Everybody is a bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Many UK cities, starting with the capital. host festivals and parades to honor Celtic and Irish culture. St. Patrick's Day in London turns the city center green. Concerts and performances featuring Irish music, dancing, and stand-up comedians last for at least a week. The culmination comes on a Sunday, closest to St. Patrick's Day, when Trafalgar Square, the neighboring Covent Garden, and Leicester Square host a massive Irish festival with a parade and live concert.
London St. Patrick's Day Parade (March 17, 2024)
The London St. Patrick's Day Parade starts at Piccadilly on Sunday at noon, and festivities continue till 6 p.m. It includes marching bands, floats, community groups, sports clubs, and street performers. After the parade, Trafalgar Square hosts a concert organized by the London Irish Centre with plenty of live music, youth performances, community choirs, dance troupes, and singalongs.
St.Patrick's Day in London attracts more than 125,000 people drawn by the best of Irish music, song, dance, and arts. You will also find plenty of Irish food and activities for children.
St. Patrick's Day in Scotland (March 17, 2024)
St. Patrick's Day in Scotland is celebrated mostly in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, where festivals are held on this occasion. St Patrick's Day in Edinburgh is a great occasion to attend concerts, see Irish dancing, and free showings of classic Irish films. Irish bars of Edinburgh are celebrating too with special events, live music, and Guinness. Cowgate St.Patrick's Festival in Edinburgh is a weekend-long festival that is all about fun or "craic." It includes nine stages in five bars in four Edinburgh famous venues: The Three Sisters, Biddy Mulligans, Espionage, and Cabaret Voltaire.
St. Patrick's Day in Wales (March 17, 2024)
Cardiff in Wales contributes to St.Patrick's Day celebrations with pub crawls and festivities in the center of the city. Parties like Paddy's Club Crawl and St.Parick's Day Party at Walkabout Cardiff showcase all the best things about Celtic culture: music, dance, and great spirit.
St. Patrick's Day in Northern Ireland (March 10–17, 2024)
Northern Ireland celebrates St.Patrick's Day on a grand scale. The biggest festivities are held in Belfast. St. Patrick's Day carnival in Belfast is considered one of the most colorful and vibrant events in the UK. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Concert in Belfast usually feature marching bands, sports clubs, cultural, community, youth, and church associations.
The best performers of the city take part in the largest and most joyful parade. The parade heads off from Royal Avenue at 11.30 a.m., going through Castle Junction and along Donegall Place, around Belfast City Hall, and then returning to finish at Royal Avenue.
The annual Belfast TradFest runs over the St.Patrick's Day Weekend, featuring the Belfast Schools Traditional Music Performance and the Pipe Bands Extravaganza. The Festival Village in Cathedral Quarter hosts live concerts by prominent musicians, like Clare Sands, Drumlough Pipe Band, John Spillane, Pure Blarney, and others.
In addition to the parade and TradFest, St. George’s Market features plenty of Irish dancing, traditional Irish music, and delicious national dishes like Irish stew or Irish fry. Folk and contemporary music can be heard all over Cathedral Quarter to kick off your celebration.
