Galway has grown some amazing artists over the years, and its arts scene has also drawn musicians to it like sirens drawing sailors to their rock-related doom.
One Galway music expert has compiled a list of over thirty major acts who have played the many stages of Galway. Shane ‘Snarls’ Coppinger trawled the archives to bring us a list that will surprise you.
Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Radiohead, The Prodigy, and Calvin Harris are just a handful of the legendary names to have played in Galway.
Radiohead
So, in roughly chronological order, here are the most Famous International Artists (Non-Irish) to play Galway.
- Johnny Cash – Hangar Ballroom, Salthill. Wed 16th Oct, 1963
- Eric Clapton – Leisureland, March 11, 1979
- Depeche Mode – Leisureland, October 8, 1982
- New Order – Aula Maxima, University of Ireland and also Warwick Hotel, Salthill, Galway, April 23, 1983
- The Smiths – Leisureland, November 17, 1984
Meat Loaf played Co Galway
- Primal Scream – Trends Cullinanes Inn Salthill Galway, October 25, 1989
- Meat Loaf – Leisureland, 7th Feb, 1990
- Radiohead – Castlegar Sports Grounds, July 1996
- The Prodigy – Leisureland, 27th December 1994
- Pulp – Galway’s Big Day Out. Castlegar Sports Grounds, 1998
The Big Day out featured some huge acts
- Ian Brown (Stone Roses) – Castlegar Sports Grounds, July 1998
- Beastie Boys – Castlegar Sports Grounds, July 1998
- David Gray – Warwick Hotel, Salthill, 1998
- Fatboy Slim – GPO, Galway, 1998
- Morrissey – Blackbox, November 27, 1999
- Coldplay – Warwick Hotel, Salthill, 2000
- Moby – Castlegar Sports Grounds, Galway, June 5,2000
- Muse – Big Top, 1st June 2001
- David Byrne (Talking Heads) – Radisson Hotel, July 26 2004
Bob Dylan ticket
- Bob Dylan – Pearse Stadium, Sunday 27 June 2004 at 2:00pm
- Four Tet (touring Ireland with Kid Koala) – Roisin Dubh, Galway, Monday 14 Oct, 2005
- Calvin Harris – @ Cuba Friday August 1st, 2008
- Bon Iver – 23 July, Big Top, 2009
- Disclosure – Black Box Theatre, November 14th 2013
- The 1975 – Roisin Dubh, February 20, 2014
- Father John Misty – 22 Oct, 2015
Galway was ready for the weekend
- Peggy Gou – Carbon, 22 Feb 2018
- The Game – Monroes, MARCH 22ND, 2018
- GZA – Roisin Dubh on 6th April 2019
- Black Eyed Peas (No Fergie) – Pearse Stadium, Galway, June 4, 2022
- Ed Sheeran – Mutiple Places, Oconnors, Pearse Stadium, Busking Shop St, Roisin Dubh
Did you know every single act? How many did you attend? How many have you kicked yourself over missing? Let us know in the comments below…
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