The Galway Races Summer Festival

The Galway Races Summer Festival is the week many Irish people plan their summer around. For seven days at Ballybrit, on the eastern side of Galway city, there is racing every afternoon or evening, and once the last race is run the crowds carry on into the city late into the night. It starts on the last Monday of July and finishes on the Sunday, which usually takes in the August bank holiday weekend.

Racing at Ballybrit goes back to Tuesday 17 August 1869, when the racecourse says around 40,000 people turned up for a two day meeting and the park at Eyre Square was used as a campsite. The meeting grew slowly, to three days in 1959 and eventually to the full seven days in 1999. Today the racecourse puts the week's attendance at more than 150,000.

When is it?

The festival always begins on the last Monday of July. Galway Races has already published the 2027 dates: Monday 26 July to Sunday 1 August 2027. The 2026 festival ran from Monday 27 July to Sunday 2 August.

Each day has its own character:

• Monday, Opening Day: an evening card, with the first race after 5pm in the 2027 schedule.
• Tuesday, Tribes Tuesday: another evening start.
• Wednesday, Tote Galway Plate Day: the big steeplechase, run in the evening.
• Thursday, Guinness Galway Hurdle Day and Ladies Day: an afternoon start and the busiest fashion day.
• Friday: evening racing and more best dressed competitions.
• Saturday: an afternoon card with bank holiday crowds.
• Sunday, Mad Hatter's Family Fun Day: a gentler, family day to close the week.

Check the racecourse website for exact first race times, as they change from day to day.

The big races

The Galway Plate is the race Ballybrit was built around. It was the main attraction at the very first meeting in 1869, and today it is a handicap steeplechase over about two miles and six and a half furlongs, with fourteen fences, for horses aged four and older. Tote Ireland has sponsored it since 2011. If you only come for one day, Plate day is the one locals talk about.

The Galway Hurdle was first run in 1913. It is a handicap hurdle over about two miles with nine flights, sponsored by Guinness, and it shares Thursday with Ladies Day, so expect a big, lively crowd.

The week is a mix of jumps and Flat racing. If you are not sure of the difference, our National Hunt vs Flat explainer covers it in a few minutes.

Getting there

Galway Racecourse sits just off the M6 motorway. The racecourse gives these rough journey times: 40 minutes from Shannon Airport, an hour from Knock, two hours from Dublin Airport and about two and a half hours from Cork Airport.

Shuttle bus. The easiest option if you are staying in the city. Buses leave from outside The Skeff Bar in Eyre Square and run to the racecourse. For the 2026 festival fares were €10 adult return (€8 single) and €5 child return (€4 single). Return buses start before the second last race and keep going after racing. Galway's Ceannt railway station is right beside Eyre Square and is the end of the line for Dublin to Galway intercity trains, so you can arrive by rail and hop straight on.

Driving. From Dublin it is the M4 and M6 all the way to the N6 in Galway. From Limerick and Cork you come up the M18. There is a traffic management plan during festival week, published on the racecourse website, and it is worth reading before you set off because the approach roads get very busy.

Helicopter. Landings are possible but only with pre-registration through the racecourse.

Where to stay

Galway city fills up fast during race week, and prices rise with demand. Staying in the city centre means you can walk to the Eyre Square shuttle and walk home after the evening. Salthill, along the coast, is a short hop from the centre. If the city is full, towns along the M6 and M18 corridors are an option, though you will then be driving or relying on taxis. Book as early as you can: for the most popular days it is common for rooms to go months in advance.

Tickets and tips

• Buy online in advance. Galway Races offers an advance ticket price that is €5 cheaper than paying on the day.
• Children 17 and under get in free with a parent, which makes the Sunday family day good value.
• Arrive early. Turnstiles open two hours before the first race and the racecourse recommends getting there at least an hour beforehand.
• Dress code. There is no official dress code at Irish racecourses, and smart casual is a safe choice. Thursday and Friday are the fashion days if you want to dress up. Always check the forecast: a July evening in the west can turn cool and wet quickly.
• Paying for things. Contactless is encouraged, but there are ATMs on site.
• Watching the racing. Every race is shown on big screens, and binoculars can be hired behind the Millennium Stand.
• Betting. The Tote, Ladbrokes and independent on-course bookmakers all operate at Ballybrit. Betting is entirely optional and plenty of people just watch. If you do have a bet, set a limit before you arrive. Free, confidential help is available from Gambling Care on 1800 936 725 (gamblingcare.ie).

If it is your first time racing, read our first day at the races guide before you go. For the course itself, including its other meetings in the autumn, see our Galway racecourse page.

Around the festival

Galway at the end of July is at its busiest, so combine the races with a day in Connemara or out on the Aran Islands if you are staying the week. For more ideas on planning a year of racing, see our Irish racing calendar. The next big summer to autumn festivals are the Listowel Harvest Festival in September and the Irish Champions Festival.