Spraoi (pron. "spree") is a festival of international street theatre and world music which takes place for three days each August in the Irish city of

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

. The festival takes its name from the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

word ''spraoi'', or ''play''. The Waterford Spraoi has taken place each summer since 1992 and is now the largest festival event in Waterford. The main activity is centred on two main stages located in the John Roberts Square and William Vincent Wallace Plaza where various acts have been hosted including the

Royal Drummers of Burundi The Royal Drummers of Burundi, commonly known in recordings as The Drummers of Burundi, is a percussion ensemble originally from Burundi. Their performances are a part of ceremonies such as births, funerals, and coronations of ''mwami'' (Kings). ...

and the

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) is a British musical ensemble founded in 1985 by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux as a bit of fun. The orchestra features ukuleles of various sizes and registers from soprano to bass. The UOGB is b ...

, as well as more contemporary bands and musicians. The Spraoi is a professional event that is also supported by more than 300 volunteers. The festival attracts audiences of over 80,000 to see events in music, art installations, storytelling, circus skills workshops, science and others.Spraoi unveils its 2010 programme

Munster Express ''The Munster Express'' newspaper was established in 1860 in the South-East Region, Ireland, South Eastern Irish city of Waterford. The newspaper covers stories from Waterford city and County Waterford. It retails at €2.00. ''The Munster Expr ...

References

External links

Official website

a smaller Spraoi event held in July Annual events in Ireland Arts festivals in the Republic of Ireland August events Culture in Waterford (city) Street theatre Theatre festivals in Ireland Music festivals established in 1992 Summer events in the Republic of Ireland {{Ireland-stub