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2023

Spraoi Festival - Ireland's Summer Street Party

Spraoi - Ireland's Summer Street Party

Spraoi International Street Arts Festival 2023 offers a weekend of exciting entertainment and artistic performance. Get on your bike, get on the bus, take a train – just be here. Take the Spin to Spraoi in ‘23. Each and every member of our audience; young, old and in-between are part of our story. You energise our performers. We want you here so much we won’t charge you to get in, slap a barcode on your wrist, nor put a fence around you. This is not a gated community, its a community of fun-loving people enjoying the craic.

It all started thirty years ago. Our idea was simple enough, put the art where the people are. Back in 1993 we offered five shows. This year you can choose between over two-hundred. Most times you won’t have to choose; most times the schedule will allow you see ten and more shows a day. So take your imagination for a stroll through the city’s narrow streets, stylish squares and majestic quays for Sunday night’s river Suir fireworks finale.

For decades there has been no August Bank Holiday Weekend in Waterford. Locals call it ‘The Spraoi Weekend’ or simply ‘The Spraoi’. Waterford people took ownership of ‘The Spraoi’ years ago, and why not? It’s their festival, planned and made by people from here who come from all walks of life. A special energy exists when a people and place harness creativity and give it away for free. You couldn’t buy it, they wouldn’t sell it, but they’d love you to be part of it. You are warmly invited to Spraoi ’23. Book a room or mate’s sofa now!

Listed as one of Ireland’s top festivals by The Irish Times.

Spraoi - Ireland's Summer Street Party

Spraoi

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Spraoi Festival 2023
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Spraoi Festival 2023


Spraoi International Street Arts Festival 2023 offers a weekend of exciting entertainment and artistic performance.. Get on your bike, get on the bus, take a train – just be here. Take the Spin to Spraoi in ‘23.

Spraoi Parade


On Sunday August 6th, at 9.30 p.m.. the sheer sorcery that is Spraoi Festival Parade will weave from a business park in Johnstown. Hundreds of costumed performers, incredible floats, live bands, fire, light, sound and special-effects unleashed on Waterford streets for an audience of over twenty-thousand people.

Spraoi Volunteers
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Volunteer for Spraoi – Today!


Spraoi International Street Arts Festival is recruiting volunteers now! We are looking for people over sixteen years of age from all backgrounds. Volunteering is an amazing way to experience Spraoi Festival from the inside. You will learn, have fun, and help to create an amazing festival. We will meet you, a fantastic new member of the Spraoi family. Please reach-out to us today. Contact: vicky@spraoi.com or (051)841808 (Office Hours). Plus see us on Instagram and Facebook.

Spraoi Volunteering Partnered by:

Red Hat Logo

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Beautiful Bones


This summer SURGE Festival, Glasgow, presents BEAUTIFUL BONES, in partnership with Spraoi Festival at The Mall, on Friday evening, August 4th. The performance and music draws inspiration its from Mardi Gras, 1990’s rave culture and Mexico’s Day of the Dead.An ensemble of Irish trombonists will play alongside internationally renowned trombonist, John Kenny with original music, from award winning composer, Stephen Deazley. BEAUTIFUL BONES is a large-scale outdoor street spectacle and musical performance that reframes the rituals of death as a celebration of life.

 

For trombonists, this is a unique performance opportunity. If you are an interested trombonist, or know someone who is, Spraoi would love to have you involved. For further information simply mail Nora Boland: shiftyerarts@gmail.com and say hello.

 

[View Video of Beautiful Bones]

Spraoi Red Hat Volunteers

Red Hat Returns


Spraoi Festival is delighted to welcome Red Hat’s return for 2023.
With our partners, Red Hat, Spraoi fosters a spirit of community participation. The festival’s volunteer programme, inspired by Red Hat’s own open source community ethos, invites young people to contribute to their city. It also offers them a structured space in which to learn, led by leaders who have come through the ranks themselves. In this environment they gain portable skills such as teamwork and leadership. These are Spraoi’s future leaders as well as being leaders within their workplace and community. Volunteers also strengthen Waterford’s arts infrastructure. They frequently progress to other city organisations, contributing to capacity-building across music, theatre and dance.

Street Arts Performances


You will find eye-popping national and international circus, street theatre, comedy, music and dance performers at all key city centre sites throughout Spraoi ’23. A fantastic array of acts are available to audiences at this tear’s Spraoi. We guarantee tapping toes, laughing faces and gasps of breath as you saunter the town sampling amazing acts.

Latest

News

Credit Union Award winner

Waterford Credit Union Winners


Congratulations to Waterford Credit Union and City of Waterford Brass who won Best Community Entry award for this year’s Waterford St. Patricks Day Parade. Their award was presented by Mayor
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Clonmel Performances

Spraoi Clonmel Performances


Spraoi was delighted to be commissioned by Tipperary County Council to perform at the official opening of Clonmel’s stunning new Kickham Barracks Plaza. Spraoi’s friends and colleagues Wobbly Circus, Maria
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Snail's Tale Dublin Debut

Snail’s Tale Dublin Debut- St Patricks Day Festival


Snail’s Tale by Wexford artists Caoimhe Dunn and Dominic Palmer received its Dublin premiere during this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival. Spraoi’s Mentoring+ programme supported and guided the production’s development over
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Be a Spraoi Spirit! Donate today.

COVID-19 has not been kind to grandparents, parents, children, schools, businesses or communities. Neither has it been kind to artists, technicians nor Spraoi. In fact, we’ve never needed each other more. Waterford people built Spraoi as an honest expression of our culture, community and sense of fun.

Your donation will be a powerful statement of your belief in the power of the arts in our city and on our streets.

Thank you!

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Production services


Even in uncertain times, Spraoi has the capacity to bring joy into people’s lives and places.

If you think we can assist in reimagining your town or city and bring your creative ideas into reality contact T.V. Honan, Spraoi Director, tv@spraoi.com

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Testimonials

Quotes

Spraoi Festival has become something of an August Bank Holiday institution. For three days, the city devotes itself to a variety of street art and spectacle, featuring hundreds of performers, live music, and an array of new street theatre – Irish and international.

The Sunday Business Post

Spraoi festival is a free urban festival in beautiful Waterford in the south-east of Ireland. It attracts nearly 100,000 people and the city streets act as a stage for acts from around the world”

The Guardian

Over three days the city is host to a plethora of street theatre entertainment, both local and from overseas, serving up what must be the best value and one of the most inclusive festivals on the circuit, with the entertainment being free and open to all.

Cathy

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Spraoi Studios, Carrickpherish, Waterford, Ireland info@spraoi.com acts@spraoi.com +353 (0)51 841 808

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