Every winter, Galway City centre is transformed into a festive wonderland with the arrival of the annual Galway Continental Christmas Market in Eyre Square.
Planning to visit the Galway Christmas Market? Here’s what you can expect at the festive fair in Eyre Square.
When is the Galway Christmas Market open?
The market runs each year from November until the end of December. The exact dates change from year to year, so check the official Galway Christmas Market website before you travel.
What time does the Christmas Market open in Galway?
Opening hours also change from year to year, so check them on the official website before you go.
Where is the Galway Christmas Market located?
The Galway Christmas Market sprawls across the heart of Galway City in Eyre Square.
Highlights of the Galway Christmas Market
Let’s start with beautiful wooden chalets that give the market a truly continental feel every year without fail. At the Galway Christmas Market, visitors can enjoy more than 50 stalls selling a range of artisan food and drink products and a range of European and Irish products that will make perfect Christmas gifts.
What to buy at the Galway Christmas Market
The Galway Christmas Market is an ideal place to do your Christmas shopping this year, whether you’re shopping for your Secret Santa or that special someone. The market is host to a number of local businesses selling beautiful, bespoke and unique products for all budgets.
Look out for gift sets made with local seaweed, jewellery made by local artists and all manner of natural products made using locally sourced ingredients.
What to eat at the Galway Christmas Market
When you’ve worked up an appetite from shopping, you can refuel on some truly festive fayre. Vendors tempt you from all sides with German sausages (bratwurst in a fresh bread roll topped with mustard and ketchup is a must), followed by a soft, salty warm pretzel. Close your eyes as you eat and you’ll feel like you are in some Alpine resort, almost.
For some festive French favourites chow down on crêpes smothered in Chantilly cream and exquisite patisserie. There’ll also be a chance to try some Irish favourites too including sweet and cream Irish fudge. It’s delicious.
What to drink at the Galway Christmas Market
All that eating and chatting with stall owners is thirsty work, but thankfully there are plenty of options to quench your thirst. Whilst Santa and his reindeers sip milk, the rest of us can enjoy mulled wine, hot ciders, cocktails or a vast array of great beers at the famous Bier Keller.
Of course, there are plenty of non-alcoholic options as well and we suggest you seek out locally brewed non-alcoholic craft beers, freshly pressed apple juice and calorific cups of hot chocolate. Go on, get the whipped cream on top, oh and the marshmallows too, it is Christmas after all.
What to do at the Galway Christmas Market
There’s plenty to keep you entertained and plenty to keep the little ones happy too. Climb aboard the 32-metre high Ferris wheel and sit back and enjoy beautiful views of Galway from way up high.
You can feel all nostalgic with a ride on the traditional carousel. You can also take a ride on the Santa Express train, but make sure you stop off at Santa’s postbox and post your letter. Santa is currently making his list and checking it twice.
Speaking of the Big Man, you can visit Father Christmas at Santa’s Grotto, which is run by local Galway charities. Give a little back if you can and donate some of your spare change. Every little helps.
There’s plenty of family entertainment too with school choir performances, puppet shows, storytelling theatre and carol singing.
If you are looking for the party, just follow the crowds spilling in and out of the buzzing après ski bar or the Bier Keller. Here, there are various events and live performances taking place throughout the Christmas Market.
The Light Up Galway Festival
As part of Yuletide, the streets of Galway have been given some twinkling, sparkling, glamour during the Light Up Galway Festival. Across the centre of the city, from Eyre Square down to the Spanish Arch and beyond, you’ll see glittering LED light installations and dramatic light projections on the city’s buildings.
The light installations act as attraction points and will help you navigate around the city. Each lighting display has interactive photo opportunities at some of Galway’s most famous landmarks. Think of all the Instagram opportunities.
It is the ultimate glow-up for Galway. So make sure you leave some time for strolling around the city and the enchanted light gardens of the market and soak up the electric atmosphere. And make sure you check out the magnificent Christmas tree in Eyre Square too.
Visiting the Galway Christmas Market from Dublin
Of course, Galway is buzzing no matter what time of year you visit, but the Galway Christmas Market just ups the ante, and festive cheer, of this vibrant Irish city. If you would like to visit the Galway Christmas Market from Dublin, you can do so with Wild Rover Tours.
A Wild Rover tour from Dublin will take you through the colourful counties of Clare and Galway. You will visit The Cliffs of Moher before heading to Galway City to stroll around the famous festive markets, all in one easy day trip aboard Wild Rover Tours’ comfortable coaches. Talk about a trip to remember.
Book a Wild Rover Tour to Galway
If you are planning a trip to Ireland, why not book a day tour from Dublin to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher? If you want something a bit more bespoke, we can also arrange a private tour to Galway from Dublin. Just contact us for more details.
