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08th Sep 2023

Events promoter in talks to host music festival at Galway Airport

Fiona Frawley

Galway Airport music festival

The airport has been closed for commercial flights since 2016.

If you missed out on Electric Picnic tickets for 2024, fear not – a brand new festival could be landing at a disused airport in Galway in the not-too-distant-future.

Speaking to the Galway Tribune, Galway County Council confirmed they were in talks with an events promoter regarding a festival to be held at the airport next summer.

It is believed that the promoter in question could be MCD, but this has not been confirmed.

The site was purchased by Galway City and County Councils ten years ago, with councillors recently backing a motion to use it as a live events venue.

Image via galwayairport.com.

“The site is sitting idle”

Speaking to Galway Bay FM, local Councillor David Collins said he believed Galway would benefit hugely from the site being used for events:

“It’s an absolutely ideal location because there’s four roads in and out of it so the traffic would flow very easily in and out of the site, also the motorway is only about two miles away…

In relation to the capacity of the site, the site is 115 acres so it has huge capacity in relation to holding events like this and when the site is lying idle I think it’s important we utilise it”.

The airport was purchased by the councils in 2013 with hopes that it would be developed for industrial and manufacturing purposes, and councillors have recently expressed frustration that no such plans have been put in motion.

To be fair, a festival at a disused airport in the West of Ireland sounds just about hip enough to take off (sorry), and with already established Irish music events selling out a year in advance, it could be time for some more up-and-coming competitors. Rave in the hangar, anyone?

Header images via Getty/galwayairport.com

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