Inverclyde’s legendary Galoshans Festival is set to make its grand return for 2026! Celebrating the community’s rich cultural roots, the festival will run from October 16th through October 31st. Attendees can expect a spellbinding mix of contemporary performance, local artistry, and Halloween tradition, culminating in the highly anticipated annual Street Party which is set to feature a special guest!
Deeply intertwined with traditional local Halloween customs, the festival is proudly spearheaded by an ambitious consortium of creative leads: RIG Arts, Feral Arts, and the Beacon Art Centre.
The creative programme is made possible through dedicated collaboration with partners including Inverclyde Libraries, The Wyllieum, Magic Torch Comics, CVS Inverclyde, Kayos – Inverclyde Youth Theatre, Where’s The One/Oi Musica, and the Inverclyde YMI Street Band (facilitated by Inverclyde Council), alongside the Theatre School of Scotland, The Travelling Gallery, and GFS Properties.
Generously supported by Creative Scotland’s Multi Year Funding, Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative, the National Lottery Community Fund, and the Scottish Government Investing in Communities Fund, this year’s festival guarantees an accessible, high-quality showcase featuring street spectacles, live music, dance, and theatre crafted to entertain audiences of all ages.
Celebrating a milestone fifth consecutive year of partnership, independent arts producers Feral are unleashing an extraordinary wave of curious encounters and playful interventions across Inverclyde. Aimed to continue the festival’s core ethos of delivering high-end artistic experiences that celebrate local people and places, this year’s line-up encourages audiences to find magic within everyday spaces, offering free and ticketed experiences spanning visual theatre, puppetry, outdoor arts, and dance.
Highlights include:
Reflecting on the growth of the festival, Karen Orr, Chief Executive of RIG Arts, noted:
“RIG Arts has worked closely with our Galoshans Consortium Partners over the years to grow the festival’s cultural impact and reach even more people. In 2026 we’re excited to keep building a festival that’s rooted in our community, inclusive, accessible, and inspired by Inverclyde’s unique Halloween traditions.
Galoshans is much more than an arts festival, it’s a lively celebration of creativity, connection, and community spirit. It brings people together, showcases local talent, creates opportunities for new creative experiences, and welcomes visitors to enjoy the warmth, energy, and friendliness that make Inverclyde so special. RIG Arts is proud to support Galoshans by championing artists and creating free, high-quality cultural experiences for everyone to enjoy.”
Karen Townsend, Co-director of Beacon Arts Centre, added:
“We’re delighted to once again receive funding for The Beacon to take part in Galoshans, Inverclyde’s annual highlight of the cultural calendar. Our Creative Engagement team has been busy developing a fantastic programme of activity, including Frightful Faces of Inverclyde, where an artist will work with local schoolchildren to create colourful characters that will be projected onto the building alongside our Backstage Spooky Tours, where the theatre itself comes to life with unexpected characters around every corner.
“New for this year’s festival is Performing Pirates, where our fire-breathing pirates will give festival-goers a very ‘warm’ welcome. Visitors can also try their hand at circus skills, including juggling, balancing, poi and plate spinning. There’s no better place to be this Halloween than Inverclyde, celebrating this much-loved annual tradition.”
