Imagine such seasoned comedy pros as Jack Dee, Dylan Moran, and Omid Djalili, and fast-rising stars like Aoife Dunne and Rachel Galvo all in one city during the same week?
That’s not a comedy dream, it is a comedy dream-bill come true as Galway Comedy Festival 2025 hosts solo shows by all five during this year’s run from Tuesday, October 21, to Monday, October 27.
Some are long-established legends, others are exciting new comedy queens. All are comedians on peak form, bringing their new touring shows to Galway, giving fans the chance to enjoy a full, uninterrupted hour of some of the best stand-up you will hear all year.
As the world is a very frightening place at the moment, Jack Dee is providing the perfect escape plan with Small World (October 23, Black Box ) and his vow not to mention culture wars, the climate crisis, British foreign policy, or social justice.
Dee will explore his fascination with meaningless small things like Zoom protocol, new radiators, and the world’s worst careers advice office.
DOLLA HO, the latest stand-up show from Dylan Moran (October 23, Raheen Woods Hotel, and October 24, Black Box ), is a distillation of the finest comedic ingredients harvested from the brilliant mind of one of Ireland’s most singular and original comics.
The material arose from Dylan’s 2024 Work In Progress Wander tour, which saw him try out new material across 50 different shows in 35 towns.
It's been a few years since Omid Djalili was last in Galway. He returns with the opening solo act of GCF25 with his new show, Namaste (October 21, Town Hall Theatre ).
Namaste sees the Persian comedy powerhouse peacefully bow to his inner anger to unleash a torrent of comedic vitriol upon the current state of this dangerously messed-up planet. No government gets a green card. No tyrant avoids a take-down.
Rachel Galvo is a genuine overnight sensation. She had the idea of combining her two passions - feminism and comedy - into a debut solo show, The Shite Feminist, and it took off like wildfire across Ireland and Britain, including a breakout run at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe. She’s already sold-out one show at GCF25, but tickets are still available for Wednesday, October 22, at Róisín Dubh.
Galwegian Aoife Dunne describes herself as an “absolute dose”, but her magnificent spoken word piece on Instagram, ‘Conor McGregor Is Not Irish’ brought platitudes. She brings her acclaimed debut solo show Good Grief to Galway (October 26, Town Hall Theatre ) which deals with the death of her mother and how she rebuilt her life after that painful loss. As Chortle said, it may be a “dark subject for comedy, but…Dunne beams with scintillating light when recounting the stories around it…the eventual healing process sitting next to the hilarious stand-up.”
There are a handful of tickets left to Rhod Gilbert’s Rhod Gilbert & The Giant Grapefruit (October 22, Leisureland ), looking at what happened when life gave this Welsh comedy sensation lemons.
Rich Hall, the eternally grouchy cowboy and festival staple is at Róisín Dubh on October 21, and David McSavage brings The Occasional Ride to Pálás on October 26.
There are solo shows from Micky Bartlett, the Lurgan Legend himself; the “smart, funny, and crude” Kai Humphries; Belfast taximan turned comedian Paddy McDonnell; Sharon Mannion, admired by Deirdre O’Kane and Neil Delamere; Aideen McQueen, with her latest show, Waiting for Texto; and the irrepressible force of nature that is Hector Ó hEochagáin.
For info and tickets see www.GalwayComedyFestival.ie
