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seasonal · Sunday 2 August 2026 · Various 
Galway Pride Week 2026
At Multiple venues throughout Galway City · Galway City, Co. Galway
At Multiple venues throughout Galway City · Galway City, Co. Galway
Galway Pride Week is Ireland’s longest continually running Pride celebration, and it returns to Galway City from 2 to 8 August 2026. Organised by Galway Community Pride, the week draws thousands of people - locals, visitors from across Ireland, and international guests - into a city that takes this festival seriously. It is a genuinely community-run event, not a corporate production, and that shows in the programme. If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community or want to show up as an ally, this is one of the warmest and most inclusive weeks on the Irish calendar.
The week runs across multiple venues throughout Galway City, with a mix of free and ticketed events. Expect community gatherings, bilingual panels, mental health awareness workshops, arts and performance nights, live music and late-night parties. Past editions have included Drag Bingo, a Pride Swim in the sea, Gaylí (a traditional céilí with a rainbow twist), and an LGBTQ+ Tea Party. Programming is deliberately built to suit different energy levels - there are sober and low-sensory spaces alongside the high-energy club nights.
The centrepiece is the Pride Parade on Saturday 8 August. It sets off from Eyre Square at 1pm, filling the city streets with banners, music and community groups of every kind. Walking, wheeling, dancing - all are welcome. After the parade, a family picnic and party at Fr. Burke Park rounds things off. The full week programme is published on galwaypride.ie closer to the event; it is worth checking there for the current lineup of ticketed shows and free gatherings.
Galway is well served from Dublin by Bus Éireann and GoBus, with frequent daily services from Busáras taking around two to two and a half hours. Irish Rail runs from Heuston Station, with the journey roughly two hours. From Cork, both Expressway and private coaches operate regular services. If you are driving, the M6 motorway connects Dublin to Galway. Parking in the city centre during event week can be tight - Eyre Square and the surrounding streets get busy. The Headford Road and Galway Shopping Centre car parks are reasonable options a short walk out.
August is peak season in Galway, so the city is lively well beyond Pride Week. The Latin Quarter, Shop Street, and the Spanish Arch area are pleasant to wander, and the Claddagh and Salthill promenade are worth the short walk from the centre. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.
Heading to Multiple venues throughout 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.