Galway festival funding remains stagnant while other counties get four times more

Galway’s festival funding has failed to increase for the last eight years, leaving the city receiving up to four times less than other counties, despite the soaring cost of staging public events.

Published 31st Aug 2026, 19:55 BST While the Galway International Arts Festival receives almost €1 million annually from the Arts Council, a new draft report shows that festival funding from Fáilte Ireland's Regional Festival Fund has remained the same for the last 8 years at €18.500 while other counties receive four times more. | Iconic Galway’s festival funding has failed to increase for the last eight years, leaving the city receiving up to four times less than other counties, despite the soaring cost of staging public events. Sign up to our Connacht Tribune Today daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Connacht Tribune within your account.

Galway City's allocation from Fáilte Ireland's Regional Festival Fund stands at €18,500 for 2026 and has not increased since the fund was introduced in 2018.

By comparison, Kerry County Council will receive €75,250 this year, more than four times Galway City’s allocation, while Donegal receives €49,750, Clare €43,000 and Cork County €42,250.

Galway County fares little better, receiving €18,000 from the fund, while neighbouring Mayo has been allocated €32,500.

There are, of course, other forms of festival funding from the state: the Galway International Arts Festival, for example, receives just under €1 million annually from the Arts Council and Baboró International Arts Festival for Children was allocated €438,000.

Galway Castle given new lease of life after funding Galway mother 'exhausted' over 'red tape' after months of fighting for teen son But Galway City Council has now raised the prospect of a tourism tax or levy if sufficient additional investment is not forthcoming from Fáilte Ireland.

“Should Fáilte Ireland be unable to provide the level of investment required to sustain this invaluable sector, Galway City Council requests that Fáilte Ireland support the calls for the introduction of a Tourism Tax or Levy,” a new report states.

“Such a mechanism would enable Local Authorities to ring-fence dedicated, sustainable funding to support the festival and events sector into the future.”

The stark funding differences are highlighted in a draft report prepared by Galway City Council on behalf of the Tourism Officers Network.

It has called for an overhaul of the way Fáilte Ireland supports festivals around the country.

“Galway City Council's allocation has remained unchanged at €18,500 from its introduction in 2018 to 2026,” the report states.

“This stagnation of funding is increasingly untenable given rising operational costs, expanded regulatory requirements, and the strategic ambitions set out in the Fáilte Ireland Festivals and Events Strategy.”

The report warns that funding has failed to keep pace with the soaring cost of staging major public events.

Ukrainian author's heartfelt plea after finding new home in Galway village The pressure on Galway is illustrated by the cost of the city's St Patrick's Day parade.

Galway City Council's budget for the parade has risen from €40,000 in 2015 to €170,000 in 2026 - more than quadrupling in just over a decade.

The report says the entire €40,000 budget that funded the parade in 2015 would not now be enough to pay for the mandatory vehicle mitigation barriers required by An Garda Síochána for this year's event.

“This single requirement highlights the substantial rise in safety and operational expenses now associated with delivering modern festivals,” the report states.

Despite that dramatic increase in costs, the city's Regional Festival Fund allocation remains frozen at €18,500.

The report warns that festival organisers are also being hit by higher insurance, security, crowd management, infrastructure and regulatory costs, with volunteer and community-run events particularly exposed.

Galway children denied places on school bus as time running out “Without a corresponding uplift in national or regional supports, many festivals are struggling to remain viable, leading to reduced programming, increased reliance on local authority subvention, or, in some cases, the risk of cancellation,” the report continues.

“The report shows how Galway is so far behind on festival funding,” said Cllr Níall McNelis (Lab).

“We need to make sure that Galway gets the most we can at all times. We are competing against all parts of the country.

“We need sustainable tourism and proper festival funding is a vital part of that.”

It highlights that Kerry receives €56,750 more than Galway City, while Donegal receives €31,250 more and Clare €24,500 more.

Even neighbouring Mayo receives €14,000 more than Galway City, while Limerick City and County receives €24,000 in total and Sligo receives €23,500.

The report argues that the funding does not take into account rising inflation, increased visitor numbers, or the cost of insurance and health and safety compliance.

Galway Ring Road takes another major step forward as three vacancies announced “Several local authorities, particularly smaller counties, received less than €10,000 for several years,” the report outlines.

“At the same time, counties such as Kerry consistently received €75,250, while Donegal, Clare, Cork County and Dublin City each received between €40,000 and €50,000 since the introduction of the fund.”

A separate €10,000 Regional Festival Food Fund has been introduced for local authorities in 2026.

However, the report also questions the rationale behind that scheme.

“Some Local Authorities receiving the Food Fund do not host a food festival, while others with multiple eligible festivals receive the same amount,” the report continues.

“This inconsistency underscores the lack of strategic investment and the absence of a coherent funding rationale behind these schemes.”

Circus and dance as high-energy Earthfall lights up Galway's Town Hall Theatre A further report by Regional Skills West in partnership with Galway City Council, entitled 'Grow The Show', highlights concerns among festival organisers over rising costs, reduced sponsorship opportunities and a growing reliance on box office income.

“These pressures cannot be reconciled with a funding model that has remained frozen since 2018,” the report says.

The local authority is calling for an increase in baseline funding and wants future allocations to be linked to inflation.

It is also seeking multi-year funding arrangements to “ease pressure” on festival organisers and wants local authorities to have a direct role in designing a new funding model.