Arts Week with Judy Murphy

Galway’s Town Hall Theatre which will mark its 30th anniversary next year, has launched its busiest ever  Winter/Spring season, with a top-class selection of theatre, music, comedy, ballet, film, musicals and special events.

Druid, Sofia City Ballet, Ye Vagabonds, Rosie O’Donnell, Adam Kay, Mario Rosenstock, Ron Sexsmith, Keith Barry, Irish National Opera, Imelda May, Little John Nee, Seamus O’Rourke and the Bay City Rollers are just some of the big names from the local, national and international entertainment scene that are included in the line-up that starts next month and runs until March.

A highlight of the extended programme is a special concert on Sunday, February 1, to mark the 30th anniversary of the official re-opening of the refurbished Town Hall on February 1, 1996 by the then Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Michael D Higgins, and Mayor of Galway City Cllr Micheál Ó hUiginn.

Since then, the Town Hall become established as one of Ireland’s busiest and most successful regional theatres.

In those three decades, thousands of acts have played on its stages and almost three million people have attended performances, screenings and events at that venue and at the nearby Black Box.

To mark this cultural milestone, the Town Hall Theatre celebration will feature multi-folk-award nominees The Whileaways and special guests. They’ll include Galway favourites, Mary Coughlan, Leo Moran & Padraig Stevens, and Rita Anne Higgins.

Film highlights of the new season include the return of Subtitle Film Festival after a six-year absence and the screening of the critically acclaimed documentary Mad, Bad and Dangerous.

Classical music is strongly represented with the return of Music for Galway’s annual Midwinter Festival in January. That event is a special celebration of string quartets, quintets, sextets and even an octet.

Theatre highlights will  include productions by Druid Theatre with the return of its five-star Arts Festival production  of Macbeth. There will also be shows from Little John Nee, Hysteria Theatre and Seamus O’Rourke.

Irish National Opera will make a welcome return with a fabulous production of Vixen, while the busy THT music programme will feature a host of acts including The Fureys, Finbar Wright, Imelda May, Ron Sexsmith, Aimee Carty, Ye Vagabonds, the Bay City Rollers, Derek Ryan, Patrick Feeney, The Whistlin’ Donkeys, Jack L, Johnny Mc Evoy, traditional musician Emer O’Flaherty, and Dr Caren Hession’s Born To Rise Showcase.

Other musical events will include tributes to iconic artists Pink Floyd, Franki Valli, Shania Twain, Luke Kelly, The Carpenters and The Showband Show.

There’s lots of comedy, with Emma Doran, Aoife Dunne. Mario Rosenstock (in the Black Box Theatre on 28thFebruary), Rosie O’Donnell, Jason Byrne, Adam Kay, Neil Delamere, Pat and Faye Shortt, Conal Gallen and Randy Feltface, among others.

Family events will include the Renmore Pantomime with Jack and the Beanstalk. That starts later this month and runs into January. Other family shows will include Joe The Magician and The People’s Theatre.

The Sofia City Ballet will bring their acclaimed production of Swan Lake, while other events will include Dreamboys, Psychic Sally, Bingo Loco, and Keith Barry.

The Jan-Mar 2026 season will also have productions from Haw Theatre, Bualadh Bos Oranmore, Aisteoirí an Bhailigh Maigh Chuilinn, Moycullen Musical Society, Galway University Musical Society, Coláiste Bhaile Chlair, Trading Faces and an album launch concert by Misneach Orchestra with special guests, Lackagh Comhaltas.

It’s a programme with something for all ages and tastes, according to manager of the Town Hall, Fergal McGrath.

Full details about the upcoming season are in the theatre’s latest brochure, which is now available to download at tht.ie, where tickets for all performances and events are also on sale.

Pictured: Marie Mullen and Marty Rea in Druid’s hit production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at last year’s Arts Festival. It will return to the Black Box Theatre from March 25 to April 6.