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comedy · Monday 20 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
Westend Theatre & Arts Festival Comedy 2026
At Various Westend Venues · Westend, Galway City, Co. Galway
At Various Westend Venues · Westend, Galway City, Co. Galway
WTAF - which stands for Westend Theatre & Arts Festival, though the exclamation mark is very much part of the name - is ten days of deliberately unruly arts across Galway’s Westend district. Running from 20 to 29 July 2026, it was created by Hysteria Theatre Company in partnership with the local Westend community, and it genuinely does what it says: comedy, drag, theatre, live music, circus, and visual art spill out of the usual venues and into bars, back rooms, rooftops, basements, and the canal. It suits anyone who finds traditional arts programming a bit predictable and wants to see something that hasn’t been polished to a shine yet.
The programme runs to over 40 events across the ten days, with most tickets priced under €20 and a number of shows on a pay-what-you-can basis. Comedy sits alongside drag storytelling in bars, micro-theatre in unexpected corners, aerial circus, and at least one choir performing from kayaks on the canal. The performers are a mix of new and emerging artists and more established names - the emphasis is on work that wouldn’t easily find a home in a conventional venue. Performances happen across the Westend at irregular hours, so it’s worth checking the full programme at tickettailor.com/events/wtafgalway to plan what you want to catch. Shows sell out; booking ahead is recommended for anything you particularly want to see.
Galway city is on the M6 from Dublin, roughly two and a quarter hours in normal traffic, and on the M18 from Limerick, about an hour. Bus Eireann and Citylink run regular coach services from Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. The Westend is on the western side of Galway city centre, a short walk across the Salmon Weir Bridge or along the north bank of the Corrib from the train and bus stations on Ceannt Station Road. The area is compact and walkable once you’re in it. Street parking is limited; the Jurys Inn multi-storey on Headford Road and the Eyre Square car parks are the most practical options if you’re driving in for an evening.
The Westend is one of the more genuinely local parts of Galway - independent restaurants, long-running pubs, The Crane Bar for traditional music, and the Roisin Dubh for live gigs and comedy on non-festival nights. After ten days of WTAF, you’ll barely have scratched the surface of the city. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.
Heading to Various Westend Venues 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.