The 9th Wonder of the World

Stop Press! Mr. Big, local entrepreneur and philanthropic explorer unveiled the spectacular 9th Wonder of the World at the 2007 Macnas Festival Parade. Audiences witnessed this marvel of nature for the first time ever!  Galwayville residents and visitors alike were enthralled and astonished by The Greatest Show on Earth. But there were moments of fear (and delight) as the story unfolded of how "The 9th Wonder of the World" was created, captured and ultimately tamed!

The Big River

The Big River flooded the streets of Galway, Kilkenny and Callan in a torrent of colour and sound and a lot of laughs. Audiences delighted at the flying rainbow fish and sparking shoals of minnows, marveling at the water boat men and the dazzling Coral Palace, but they had to beware of the Giant Pike!

The Big River was directed by Helen Gregg and Debbie Wright and was designed in collaboration with KCAT, an artists collective from Kilkenny.

Halloween in the Community 2006 Ballybane and Ballinfoyle

Macnas once again moves to the suburbs to celebrate the ancient Celtic feast day of Samhain, or Halloween as it is now known. This year, we celebrate with famed monster rock band The Spooks, who have travelled from all over the galaxy for this special event. Watch out for the Demented Guitar and prepare for a night of wild partying with the infamous Spooks! Includes music, performance, dance and fireworks.

Áit Ait

Macnas takes to the streets to search and explore in an unchartered land.

Having discovered an ancient map containing details of a place that up until now was assumed to be mythical, intrepid Macnas explorers embark on a historic expedition to find Áit Ait...

Featuring a cast of up to 500 performers, teams of drummers, dancers and special effects.

Halloween in the Community Ballybane and Ballinfoyle

Macnas celebrates Halloween once again with our community, this time though we move to the suburbs of Ballybane and Ballinfoyle. The Harvest is over and the long winter stretches ahead. A crowd gathers to offer sacrifice to Samhain, the Goddess of the Harvest, but will she appear? A magical celebration in an unusual setting, with fireworks, performance and dance.

BETTY BIG SHOES

Let your imagination take you on a journey into the world of fun and games with battles of good and evil celebrating the art of playing games Macnas style!

With a community cast of 500 the Parade features human dominos, spinning tops, giant insects, ostriches and street creatures who come to life through a mass of colour in costumes and float

SAMHAIN

Samhain is a Halloween parade based on witch hunts of the 17th and 18th centuries. Samhain is often referred to as the pagan or witches' new year, an unusual time of magic and communing with the spirits Bearded ladies, a three-headed man, banshees, ghouls, skeletal ghosts, the ancient God Daghda, a symbol of the Celts, Morgan an Irish witch representing femininity, travelling troubadours and freak show characters are all among the dozens of characters on the streets of Galway which features a cast of over 300.

HALLOWEEN STREET CELEBRATION


In an unannounced and spectacular descent on the streets of Galway Macnas thrilled thousands of people on our first outing on this very special night of the year.

"It's great to be back on the streets of Galway."

COLOURS DATHANNA

Three parades, one finale
Three starting points, one destination
Three rhythms
Three colours
Choose one and join in the fun

LISTENING WIND

The Odyssey is definitely in the air. Like Homer's Odysseus, Macnas gets blown off course with 'Listening Wind'- it's time to batten down the hatches. All manner of creatures and things of the air take flight from Icarus to Busby Berkley Dancers on the wings of planes; incredible flying machines, Castles in the Air, hot air balloons and parachute teams (well, Macnas versions at least)- they've all got the wind up! But there's always someone who wants to spoil the fun- so watch out for the Gravity Guards who'll be checking to make sure that everyone has their papers in order- particularly the exotic birds.

CARGO DE NUIT

The sun has been stolen. Daylight has been banned, even artificial light has been outlawed. It is now the world of darkness and night creatures stalk the city. Nightmares prowl the streets, sleeping giants snore in slumber, moths circle dancing flames and wild things awake. How can the city be saved? Macnas with its mix of magic, mystery and mayhem presents "Cargo de Nuit' the world of perpetual night on the streets of Galway.

CARNIVAL OF FOOLS

On this day five hundred and sixteen years, six months and thirteen days ago Quasimodo was crowned the King of Fools in Paris. This year Notre Dame's most famous son comes to Galway to crown his successor. On Sunday July 19th Macnas will celebrate this coronation by hosting a Carnival of Fools, a day on which anything can happen. It is a license for the entire population to subvert tradition, to parody society and to celebrate buffoonery. The elect King-for-a-Day will be given the power to pass new laws and issue strange and wonderful decrees. The King will also have the authority to banish his enemies from the City. Beware- it could be you!