose the experience that suits your trip:

Walking Tour with Pint Pour

• Perfect if you’ve just arrived in Galway. Spend an hour exploring the city’s highlights before learning how to pour your own perfect pint of stout. It’s fun, relaxed, and gives you plenty of local recommendations for the rest of your stay.

Premium Galway Cultural Experience

• Want the full Irish experience? This tour combines a guided walk through the city with a traditional Irish dinner, an exclusive music session, a lesson in pouring the perfect pint and even a taste of GAA culture. You’ll leave with great memories, a polaroid keepsake and probably a few new favourite songs.

Evening Trad Crawl

• When the festival shows finish, the real Galway nightlife begins. Visit four authentic pubs, enjoy live trad music, pour your own pint, and discover why locals say every great night starts with “just one”.

Find the music that isn’t on the main stage.

Galway doesn’t need a festival to have great music.

Walk into almost any traditional pub and you’ll likely find musicians gathering around a table playing tunes that have been passed down for generations.

Some sessions are planned, but some just happen.

The beauty is that no two nights are ever the same.

If you’re joining our trad crawl, our guides will take you straight to some of the city’s best live sessions, saving you from wandering around wondering where everyone has disappeared to.

Eat like you’re on holiday - because you are

Summer in Galway is made for seafood, fish and chips by the Spanish Arch, creamy chowder, fresh oysters, artisan ice cream and pints enjoyed outdoors whenever the sun decides to make an appearance.

During festival week, food stalls pop up around the city alongside Galway’s brilliant cafés and restaurants, so there’s always something worth trying.

Walk the Salthill Prom

No Galway trip is complete without making your way to Salthill.

Take the scenic walk along the promenade, watch brave swimmers jump into the Atlantic, admire Galway Bay and - if you’re feeling traditional - kick the wall at the end of the Prom for a bit of local luck.

It might not guarantee good weather… but it’s worth a shot.

Slow Down

One of Galway’s biggest attractions isn’t something you can book.

It’s the atmosphere.

Grab a coffee. Sit beside the Spanish Arch. Listen to a fiddle player you’ve never heard before. Watch street performers gather a crowd. Wander colourful lanes without checking Google Maps every five minutes.

Galway rewards people who aren’t in a rush.

Make This Summer One to Remember

Whether you’re visiting for the Galway International Arts Festival or simply escaping for a summer weekend, Galway has a way of making every day feel like an adventure.

Catch a show.

Find a trad session.

Meet new people.

Pour your own pint.

And if you really want to experience Galway beyond the guidebooks, join one of the Stroll to the Stout tours. You’ll leave with more than just photos - you’ll leave with stories you’ll still be telling long after the holiday is over.

After all, anyone can visit Galway.

The best memories come from experiencing it.