Greetings from Under the Arch
Brokentalkers' Heroes of Tomorrow is at the Black Box Theatre on Wednesday, and Camille O'Sullivan plays Monroe's on Thursday.
Gaillimh Ah-Boo!, a Samhain festival, starts on Saturday and runs to 1 November.
On Sunday, Baboró screens two programmes of short animated films at the Town Hall Theatre, and the Galway Comedy Festival is listed for 20 to 26 October.
This is our pick of what's on in Galway this week. As always for a full event list check out the link at the bottom of the email.
Let's dive in 👇
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
Camille O'Sullivan
Thursday 8 October · 19:00 · Monroe's
The Loveletter show celebrates the music of Shane MacGowan, Sinéad O'Connor, David Bowie, Radiohead, Brel and Nick Cave. O'Sullivan made it with her long-time collaborator Feargal Murray, and the show page promises "a little bit of joyful, mad chaos". She toured with the Pogues, won a Herald Angel award for her RSC solo performance in The Rape of Lucrece, and was previously an award-winning architect and painter.
Gaillimh Ah-Boo! Halloween Festival 2026
Saturday 10 October to Sunday 1 November · Galway City
This festival is built around Samhain, the Celtic tradition that gave rise to Halloween. The Macnas Parade on 25 October is at the centre of the programme, alongside Dark History Tours on folklore and myth, Féasta Fómhair, a feast of food and fire at St Nicholas' Church, and Blás na Samhain supper clubs inspired by the Púca and the Banshee. There is also a Tine Lasta Fire Show at the Spanish Arch, plus storytelling, comic-making and a city-wide recreation of Michael Jackson's Thriller dance in Eyre Square for families.
Galway Comedy Festival
Tuesday 20 to Monday 26 October · Various venues, Galway city and county
The festival is held around the October bank holiday, with mixed bills, solo touring shows, work in progress, improv, sketch, quizzes, films, dinner theatre and new act showcases. Tommy Tiernan, Dara Ó Briain, Deirdre O'Kane, Rhys Darby, Mike Wozniak and Jack Dee are among the names announced.
The Andrea Bocelli Experience
Saturday 10 October · 20:00 to 21:30 · St Nicholas' Collegiate Church
Irish tenor Alan Fitzsimons and Galway soprano Rachel Goode sing classical and crossover favourites, including "Time to Say Goodbye", "The Prayer" and "Nessun Dorma". The evening has live classical accompaniment, staging and audiovisual elements.
These Charming Men
Saturday 10 October · 20:30 · Róisín Dubh
Formed in 1995, These Charming Men are a Smiths and Morrissey tribute act. They have toured Europe, the USA and Japan, where they replaced Morrissey at the Fuji Rock Festival after he pulled out.
The Wran
Sunday 11 October · 20:00 · Róisín Dubh
Four brothers from the Comeragh Mountains in County Waterford, Tommy, Danny, Seán and Stephen Dunford, mix trad with punk and a hint of psychedelia on banjo, harmonium, acoustic guitar, bass VI and drums. Planxty, The Pogues and Lankum are named as influences. After a live debut in 2025 that took in Glastonbury, Green Man, All Together Now and Electric Picnic, they supported The Scratch and Kíla and played Dublin's Notable NYD festival.
Heroes of Tomorrow
Wednesday 7 October · 20:00 · Black Box Theatre
The setting is a major gallery in a capital city, where a celebrated Scandinavian artist is about to present his latest work. It could be his last. Created by Feidlim Cannon, Gary Keegan and Andy Smith, it is the latest work from Brokentalkers and considers how we got here through art, activism, power and protest. It runs for 80 minutes with no interval.
Shorts for Wee Ones
Sunday 11 October · 09:45 and 11:00 · Town Hall Theatre
Seven short animated films from around the world feature curious capybaras, chef mushrooms, woodland animals, an affectionate and very hungry crocodile, a voiceless cockerel and a little girl who communicates best through drawings. Dundee Contemporary Arts curated the selection for its Discovery Film Festival. The films focus on friendship and accepting difference, and all but one have no dialogue. The programme runs for 45 minutes as part of Baboró.
Shorts for Families
Sunday 11 October · 13:00 · Town Hall Theatre
These short animated films are about how curiosity drives characters forward: a little girl discovers the universe outside her phone screen, a robot bee on Mars finds out about the strange powers of an odd plant, and Lola finds a powerful way to communicate with her neurodiverse brother. Cartoon Saloon's Éiru, about a child in search of a challenge and a goddess in search of a champion, and Wildkind, a short by Ciara Tinney directed by John McDaid, screen alongside them. It runs for 90 minutes as part of Baboró.
Powerhaus
Saturday 10 October · 23:00 · Róisín Dubh
A Drag DJ Collective night in the Top Bar.
For a full overview of all events on this week in Galway check out our event listings page
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
Thanks for reading Under the Arch!
If you enjoy the newsletter or you find it useful here are some ways you can help us:
💌 Forward it to a friend, neighbour, or your local WhatsApp group
📝 If you were sent this and want in on the action, sign up here.
💛 Consider supporting the newsletter with a monthly subscription (coming soon)
See you next week 👋
P.S. Not feeling it anymore? No hard feelings. You can unsubscribe from the email footer below