As hordes throng the city for the cultural extravaganza that is Galway International Arts Festival, it has been revealed that the City Council charges the festival more in rent than it provides in grant funding for Galway’s biggest annual event.

The Arts Festival, which is worth millions to the local economy, drew crowds of 400,000 into Galway last year, but the local authority provides a grant of just €50,000 to the organisation – 1.4% of the festival’s overall income and a tiny fraction of the cost of running what has become a world-renowned fortnight of culture.

A report provided to councillors this week showed that rents levied on the festival for use of the Town Hall and Black Box Theatres, Leisureland and office space at the Black Box amount to just shy of €56,000.

“In addition to this, Galway City Council receives the surplus generated by the bars operated in the Town Hall Theatre, Black Box Theatre and Leisureland when Galway International Arts Festival events take place there,” states the report.

The Arts Council is by far the Festival’s primary funder – providing grant aid of €994,690 this year.

Caption: Sabotage, the spectacular show that continues at the NoFit State Big Top at Nimmo’s Pier until July 27. Photo: Mark Stedman

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