This Sunday night the streets are set to come alive with music, masks, beasts, giants, and iconic images as Macnas, the world renowned and award-winning street theatre company, presents ‘On The Night Journey’.
This year’s parade, ‘On the Night Journey’, kicks off at 4.45pm on Sunday October 27, and tells the story of the 15ft high boy explorer as he parades his hopes and dreams, his past and present, the new and the familiar, through the city streets. Spectators can expect to see some of their favourite iconic Macnas imagery from the boy’s past journeys and meet some vivid new characters in bespoke Macnas costumes alongside newly composed music scores and a feast of drumming, flares, smoke, and light.
The parade will travel down a new route, starting off at Fisheries Field before travelling up Eglinton Street, down Shop Street, High Street, and Quay Street, over Wolfe Tone Bridge and around to Lower Dominick Street via Upper Fairhill Road (where Kashmir Restaurant is located ). The parade will then finish down the west, on the corner of Lower Dominick Street and Henry Street.
The Galway based street theatre company has recently raised more than €10,000 through the crowd funding website fundit.ie Commenting on this support, Macnas general manager Sharon O’Grady said: “We are genuinely overwhelmed by the support of the community - not just our performers, artists, and funders, but the business community, the Latin Quarter, Avaya, Galway Clinic, and West End Traders who have rallied behind us, and of course our funding partners Galway City Council and the Arts Council. We are very excited about bringing a parade to Galway as part of the Halloween festival, a parade that celebrates creativity and community.
“The relationship between Macnas and the city of Galway is undeniably a special one. The company is particularly proud of the participation and support received from the people of Galway over the past 26 years. Macnas was born in Galway, grew up in Galway, and still lives in Galway - and the Macnas spirit will be very much alive and kicking this Sunday night.”
The public are advised to remember it will be getting dark around 5pm on Sunday, due to the clocks going back on Saturday, and early arrival is advised to ensure a good view of the parade.
