Galway Community Circus Summer Camps

Galway Community Circus has been running summer camps for children and young people across the city and county for years, and this is one of the genuinely worthwhile things to do with kids in Galway over the school holidays. The camps suit a wide range, from toddlers taking their first wobble on a balance board right through to teenagers getting serious about aerial work. If your child has never tried circus before, this is a low-pressure, encouraging place to start. If they already have some skills, the older age-group camps give them real progression.

What to expect

The summer camps run across three locations - Westside (St Joseph’s Community Centre, Ashe Road, Shantalla), Eastside (Renmore Community Centre, Renmore Avenue), and Tuam (The Family Centre Sports Hall on Dublin Road) - so there is usually somewhere close to where you are staying.

The programme breaks into age groups with genuinely different content at each level. Toddler Circus (ages 1 to 4, with an accompanying adult) is a playful mix of movement, balance games and creative activities using child-scaled equipment. Flea Circus (5 to 7 years) introduces juggling, balancing and simple manipulation skills. Junior Circus (8 to 11 years) moves into confidence-building skill development. New for 2026 are dedicated aerial camps for older children - Tweenie Aerial (12 to 14 years) and Teen Aerial (14 to 17 years), both running at the Westside location. There is also a Family Circus strand at Westside for mixed-age groups of four and above.

Skills across all camps include juggling, acrobatics, tumbling, hula hoops, tightrope walking, aerial arts and games. Galway Community Circus is a registered charity supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Galway County Council, and their focus is as much on building friendships and social confidence as on teaching circus technique.

Spaces in the Toddler and Aerial camps in particular tend to fill early, so it is worth booking ahead.

Getting there

Galway city is about two hours from Dublin on the M6 motorway, and roughly two and a half hours from Cork via the M8 and N18. The Westside and Eastside venues are both within the city - Shantalla is in the western residential area, and Renmore is on the eastern side near the Docks. Parking is generally available on street near both community centres. For Tuam, the Family Centre is on the Dublin Road on the southern approach to the town, with on-site parking.

Galway city is well served by Bus Eireann and CityLink from Dublin, and there is a rail service from Heuston Station. Local Bus Eireann services connect most parts of the city to the Westside and Renmore areas.

While you’re in Galway

Galway in summer is particularly good for families - the Spanish Arch, the Long Walk, and the Salthill promenade are all within easy reach of the city camps, and Tuam has its own historic centre worth a short walk around. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.

Good to know

• Date: Camps run across summer 2026; Westside runs 4 to 28 August, Eastside 27 to 31 July, Tuam 11 to 14 August (first camp from 13 July)
• Start time: 10:00am
• Price: Price on application - check the website or book via ClassForKids
• Booking: galwaycommunitycircus.com or galway-community-circus.classforkids.io/camps
• Age groups: Toddler (1-4 with adult), Flea Circus (5-7), Junior (8-11), Tweenie Aerial (12-14), Teen Aerial (14-17), Family (4+)
• Contact: info@galwaycircus.com or +353 85 111 7224