How to enjoy St Patrick’s weekend 2026 in Dublin

This year's St Patrick’s Festival programme is jam-packed with events, gigs and parties running from March 14 to 17. The main event is the parade, when half a million people will line the streets to watch the colourful floats wind their way from the start at Parnell Square to the finishing point at the junction of Kevin Street and Cuffe Street.  

This year’s theme is Roots, celebrating the people, places and stories that make up the living roots of Ireland. Alongside the usual line up of homegrown community groups, marching bands and floats, there will also be performers visiting from the USA, Scotland and across Ireland. 

While the parade is free to all, there are a number of grandstands along the route that give you a seated view, with prices ranging from €125 to €160. There are also two Hospitality Packages on offer for St Patrick's Cathedral (€230) and Westmoreland Street Grandstands (€280), both of which include a post-parade lunch with live music.

The festival will also have added focus on creating an inclusive and accessible environment. With that mind, there are special wheelchair accessible viewing areas and relaxed parade spaces for neurodivergent visitors. Guide dogs are also welcome at the parade.

Media captionEmbrace adventure at this year's St Patrick's Festival.

Both sides of the Liffey will be hopping with activity, from family fun and circus shows to gigs and parties at night. During the day, you’ll find the Throw/Catch/Drop duo showcasing their juggling skills and Spéirbhean | Sky Woman dazzling the crowds with her aerial dance moves. Meanwhile, Up Sadbh Down will be wowing the crowds with her family-friendly acrobatic act. Come evening, some of Ireland’s best trad musicians will be taking to stages (and the streets), including Dee Armstrong of Kíla and Friends, the Sweet Jayne Band and plenty more to still be confirmed. The giant interactive Céilí Mór is back on St Patrick's Day itself in Merrion Square West, with former Riverdancer Dearbhla Lennon leading the jig. 

If Irish dancing isn't your thing, you'll find different dance parties and workshops across genres in this year's programme celebrating Ireland's diversity. On March 14, dance along with the bedazzled performers at Samba Dance Brazil or connect with the country's folklore at Cailleach: A Dance for the Witches of Ireland. The following day, Lithuanian folk dance group Suktinis will share their homeland's story through dance.

Media captionDance along at performances across the festival.

Between the National Concert Hall, the Smock Alley Theatre and the Abbey, the Abair programme is set to amaze with evenings of song an stories from performers like The Wilsons and The McKeaney Sisters, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and Seamus Hyland, and Little John Nee and Hugh Cooney.

Head to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum for a blend of song and storytelling with Órla Mc Govern and Niceol Blue, the Moth & Butterfly Storytellers. Meanwhile, over at the Pearse Centre, you can learn all about Irish cures and curses with award-winning writer Sarah McKenna Dunne. 

For some coastal air, head out on St Patrick's Day morning to the Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk. The 26km stretch in support of the Aware organisation winds between Howth and Dún Laoghaire harbours on the Dublin Coastal Trail, and there will be complimentary refreshments served at the Halfway Hooley at Dublin Port Company’s Pumphouse. There will also be themed walking tours throughout the city all weekend.

Getting the littles ones involved? The St Patrick’s Festival Family Village in the Wood Quay Amphitheatre will have plenty to keep them the entertained, from games and performances to tasty sweet treats. Later in the day, bring them to Custom House Quay for the City Funfair and take a spin on the rides. They can also join in the all-ages Treasure Hunt that winds through the city on Saturday, with fun prizes in store for the winners (and the best dressed teams).

Media captionStart the Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk in Dún Laoghaire.

In between celebrations over the festival, head to the Gaiety Theatre for Andrew Flynn's take on Arthur Miller's The Crucible, with rising star Niamh McCormack as Abigail Williams. At the Abbey, catch the Dublin family satire Fair Deal, or celebrate 100 years of Sean O'Casey's Easter Rising play The Plough and The Stars.

For a matinée over the holiday weekend, head to the lunchtime theatre at Bewley's Café on Grafton Street. Marek Horn's Wild Swimming will be performed daily (except Sundays) at 1pm from March 16 to April 4, with a special evening performance on March 27. 

As well as the trad sessions happening in pubs all over the city, there are a number of gigs taking place all weekend outside of St Patrick’s Festival. Kilfenora Céilí Band will take the stage at the National Concert Hall on March 16. Meanwhile, The Helix will hold their own St Patrick's Concert. Hosted by Colm Keegan, the night will include performances by Irish singer Susan McFadden, virtuoso piper Mark Redmond, the St Patrick's Spraoí Chorus and the Dublin Gospel Choir. 

If you're up for an arena show on Sunday, the 3Arena will welcome Grammy-winning R&B artist GIVĒON on St Patrick's Day. On the same night over at the 3Olympia, you can catch big names like the Sharon Shannon Big Band, Bob Geldof and Kíla belting out chunes for a great cause at Rock Against Homelessness. 

Media captionCatch a gig in one of Dublin's venues.

All the major museums are open on St Patrick’s Day, with some offering themed tours and events over the course of the long weekend. At the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street on March 14, learn about the artefacts and shrines connected to Irish saints and how Christianity influenced the development of writing on the Saints of Ireland Tour. Or delve into the city's medieval past at Dublinia where they've put together a variety of family-friendly events to celebrate St Patrick's weekend. If you're looking to keep the little ones' hands busy, head to the Chester Beatty where you can all craft your own paper chain, decorated with shamrocks in honour of the Irish saint. 

Media captionTake a unique museum tour on St Patrick's weekend.

The free Live Aid Exhibition is on in the National Photographic Archive in Meeting House Square, with over 70 photographs and images showcasing behind-the-scene moments from the historic concert series. At EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, their Frontlines: Irish Journalists Abroad highlights the Irish journalists who have covered and captured history around the world.

Meanwhile, the Museum of Literature Ireland will be doing a deep dive into Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, an in-depth love letter that the famous writer penned to Lord Alfred Douglas during his two-year imprisonment. Rediscover the layers of emotion hidden in each line through the museum's film installation, which includes key passages read aloud by LGBTQ+ writers, artists and activists.

Over at the National Gallery of Ireland, you can catch the final weekend of the AIB Portrait Prize exhibition on Saturday and Sunday. Or pay a visit to the Irish Museum of Modern Art to see the work of Chilean artist, poet and activist Cecilia Vicuña. Through a variety of media, Vicuña explores ancestry, ecological urgency, the interconnectedness of humanity and her own ties to Ireland. Until September 13, IMMA is also exhibiting Fisherwoman, Fisherwoman – a collaboration of painter Camille Souter and contemporary artist Alberta Whittle that dives into themes of life and death, resistance and regeneration. 

Media captionPay a visit to the city's galleries.

The International Bar gets the laughs going on the evening of March 14 with comics like Ger Staunton, Jack Hester, Bob Hennigan and Simon O'Keefe. Meanwhile, a bumper line up of comics is playing in the Laughter Lounge on March 13 and 14, headlined by Jack Wise. Vicar Street is also opening its doors on March 13 and 14 for Mike Rice's new show, Cruel Little Man. Come back the following night for Australian puppet comedian Randy Feltface and his tongue-in-cheek antics.  

Media captionEnjoy a giggle at Vicar Street.

Want to keep the celebration going? Fill your calendar with more festivals and events happening across Dublin.