Galway County Council is in talks with the promoter MCD for Galway Airport to host up to ten concerts over a 20-day period next August under a large marquee, the Galway City Tribune can reveal.

The announcement this week that Fatboy Slim is to play one of only two Irish gigs at the airport has reignited the debate about the long-term future of the facility jointly owned by the two local authorities.

The Fatboy Slim gig is scheduled to take place on Friday, August 9 from 7pm at the Carnmore facility, subject to licence. Presale of tickets, at an undisclosed price, is due to take place today (Friday). There will be up to 5,000 tickets up for grabs.

Kieran Coyne, from the Community and Enterprise unit of Galway County Council – which jointly owns the airport with the City Council – said he could not disclose the other acts that are in the offing for Galway until contracts are signed. But they would be a mixture of Irish and international acts that are touring Ireland at the same time.

A number of city councillors have voiced disquiet that the airport gigs could negatively impact on the Galway International Arts Festival, which relies on ticket sales from Big Top gigs to fund much of the programme.

Mr Coyne said the County Council has at all times kept the City Council executive in the loop about the plan “from day one” and last week held a meeting with the promoters, emergency services and other stakeholders to discuss any obstacles to holding the concert series.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the November 3 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.