Galway festival changes

CHAOTIC overcrowding in Galway city centre during last summer's arts festival has prompted the organisers to move the dates of…

CHAOTIC overcrowding in Galway city centre during last summer's arts festival has prompted the organisers to move the dates of two of the biggest festival events.

The Macnas parade will take place a week earlier than usual, on Sunday, July 13th, to mark the earlier beginning of the festivities and the Big Day Out concert in Castlegar, with Sinead O'Connor and The Beautiful South, has been brought forward by a week in order to avoid clashing with the Galway Races.

The arts festival, which is expected to raise £4 million in revenue for the city, is being extended to take in a full two weeks, from July 13th to 27th.