RACE VILLAGE

650,000 people visited the Race Village during the Galway stopover in the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. 10,000 people lined the harbour walls at 3am on the morning of 24th May 2009 to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race fleet into Ireland, culminating in record crowds of almost 200,000 for the In Port and Pro Am Race. Now it's back!

Ireland's most exciting Festival Event the Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale is set to enthral the city of Galway again from the 30th June to the 8th July 2012. The Volvo Ocean Race fleet will arrive in from Lorient to Galway on the 3rd July 2012 to the biggest festival in Ireland, that will embrace all cultures from each of the race stopovers. The Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale 2011-2012 will be an 8 day festival of marine, sport, culture and arts, entertainment and food. Galway will extend the festival to include the Global Village across the harbour which will add to the entertainment and hospitality focus of the Race Village with a networking, exhibition and conference area for the business to business sector. The Galway Global Village will feature shows, exhibitions, entertainment and an unprecedented Grand Finale to the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. The In-Port race is on the 7th July, after which the winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 will be declared.

Galway is a vibrant city with a labyrinth of winding medieval streets, waterways and a maritime history and culture dating back centuries. Situated on the west coast of Ireland along the shores of Galway Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Galway has long been considered a centre of cultural excellence and looks forward to extending a céad míle fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes) to the Volvo Ocean Race Round the World.