Carnation

NoFit State Circus returns to Galway this July with Carnation, a new full-scale spectacular that picks up where their sold-out 2025 show Sabotage left off. This is not a conventional circus night - it is closer to a live theatrical event that uses circus as its language. Daring aerial work, acrobatics and bold physical performance are woven together with a live band and cinematic imagery, all asking one deliberately provocative question: “The revolution is coming and I have nothing to wear.” The result is a show that is both dazzling to watch and surprisingly pointed. It suits anyone who enjoys live spectacle - curious first-timers, festival regulars and families alike.

What to expect

Carnation is directed by Firenza Guidi and created with NoFit State, a Welsh circus company with close to 40 years of work behind them. Composer David Murray provides the original score, performed live throughout, and several reviewers have singled out the band as worth the ticket price alone. The show runs roughly two hours with an interval.

The venue is NoFit State’s own Big Top pitched at Nimmo’s Pier on the Galway waterfront - a fully seated tent with the action surrounding the audience on all sides. The immersive setup means there is no bad seat: performers move through the space and the sense of scale comes from every direction. The production theme - ordinary people doing extraordinary things - runs through each sequence, so the spectacle carries genuine feeling rather than just technical wow.

Evening shows begin at 8pm. Matinees at 1pm run on Saturdays (11, 18, 25 July) and Sundays (12, 19, 26 July). There are no performances on Tuesday 14 July or Monday 20 July. A post-show artist discussion is scheduled for Sunday 12 July.

Tickets are available through giaf.ie, the Galway International Arts Festival box office.

Getting there

Nimmo’s Pier sits on the western edge of Galway city centre, along Claddagh Quay off Grattan Road, close to the mouth of the River Corrib. From the city centre it is a short walk - roughly ten minutes on foot from Shop Street. By car, follow signs towards the Claddagh and the docks. Street parking is available on Claddagh Quay and Grattan Road, with pay-and-display in operation Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 6.30pm and on Sundays from 1pm. A small car park sits by the slipway. For evening shows the parking pressure is lighter than it would be at midday.

Bus Eireann and Citylink coaches connect Galway with Dublin, Limerick, Cork and other cities, pulling into the Galway Coach Station on Fairgreen Road, from which the pier is about 15 minutes on foot or a short taxi. Irish Rail serves Galway Kent/Ceannt Station, also central.

While you’re in Galway

The GIAF programme runs across Galway from 13 to 26 July, so the city is in full festival swing throughout the Carnation run - street performance, exhibitions and music spill out alongside ticketed shows. Nimmo’s Pier itself is a pleasant spot to arrive early and look out over the bay before taking your seat. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.

Good to know

• Dates: 10 - 26 July 2026 (no show Tue 14 July or Mon 20 July)
• Evening shows: 8pm
• Matinees: 1pm on Sat 11, 18, 25 July and Sun 12, 19, 26 July
• Price: €30
• Tickets: giaf.ie
• Venue: NoFit State Big Top, Nimmo’s Pier, Galway City - fully seated tent
• Post-show talk: Sunday 12 July after the performance