A sparkling line up at this year’s
Heineken® Big Top
Galway International Arts Festival and Róisín Dubh
present 12 unmissable dates
from Mogwai to Mary Coughlan
from Sophie Ellis-Bextor to Dec Pierce’s Block Rockin Beats
and more!
Each year Galway International Arts Festival and Róisín Dubh join forces to bring to Galway some of the best and most exciting music acts around to play at the iconic Heineken® Big Top.
The Heineken® Big Top is a much-loved part of the Galway International Arts Festival experience. Nestled beside the banks of the River Corrib, in an easy to reach city centre location, it is a highlight of the festival each year. Audiences each have their own special memories of their favourite artist to play there and a myriad of Irish and International artists have graced the stage each year. Galway takes on a particular energy and excitement during the Galway International Arts Festival and the music line up is an integral part of that magic.
The first artists to take to the Heineken® Big Top this July will be one of the most exciting live acts of the moment – Amble on 16th July
Amble is Robbie Cunningham, Oisín McCaffrey, and Ross McNerney, a three-piece folk group whose ability to blend introspective lyrics with lush, atmospheric soundscapes has won them a devoted fanbase worldwide. Their captivating blend of musical storytelling and powerful live sound has won over fans across continents, and now they’re set to take their show on the road once more. Fans can expect to hear new material alongside the band’s beloved tracks.
Next up are Pop Icons Sophie Ellis-Bextor with very special guest Natasha Bedingfield 17 July
With an impressive musical career that spans over 25-years, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has achieved five Top 10 albums and eight Top 10 singles. Hits have included the iconic Murder on the Dancefloor, Take Me Home, Get Over You, Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer), and many more. Her recent single, the disco-pop anthem, Freedom of the Night sees Sophie enter a new era with a confident return to her iconic and esteemed disco-pop sound. Sophie recently released her 7th studio album HANA, her 5th Top 10 record. Following her much-loved Kitchen Disco parties shared on Instagram, Sophie released two albums, Songs from the Kitchen Disco and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco: Live from the London Palladium.
Natasha Bedingfield is responsible for some of the most iconic pop anthems of all time, including Unwritten and Pocket Full of Sunshine. Unwritten featured on Bedingfield’s debut album of the same name, which reached Number One in the UK Charts following its release in 2004. Her album also included hits Single, Wild Horses, I Bruise Easily, and the No. 1 single These Words. She has sold over 10 million albums and earned multiple award nominations including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Album of the Year at the 49th Grammy Awards. Bedingfield’s recent performances have had audiences spellbound under her charm and musical prowess.
With their punked-up versions of traditional Irish songs wowing audiences in Ireland, Australia, the US and the UK, The Mary Wallopers became a word-of-mouth live phenomenon. This culminated with the band performing to their biggest audience in 2024 at Glastonbury’s revered Park Stage. 19 July
The Mary Wallopers were formed by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna. They began traveling the length and breadth of Ireland singing and collecting songs before expanding to a blistering 6-piece that has torn up the live circuit over the past three years.
At the heart of their live performances is their ability to move seamlessly between crackling cabaret-style banter, raucous tales, chaotic punk velocity, and pin-drop silence for heartrending songs. Their zeal for live music is infectious.
Known for their electrifying live shows, Picture This performed to over 60,000 fans across sold-out shows in Dublin, Belfast and Cork in 2024. Their latest album, Parked Car Conversations, soared to Number 2 on the Irish Album Charts while also enjoying success in Germany and the UK. They will play two dates at the Heineken® Big Top on 21 & 22 July
Almost a decade after the success of their debut release, Picture This – Ryan Hennessy, Jimmy Rainsford, Owen Cardiff and Cliff Deane – has amassed over 450 million streams. In 2018, they became the first band to sell out a whopping five nights at Dublin’s 3Arena. With a string of non-stop heartbreak anthems and upbeat pop bangers, Picture This will bring their emotionally charged, energetic and explosive live show to Galway.
Kingfishr has quickly become one of the most exciting acts in Irish music. Fusing Irish folk with modern influences, their atmospheric sound and catchy melodies have captured a wide audience. 20 July.
The band has charted a unique path to success, gaining significant attention through social media and streaming platforms where they’ve racked up over 70 million streams and 800,000+ monthly listeners. Recent accolades include winning the Music Moves Europe Award and a nomination for Irish Breakthrough Artist at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Awards. Their live album, Kingfishr Live from Dublin, soared to No. 5 on the Irish Charts and No. 7 on the UK Folk Albums Chart.
Celebrate one of Ireland’s most iconic voices as Mary Coughlan marks 40 years at the heart of Irish music with a spectacular one-night-only Greatest Hits show at the Heineken® Big Top on 23 July.
Often hailed as Ireland’s Billie Holiday, Coughlan’s unmistakable voice and raw, emotional storytelling have made her a legend — and nowhere more so than in her native Galway, where her journey began. Joined by her full band, enhanced with a sweeping string and brass section, Mary will reimagine four decades of her most powerful songs.
Get ready for an explosive night as three powerhouses of the electronic music scene Interplanetary Criminal, Shampain and Tommy Holohan take to the stage of the Heineken® Big Top on 25 July.
Manchester’s Interplanetary Criminal [Zach Bruce], co-founder of ATW Records, is a leading force in UK Garage, known for fusing 2-step, speed garage, and breakbeats into high-energy sets. Dublin’s Tommy Holohan has carved out his place in the European techno scene with blistering releases and Boiler Room sets, blendingUK intensity with thumping European rhythms. Completing the lineup is Galway’s own Shampain, G-Town Records co-founder [with KETTAMA], boundary-pushing DJ, producer, and broadcaster,who’s helping shape the future of Irish electronic music. Together, these three will deliver a night of pulsating rhythms, genre-blurring sounds, and serious party energy.
Mogwai formed in 1995 in Glasgow and consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar) and Martin Bulloch (drums). Since 1997, the band have released ten studio albums, with their most recent, 2021’s As The Love Continues, being a commercial and critical success, reaching number 1 on the Official UK Album Charts, amassing a Mercury Prize nomination and winning the Scottish Album of the Year award. The band have also contributed to and written scores for projects with Amazon Prime and Apple TV+ while Mogwai: If The Stars Had A Sound, a first documentary about the band released last year was directed by longtime collaborator Antony Crook. 24 July.
Known for their infectious energy, unforgettable melodies, and electric live performances, one of Ireland’s most beloved rock bands The Stunning will perform a special Galway homecoming concert on 26 July.
With a string of hits that became Irish anthems, including Brewing Up a Storm, Heads Are Gonna Roll, and Half Past Two and a debut album Paradise in the Picturehouse that went straight to No.1 and remained there for five weeks, the band always deliver live shows that combine a powerful stage presence with tight musicianship and raw, crowd-pleasing energy.
The band have been together now for 38 years. Their live shows are a testament to their musicianship and a catalogue of songs that have stood the test of time and still sound fresh and relevant today. Special guests for this show are another of Ireland’s much-loved bands, The Four of Us [Acoustic].
Dec Pierce’s Block Rockin’ Beats returns to the Heineken® Big Top on 18 July following on from one of the most memorable concerts of last year’s Festival. Dec Pierce’s Block Rockin Beats is a performance of the world’s biggest dance anthems, where rave meets rock, featuring a DJ set with a live band. In what promises to be an unmissable performance during this year’s Galway International Arts Festival, Dec Pierce’s Block Rockin Beats has become a live phenomenon with a show where you can expect a string of banging tunes such as No Good (Start the dance) alongside Smells Like Teen Spirit and Beastie Boys’ Sabotage. Block Rockin Beats in a raw, energetic, live performance version of Dec Pierce’s radio show of the same name on Today FM.
The 2025 season will come to an extraordinary conclusion on 27 July when renowned Norwegian superstar violinist Mari Samuelsen joins the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for what promises to be an unforgettable evening at the Heineken® Big Top.
Known for her dynamic artistry and genre-blurring performances, Samuelsen will perform Max Richter’s Vivaldi Recomposed – The Four Seasons, a bold reimagining of Vivaldi’s classic that has captivated audiences worldwide. Richter’s work is both familiar and strikingly new — brought vividly to life through Samuelsen’s expressive interpretation combined with the lush sound of the orchestra. The programme will also include pieces by contemporary composers such as Bryce Dessner [The National], Hania Rani, and Arvo Pärt, offering a rich and emotional journey through modern classical music. Known for her fearless approach to programming and her breathtaking technique, Samuelsen continues to inspire global audiences with performances that are as daring as they are moving.
Galway International Arts Festival 2025 runs from 14th – 27th July 2025. GIAF is an annual celebration of the arts, featuring a diverse programme of events, including music, theatre, visual arts and more. It brings together local and international artists to showcase their talent, creating a vibrant cultural experience for audiences of all ages.
Tickets on sale now from