Town Hall Theatre marks its 20th anniversary with gala concert

Musicians Frankie Gavin and his De Danann, Brendan O’Regan, Dermot Byrne and Floriane Blancke and John Spillane will be joined by guests from Druid Theatre, Decadent Theatre and the Patrician Musical Society for a concert at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre on February 1.

The MC for the event will be Little John Nee and the show will mark the Town Hall’s 20th anniversary.

The refurbished Town Hall was officially re-opened on February 1, 1996. The honours were done by then Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht Michael D Higgins alongside then Mayor of Galway Cllr Micheál Ó hUigínn.

The enthusiasm and determination of Galway’s arts community (amateur and professional) along with the commitment of the then City Manager Joe Gavin and the theatre’s first Manager Michael Diskin laid the foundations for its future success.

More than two million people have attended performances at the venue since 1996, making it Ireland’s busiest regional theatre. It hosts major international festivals, including Galway Arts Festival and the Galway Film Fleadh.  It also stages work from professional and amateur performers, companies, musical societies and arts organisations from across the city and county, including the Patrician Musical Society which was the first company to perform on the stage of the newly refurbished Town Hall in Autumn 1995.

The venue has a 400-seater main auditorium and a 52-seater studio space and also runs the nearby multi-purpose Black Box performance space (600 seated, 800 standing) on Dyke Road.

This year the Town Hall will present more than 400 performances, events and screenings. Its programme will feature favourites such as The Abbey Theatre, Decadent and Branar Teatar do Pháistí.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.