Macnas mayhem, a marathon "Synge cycle", Bertolt Brecht and Michelle Shocked engulf Galway this weekend as the annual arts festival reaches its halfway point.
The discovery of a new country by Prof Paudi McNutt and his band of adventurers is the subject of the Macnas parade tomorrow afternoon. Entitled Áit Ait or "strange place", the parade will reflect some of the strange characters and creatures occupying this new state.
A "pope idol" float will represent the predominant religion, based entirely on the cult of the celebrity - but with no "priests" bearing any resemblance to Sir Robert Geldof or Bono.
The light-hearted social commentary will involve some 500 adults and children, mainly volunteers from various community groups.
A "little revolution" is promised at the parade's conclusion, according to Macnas general manager John Ashton.
It starts at 3pm from the Town Hall Theatre, going up Eglinton Street, down Shop Street and by Mainguard Street to O'Brien's Bridge and will last about 90 minutes.
The Druid Theatre stages its Irish premiere today of the Synge cycle - a performance of six of JM Synge's seven plays from 2pm in the Town Hall Theatre.
The company is staging two such cycles during the festival, and two plays a night during the fortnight, before moving to Dublin and Edinburgh next month.
Today's marathon effort will be competing with the likes of cartoonist Joe Sacco in the Radisson Hotel this afternoon, and Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo in St Nicholas's Collegiate Church tonight.
More than 400 artists, musicians, writers and performers have been booked for this year's 28th annual festival,which continues throughout next week.
Programme details and bookings can be made at the Galway Arts Festival box office in Eyre Square Shopping Centre, tel (091)566577, and online at www.galwayartsfestival.ie