Galway Bay fm newsroom - Thousands of people are gathering in the city this evening as the 2017 Macnas Parade is set to get underway in the next half hour.
Over 40 thousand are expected to attend this years event, which is celebrating the magical and mystical spirit of the West of Ireland.
The annual Macnas Halloween Parade is a highlight of the Galway cultural calendar and brings with it all manners of creatures great and small as creative chaos is let loose in the heart of the city.
The 2017 parade is set to get underway from outside NUI Galway in the next half hour - and over 40 thousand people are expected to line the streets of the city this evening in anticipation of the spectacle.
The theme of this year's festival is 'Port Na bPúcaí' or Song of the Spirits, which aims to celebrate the magic and mystery surrounding life in the West of Ireland.
The focal point of this evening's parade will be an old man from the islands, who'll inspire reflection on the beauty of life in the West as he makes his way from this world to the next.
Following in his wake will be a colorful troupe of giant creations, sculptural images, pyrotechnics, bespoke costumes, dramatic performances and original music.
The parade will set off from outside the main gates of NUI Galway at 5.30 and will move down University Road and across the Salmon Weir Bridge.
It'll turn right at the Town Hall Theatre and then weave it's way down Francis and Eglinton Street before turning at Brown Thomas to make its way down Shop Street.
The army of creations will continue down High Street and Quay Street before crossing the Wolfe Tone Bridge to finish at the Claddagh Quay.
