Climate inspirations: Galway’s creative journey to climate action

New climate festival in Ireland

‘’Culture eats strategy for breakfast’’ is a mantra that comes to mind when describing Galway City Councils new award-winning annual climate festival, the first of its kind organised by a local authority in Ireland. In recent times, the disinformation and misinformation surrounding climate change and action, has grown in tandem with the national and local strategies and plans to tackle it. However, without public buy in, then these strategies are difficult to implement.

‘Climate Inspirations-Communities in Action’ is an innovative, creative and collaborative festival which aims to change the narrative and culture around climate action to one of positivity. Change the culture and the strategies will win out. This festival harnesses Galway’s creative energy and embraces its theatrical, musical, art, active travel, gaeilge and food cultures.

Galway is a beautiful 900-year-old mediaeval city situated on the wild west coast of Ireland. Renowned as a place for the arts, creativity and festivals it lends itself to a bohemian, artistic spirit, making it one of Ireland’s most beloved destinations.

Galway City Council wants to be at the forefront of Climate Action within Ireland. In February 2024, the locally Elected Members adopted the first Galway City Climate Action Plan 2024-2029. Within it, there are 60 actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and for the city to decarbonise by 2050.

One action is to establish an annual climate festival with ‘‘events across the city, including expert speakers, workshops, action demonstrations, incorporating culture and the arts. The Climate Action Team set out to organise an innovative and positive festival which brings people along on the journey to collectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions whilst creating a fun, healthier and more liveable city.

Some of the highlights include:

• Talks and panel discussions with various speakers, including former Irish President and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mary Robinson, local and international academics and experts. We have covered topics such as Ireland’s Response to extreme weather events; Sport and Climate Action; Sponge City-how to deal with excess rainfall in Irish towns and Cities; Business and climate action, AI and climate action, District Heating systems and many, many more. There have been field trips to Galway City Council’s climate and biodiversity projects.
• Féasta- A long table pop-up harvest feast for 150 people with food from local community gardens and farms. Michelin star Chef Enda McEvoy’s prepared the food with support from food social enterprise Hinterland West and Galway City Partnership.
• A climate carnival in Fr. Burke Park, including climate and biodiversity talks, a local sustainability group fair with Galway Volunteer Centre, live music, circus, local food and coffee stalls.
• Live concerts, street theatre, art, and a new Galway City Council commission- ‘The Sounds of Climate change’ by sound artist Eugene McKeown, which brings listeners on a journey from pre-industrial times to a future world where we have reduced the impacts of climate change.
• A roving climate exhibition with information on Galway City Council’s climate actions and public tips to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

When culture becomes the strategy

Over 30,000 people attended the festival in 2024 and 2025, with 30 events in 2024 and over 40 events in 2025. There has been city-wide engagement across the business, community, sporting, academic and artistic communities. Climate inspiration spin-off events have also taken place, such as ‘Giob Geab’, a quick-fire community presentation evening for innovative climate projects.

Post festival survey analysis in the first year indicated 80% of festival goers felt that the festival was successful in changing the narrative around climate change to that of a positive, and 83% felt that it was successful in promoting climate action in the city. 75% of respondents were inspired to take sustainable actions after the festival.

As Galway is a UN Sustainable Development Goal champion, we are immensely proud that 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals were covered during the festival.  The festival received National coverage on RTE news and social media and was awarded the prestigious ‘Festival of the Year’ Award at the 2025 Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards.

The festival also aimed to deliver on the objectives as set out in the Galway City Climate Action Plan 2024-2029. The festival aligned to 10 actions within the plan, including promoting sustainable local food systems, business and community engagement, active travel, the Decarbonisation zone and the circular economy.

The festival is growing and firmly establishes Galway City as a pioneer in creative climate action, whereby changing the culture is now firmly part of the strategy.