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St. Patrick's Festival

St. Patrick's Festival is Ireland's official celebration of our national holiday, St. Patrick's Day. Its origins lie in honoring Ireland's patron saint, St. Patrick. Initially, it was a solemn commemorative feast day dedicated to paying tribute to the saint, but over the years, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into a vibrant celebration encompassing the richness of Irish culture.

Today, it is a joyful occasion marked by parades, performances, and diverse expressions of Irish heritage; a multicultural international event that is committed to displaying contemporary and traditional arts, culture and heritage of the Irish people and the people who call Ireland home.

St. Patrick’s Festival’s One City Festival Programme curates a variety of events in collaboration with cultural partners throughout Dublin from art exhibitions to orchestral performances, walking tours to brand-new theatre pieces.

This March, we invite you to St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin to help us celebrate our part and our place in our global community.

Our national day holds the unique distinction of being celebrated in every country across the world. However, there really is no place like Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day! Now considered a global bucket-list event, St. Patrick's Festival, Dublin serves as an unforgettable opportunity for people of all backgrounds, nationalities, ages and interests to come together and celebrate Irishness in all its forms.

The world-famous National St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin takes place annually on March 17th, rain or shine, featuring spectacular pageants, raucous marching bands from all over the globe and community participants from all over Ireland.

As well as the Parade, the Festival hosts a jam-packed programme of events from 15th–18th March in St. Patrick’s Festival Quarter at the iconic National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks in the centre of Dublin.

A family hub featuring an eclectic mix of music, circus, spectacle, conversation and fun for everyone during the day, Festival Quarter transforms into a pulsating celebration of contemporary Irish Culture at night showcasing the best in music, dance, food, drink and so much more.

About the Company

Established in 1996, St. Patrick’s Festival has grown from a single-day to a four-day event featuring music, performance, spectacle, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, food, wellness, community activations and much more. It is recognised globally as one of the world’s biggest festivals, with a global reach of over 700 million people in 2023.

The Festival is a key driver for the tourism industry, presenting a world class event that showcases the very best of Irishness and Ireland as a destination, platforming our incredible unique culture, heritage and traditions to a global audience through quality experiences.

St. Patrick's Festival continues to be a key driver of employment and opportunity for the creative sector, providing over 11,000 days of employment in 2023. The 2024 Festival will continue to provide these opportunities, driving employment through direct investment in these vital industries that uplift Ireland across the world.

The Festival team is made up of many of Ireland’s most experienced professional artists, arts workers, creatives and live events workers, in support of a small core team who work throughout the year planning St. Patrick’s Festival and the Parade. Year on year, St. Patrick’s Festival employs thousands of Irish artists, arts workers, arts organisations, live events workers, community workers and volunteers.

St. Patrick’s Festival is an independent not-for-profit organisation with charity status, governed by a Board of Directors under the patronage of the President of Ireland.

Company Number
243808

Registered Charity Number (CRA Number)
20032814

CHY Number
11729

Vat number
8243808D

Office Opening Hours
9.30am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday