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Galway accommodation prices jump almost 17% during Festival week
irishracing.com news
© Healy Racing Photos
Accommodation in Galway costs almost 17 percent more during the week of the Galway Races than in the days beforehand, new analysis of live booking prices has found.
The average price of a five-night stay for two people rises to €1,962.46 during the festival week of 29 July to 3 August, up from €1,680.91 the previous week. The increase of €281, equivalent to 16.75 percent, works out at almost €56 extra a night.
The premium disappears almost as quickly as it arrives. In the week after the meeting the average falls to €1,498.37, a drop of 23.65 percent, and a fortnight later it stands at €1,525.70 — below the level recorded even before the festival began.
The figures are drawn from live listings on Airbnb and Booking.com, collected on 20 July, covering four separate weeks around the 2026 running of one of the best-known racing festivals in the sporting calendar.
By the numbers
The average price during Galway race week reached €1,962.46 for a five-night stay, the most expensive of any week analysed.
That is a 16.75 percent rise on the week before the festival — an extra €281 on the average booking, or roughly €56 more per night.
Prices fell 23.65 percent from the festival week to the week after, as the average dropped by €464 to €1,498.37.
Measured against the settled post-festival rate, the Galway Plate week carries a premium of close to 30 percent.
A tale of two platforms
Both websites followed the same pattern, though at different price points. On Airbnb, the average five-night stay rose from €1,549.60 the week before the festival to €1,758.69 during it, an increase of 13.49 percent. Listings on Booking.com were dearer throughout and rose further in cash terms, from €2,186.99 to €2,508.73, a rise of 14.71 percent.
The fall afterwards was just as pronounced. Airbnb prices dropped 19.3 percent in the week after the festival, while Booking.com came down by 29.18 percent, underlining how much of the July peak is driven by the race meeting rather than the wider summer season.
The festival effect at a glance
Source: irishracing.com analysis of live Airbnb and Booking.com listings, 20 July 2026.
Average accommodation cost by week, 2026 Galway Plate
| Period | Dates | Airbnb | Booking.com | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week before | 22-27 July | €1,549.60 | €2,186.99 | €1,680.91 |
| Galway Plate week | 29 July-3 August | €1,758.69 | €2,508.73 | €1,962.46 |
| Week after | 5-10 August | €1,419.31 | €1,776.76 | €1,498.37 |
| Two weeks after | 12-17 August | €1,430.30 | €1,824.91 | €1,525.70 |
Average total cost of a five-night stay for two guests. Source: irishracing.com analysis of live Airbnb and Booking.com listings, 20 July 2026.
What it means for racegoers
For anyone planning a trip to Galway City, the message is straightforward: the closer a stay falls to the Galway races, the more it is likely to cost, and the premium is real rather than imagined. Booking early, staying a little outside the city centre, or building a trip around the quieter weeks on either side of the festival can all ease the bill, but if you want to experience the atmosphere race week itself, you will be charged a premium.
Methodology
The analysis examined live accommodation listings in Galway for a five-night stay for two people across four weeks around the 2026 festival, using prices advertised on Airbnb and Booking.com. For each week the average (mean) price across all available listings was calculated and every price converted to euro. The averages are influenced by a number of high-end properties, so typical prices for many visitors will be lower; the changes between weeks, however, reflect the clear rise in demand around the Galway Races.
