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festivals · Tuesday 20 October 2026 · Various 
Galway Comedy Festival 2026
At Multiple venues across Galway City · Galway City, Co. Galway
At Multiple venues across Galway City · Galway City, Co. Galway
Galway Comedy Festival returns for its next edition, expected to run from Tuesday 20 to Monday 26 October 2026, timed as the city’s last big blast of entertainment before winter sets in. Now billed as Ireland’s, and reportedly the EU’s, biggest comedy festival, it has grown from a modest city event into a week-long programme of more than 70 shows spread across Galway’s theatres, bars and arts venues. It suits comedy fans of every stripe, from big-room stand-up to smaller, stranger late-night bills, and the week draws a mix of headline names and homegrown Irish talent.
Recent editions have filled venues including the Town Hall Theatre, the Black Box, Róisín Dubh, Leisureland, Pálás and An Taibhdhearc with a run of stand-up, improv, theatre and Irish-language comedy. Past headliners have included Dylan Moran, Rhod Gilbert, Omid Djalili, Jack Dee, Deirdre O’Kane, Emma Doran and Hector Ó hEochagáin, with a closing gala that brings several names together on one bill. Alongside the big-venue shows, the week typically includes table quizzes, solo shows from touring Irish comics, and a strong presence of homegrown Galway performers, giving it a mix of international polish and local character that keeps regulars coming back every October.
Galway City is roughly two hours from Dublin via the M6 motorway, with Bus Éireann and GoBus running frequent expressway coaches to the city centre, and Irish Rail services from Dublin Heuston taking around two and a half hours. Most festival venues sit within the compact city centre and Salthill area, so once you arrive, the shows are easily reached on foot. Book accommodation early, since an October comedy festival weekend fills city centre hotels quickly.
Heading to Multiple venues across Galway City in Galway? Galway has plenty more to see. Read the Galway area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.
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