This year, Belfast will celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a packed programme of events and cultural activities across the city from 1-17 March.
The popular annual St Patrick’s Day parade will bring a dazzling display of costume, music, dance and theatrical performances to the city’s streets on Monday 17 March.
Starting at City Hall at 1.30pm, local dance troupes, schools, community groups and musicians will weave their way through the city centre via Chichester Street, Victoria Street, High Street, Castle Place and Donegall Place, before returning to City Hall.
Belfast TradFest will deliver a four-day music festival from 14-17 March. The St Patrick’s Music Festival will feature concerts, céilís, displays, pilgrimages, taster sessions, workshops and a solo Highland piping competition on Saturday 15 March, when a selection of Ireland’s top pipers will compete for a place at the renowned MacCrimmon Trophy competition.
Ticketed highlights include Blackwater Céilí Band Sets Céilí in the Empire Music Hall on Friday 14 March, Afro Celt Sound System at Mandela Hall on Saturday 15 March, a celebration of traditional Irish music featuring Máirtín O’Connor and Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan Cross-Border Folk Orchestra at Ulster Hall on Sunday 16 March, plus Cara Dillon and special guests Piaras Ó Lorcáin and Jack Warnock at Ulster Hall on Monday 17 March.
The music festival will culminate in an afternoon of family fun on 17 March featuring music, dance, food, an all-day céilí and other family-friendly activities at a festival village in Cathedral Gardens and St Anne’s Square from 1pm-5pm.
Féile an Phobail will also be bringing the city to life with world-class Irish traditional music and workshops in venues across the city from 10-17 March. The Féile Trad Trail will include over 100 sessions, featuring some of Ireland’s finest Irish traditional musicians.
The biggest Irish language family fun day of its kind will take place on Saturday 8 March from 1pm-4pm at Custom House Square. Organised by Conradh na Gaeilge and Féile an Phobail, Spraoi Cois Lao will include climbing walls, face-painting, music, stage performers, games and other activities - all provided through the medium of Irish.
As part of this year’s St Patrick’s programme, Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia - an international festival celebrating Irish language and culture - will take place from 1-17 March. The festival gives an opportunity for everyone, from learners to fluent speakers, to enjoy Irish through a programme of entertaining and fun events.
For more info on St Patrick’s Day events, including dates, times and ticket info for music performances, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stpatricks
