Galway Pride Week Club Nights (August 2-8)

Galway Pride Week is one of the oldest Pride festivals in Ireland - Galway Community Pride has been running it continuously longer than almost any other Irish city. The club nights woven through the week are the heartbeat of the celebration, and the Thursday night opener is where the partying properly starts. Bears, Bottoms and Beats at Róisín Dubh on 14 August is a free queer men’s night from 11:30pm, with DJ Steven Sharpe spinning a mix of alternative anthems and dancefloor classics. If you’re looking for a late night out in a welcoming, music-led crowd, this is a strong starting point for the weekend ahead.

What to expect

The Thursday cluster alone gives you options. Bears, Bottoms and Beats takes over Róisín Dubh’s main room from 11:30pm - free entry, music-focused, a crowd that knows its records. Upstairs in The Loft on the same night, PARDON runs a drag club night with a DJ on until 2am.

The wider Pride week adds even more: Galway Community Pride schedules over 30 events across the city from 2-8 August, from information evenings and arts performances to the main Pride Parade on Saturday 8 August (noon from the city centre). The club programme extends beyond the official week dates, with nights including the PEACH/FLINTA party at Club Áras na nGael and the Club GASS all-day party at Róisín Dubh following on the weekend of 15-16 August.

Róisín Dubh itself is a Galway institution - it sits on Dominick Street on the west side of the city, a short walk from Eyre Square, and has been one of the best live music and club venues in Connacht for years. The room holds a crowd well without feeling cavernous, and the staff know how to run a late night.

Getting there

Galway is roughly 2 hours from Dublin by road on the M6 motorway. Bus Éireann and GoBus run frequent express coaches from Dublin Coach Station on Store Street, with journey times around 2 hours 15 minutes. Irish Rail operates trains from Heuston Station, taking around 2 hours 10 minutes to Galway Ceannt Station, which puts you a 10-minute walk from Dominick Street.

Within Galway City, Róisín Dubh is walkable from most of the city centre and from the Latin Quarter. Parking in Galway city at night is easiest in the Eyre Square Centre or Nuns Island car parks - driving into the immediate area of Dominick Street late at night is not advised as the streets are narrow and busy.

While you’re in Galway

Galway is worth time before the night begins - the Latin Quarter, the Long Walk along the Corrib, and the Spanish Arch are all within easy reach. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.

Good to know

• Date: Thursday 14 August 2026
• Time: Bears, Bottoms and Beats from 11:30pm; PARDON (The Loft) from the same evening until 2am
• Price: Bears, Bottoms and Beats - free admission
• Venue: Róisín Dubh, 7 Dominick Street, Galway City (and The Loft for PARDON)
• Check for updates: galwaypride.ie for the full programme and any ticket links
• The full Pride Week runs 2-8 August; these club nights extend the programme into the following weekend