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festivals · Tuesday 7 July 2026 · Various 
Galway Film Fleadh 2026
At Town Hall Theatre, Palás Cinema · Galway City, Co. Galway
At Town Hall Theatre, Palás Cinema · Galway City, Co. Galway
The Galway Film Fleadh is one of the best reasons to be in Galway in July. Now in its 38th year, it has grown from a platform for Irish filmmakers into a full international event drawing directors, producers and audiences from across the world. If you love cinema - not multiplex fare but the kind of film that stays with you - this is a week worth planning around. It suits independent film fans, documentary devotees and anyone who enjoys watching good films in a city that does atmosphere well.
Screenings take place across two venues in the city centre: the Town Hall Theatre on Courthouse Square and the Pálás Cinema on Merchant’s Road. The 2026 edition screens between 80 and 100 feature films alongside up to 100 short films across six days. This year has a particular focus on music films - celebrating music as a connecting force across genres and cultures. Irish premieres confirmed include Learning to Breathe Under Water, starring Rory Kinnear and Maria Bakalova (partly filmed in Galway), and the rugby documentary Try!. The full programme launches 23 June at galwayfilmfleadh.com.
Dedicated strands run alongside the main programme: Generation Fleadh (films for younger audiences), Out On Film (a curated LGBTQIA+ selection) and Peripheral Visions (spotlighting debut filmmakers). A season ticket (€195) covers screenings across both venues and includes a delegate bag and printed brochure.
Bus Éireann Expressway connects Galway to Dublin (roughly 2.5 hours from Busáras) and to Limerick and Cork. Irish Rail runs from Dublin Heuston in about 2 hours 15 minutes - Galway station is a 10-minute walk from both venues. By car from Dublin, the M6 takes around two hours. City centre parking can be tight during the festival; arriving by train or bus is the easier option for a full day of screenings.
The festival falls in peak summer and Galway is at its liveliest - the Latin Quarter, the Spanish Arch and the food and pub scene on Quay Street are all worth an hour between screenings. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.
Heading to Town Hall Theatre, Palás Cinema 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.