Galway Comedy Festival takes place from 22-28 October, and really there is no better time for such an event. As the days grow colder and darker, and winter begins to bite, the Festival will bring laughter and fun to warm the spirits and keep the humour high.
#GCF24 also coincides with the Halloween Bank Holiday Weekend and the annual spectacle of the Macnas parade, making it an ideal time to come to Galway for the funniest staycation of the year, as festival goers can choose from 78 shows, across 19 venues, over 7 days in Ireland’s favourite festival city
Where else but GCF would you see this many shows, featuring this many comedians? While attending every show is, unfortunately, physically impossible, and, despite some shows already being sold-out, comedy fans are still spoiled for choice. With that in mind, here are our top suggestions of shows to see at #GCF24…
An absolute smorgasbord of comedic delights will be served at #GCF24, whether through yoga, improv, interviews, art events, and a screening of the hit Irish film, The Hurler, or via the many mixed bill shows. The nightly Black Box Galas feature Dylan Moran, Emma Doran, Rich Hall, Miles Jupp, Phill Jupitus, Sinéad Quinlan, Jason Byrne, Mario Rosenstock and Jon Kenny and many more, while the more affordably priced club shows at Róisín Dubh and Seven venues, feature the likes of Terry Alderton, Colin Geddis, Colin Murphy, Aideen McQueen and Sharon Mannion.
There are fantastic solo shows to enjoy with David McSavage, Enya Martin, Fin Taylor, John Colleary, and award-winning one-liner comedian, Mark Simmons, not to mention a very personal show from Miles Jupp (Have I Got New For You, Never Mind the Buzzcocks), finding the funny in his recovery from a brain tumour.
Carefully Curated Craic is the GCF mantra and mission statement and is embodied in the event’s returning shows: Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience brings the hilarious mayhem of the classic sitcom to diners at the Galway Bay Hotel; The Dirty Circus, Galway’s legendary burlesque & cabaret night, is the embodiment of decadence and glamour; while Stephen Frost’s Improv All Stars are the masters of quick-thinking comedy.
GCF also celebrates the Irish language in our Gáire as Gaeilge shows, hosted by Hector Ó hEochagáin in The Crane Bar in Galway City and Cois Cuain in An Spideal. Further shows in the County include Rich Hall (Tuam), Dylan Moran (Headford), and stars from Father Ted, Joe Rooney, Patrick McDonnell, and Kevin Gildea (Oranmore).
Having been expertly tutored by Karl Spain, eight local characters will provide mighty entertainment at CroíAct (pronounced “Craic’d”), a night of craic to raise funds for Croí and ACT for Meningitis in Town Hall Theatre on Friday 25th Oct, hosted by Danny O’Brien.
The full embodiment of ‘carefully curated craic’ comes with Festival favourite, the Late Night KARLnival at Róisín Dubh, hosted by the great Karl Spain. Featuring surprise guests from the Festival programme, this is Festival Director Kevin Healy’s choice line-up for comedy connoisseurs, the must-see shows of the Festival. It’s where anything can happen, and it’s where comedians can, and are expected to be, as edgy and as risqué as they like.
As a comedy Festival with a difference, GCF boasts an Artist In Residence, with this year’s role in the hands of Dylan Moran. As well as solo and mixed bill shows, Dylan will have an exhibition of his artwork at Outset Gallery; host both a life drawing event and the intriguingly entitled Artrobics; and host wide-ranging conversations with fellow Navan-man, Hector Ó hEochagáin about schooldays and obair bhaile, and with DJ Shampain about life as an artist and music producer living in Galway.
Galway Comedy Festival is one of the biggest events in the city’s festival calendar and an essential part of the city’s economy, with a major off-season boost to its hospitality sector. Galway hotels are reporting high occupancy and booking for the October Bank Holiday Weekend, but there are still rooms available for comedy fans making plans to come West. Where else would you want to be? Why on earth would you want to miss it? Why are you still reading this? Book your tickets now!