There is no doubt the Galway Arts Festival is popular with tourists - but the vast majority of those attending still come from Galway and its environs and in the 23 years since the festival began they have seen a lot of art.
The challenge facing the team behind the festival each year is to present something new.
The key to the success of the festival is its ability to appeal to a huge variety of tastes.
The success of the festival is largely down to its diversity and appeal to different people with different tastes. From the surrealist window theatre of Australia's Blue Boys to German performance art involving latex balloons.
In theatre, the play Traffic is a tribute to beat culture and stars actor John Mahoney of Frasier fame. Mahoney talks to Annabel Egan about the challenges of the transition from television to stage.
Natalie Winterlich of the Galway Youth Theatre also comments on the opportunities that the festival offers emerging talent.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 19 July 2000. The reporter is Annabel Egan.
