For its 40th birthday, Macnas will stage a Hallowe’en spectacular on the streets of Galway city.
The world-renowned masters of storytelling and pioneers of imagination have called this anniversary performance on Sunday, October 25, Fíain – a celebration of the wild heart of the West.
“Galway has been Macnas’s spiritual home and creative heart from its inception,” says Dr Frank Sullivan, chair of Macnas’s board of directors.
“Thank you to everyone who has built Macnas over four decades: volunteers, performers, staff, makers and crew. And a heartfelt thank you to the people and businesses of Galway, Galway City Council and the Arts Council for their continued belief and support. Agus go raibh mile maith agaibh to our audiences at home and internationally, our unwavering supporters, volunteers, funders and partners whose loyalty and enthusiasm are such an important part of our journey.”
Fiáin will be a celebration of the wild elements of the West of Ireland: the wild inspirations that have imbued the work of Macnas over the last 40 years, and the wild energy that engulfs the streets, performers and audiences as Macnas owns the city’s public spaces for one night only.
“This year’s parade Fiáin is a celebration of the work of the company, and a show case of what Macnas does best - continually reimagining the possibilities of spectacle, grounded in the company’s unparalleled, worldbuilding ethos and fuelled by its signature creative power, vision, electric energy and joyous abandon, says Johnny O’Reilly, Macnas’ chief executive.
“We look forward to the next forty years: the oncoming chapter re-imagining how we make work – new shows, international stages, and a year-round life for Macnas”
From the giant Gulliver on the River Liffey (1988 ) and the iconic U2 "big heads" that toured the world on the Zoo TV Tour (1992 ), to landmark productions including The Táin, Balor, The Lost Days of Ollie Deasy and Turas Alf / Alf's Journey (2024 ), and acclaimed Galway Hallowe’en parades including Out of the Wild Sky (2019 ), Cnámha La Loba (2023 ) and An Treun (2025 ), Macnas has consistently pushed artistic boundaries, creating unforgettable experiences that celebrate creativity, community and the transformative power of live performance, while inspiring new generations of artists, participants and audiences across Ireland and beyond.
Since its first public performance on August, 9, 1986, the company has grown into one of Ireland's leading arts organisations, creating original theatre productions, films, large-scale outdoor spectacles, international commissions and participatory community projects that have captivated audiences in Galway, across Ireland and around the world.
Fiáin marks the start of an exciting 40th anniversary programme of celebratory projects and events with full details to be announced later in the autumn.
