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theatre · Friday 17 July 2026 · 9:30pm 
The Whale Street
At Eyre Square and central Galway streets · Eyre Square, Galway City, Co. Galway
At Eyre Square and central Galway streets · Eyre Square, Galway City, Co. Galway
A giant 18-metre whale stalking through the medieval lanes of Galway city centre, pursued by a 15-metre ship complete with a climbing mast and a crew performing aerial feats above the crowd - this is not a quiet evening out. The Whale Street is a free roaming street spectacle by French company Compagnie PPP, presented as part of the Galway International Arts Festival 2026. It is an outdoor retelling of Moby Dick, and it is genuinely spectacular: hydraulics, water effects, live music, acrobatics, and a cast that turns the city itself into the ocean. Families, visitors and anyone who happens to be in the city that evening are all welcome - no ticket, no booking, just show up.
The performance begins at Eyre Square at 9:30pm and takes roughly an hour to complete its route through the city. The procession moves from Eyre Square down Shop Street, across to Dominick Street, over Wolfe Tone Bridge and finishes at Spanish Arch - a journey through some of Galway’s best-known streets and spaces.
The whale and the ship are the centrepiece, built at a scale that makes the surrounding buildings feel like a harbour. The ship carries acrobats who use the mast for aerial work above the crowd; the whale responds with hydraulic motion and dramatic water effects. Live music carries the production forward throughout. Directed by Yann Guerrero, the show is designed to pull in audiences of all ages and does not require any prior knowledge of the Melville novel to follow. This is its Irish premiere.
The procession moves at a walking pace, so you can follow along with it or position yourself at a point on the route and let it come to you. Come early to Eyre Square and secure a good spot before the 9:30pm start - it will draw a crowd.
Galway city centre is best reached from Dublin by Bus Eireann or Expressway coach (approximately 2.5 to 3 hours from Busaras), or by Irish Rail on the Dublin Heuston to Galway line (just over 2 hours). From Limerick it is about an hour by road. The M6 motorway brings drivers directly to the city.
For the performance itself, Eyre Square is the starting point and is five minutes walk from Galway Ceannt railway station. Street parking in the city centre during GIAF week will be tight; the Eyre Square Shopping Centre car park and Jurys Inn car park on Quay Street are close to the route. Walking or cycling from accommodation is the easier option if you are staying in the city.
The festival runs from 13 to 26 July 2026, so there is a full programme of indoor and outdoor events around the city during the same period. The Latin Quarter, Quay Street and the Spanish Arch area are all on the route of The Whale Street and worth exploring before or after the performance. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.
Heading to Eyre Square and central Galway streets 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.