The National St. Patrick's Festival will be celebrating fun right in the heart of Dublin City from 15-18 March 2025 - where tales, trails and treasures await! Here are all the events you don't want to miss.
"Eachtraí", the Irish language word for "Adventures", is the theme of this year's National St. Patrick's Festival and represents the legendary spirit that lives inside us all, known and loved the world over as a defining symbol of Irishness.
Locals and visitors alike are invited to a celebration like no other across a city of tales, trails, and treasures, where every street tells a story of history, of magic, of adventures.
Guests can expect a huge celebration of Irish culture throughout the weekend, from captivating street theatre to comedy that fills the city streets with joy and laughter, awe-inspiring circus performances, family-friendly areas, neurodivergent friendly performances, a lively Céilí Mór and everything in between!
St. Patrick's Festival Treasure Hunt
The St. Patrick’s Festival Treasure Hunt will mark the opening of the festival on March 15. Unlock the city as you navigate the exciting trail, visit some of Dublin's beautiful, historical locations and solve clues. The hunt is suitable for all ages!
Registration takes place at Dublin City Council Civic Offices on Wood Quay from 10 am-12 pm with music, performances and prizes for best dressed on theme, best team name and much more. The hunt takes approximately 2 hours to complete and the three quickest teams to complete the Treasure Hunt will win fantastic prizes!
The National St. Patrick's Day Parade
The National St. Patrick’s Day Parade is genuinely a bucket-list worthy moment in Ireland’s capital city, which lies at the heart of the global celebration of our Irish culture, heritage and people.
With half a million spectators expected to line this year’s route, the Parade will feature 7 large scale pageants, 6 showpieces and 12 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and Austria and over 4,000 participants in what is shaping up to be the largest ever National St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Céilí Mór
The Céilí Mór is a free large-scale bilingual event which celebrates traditional Irish dance, language and music. Learn the steps, enjoy the live music and soak up the atmosphere!
The Céilí will be led by former Riverdancer and champion Irish step-dancer Dearbhla Lennon. Dearbhla is one of Ireland’s most celebrated dancers and for over 20 years has been passing on her love and knowledge of dance to students all over the world.
The Beartla Ó Flatharta Céilí Band will provide music, song and dance entertainment for the Céilí Mór. The Beartlas is made up of friends who have been performing together since childhood and are the most recent winners of the Senior Céilí Band Competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2024.
Citywide events
Here are a section of some of the citywide events taking place for St. Patrick's Festival. You can find the full list of events here.
Bedlam Bazaar at Jameson Distillery Bow St. (March 14)
A unique cabaret, featuring all manners of performances, from the weirdly wonderful to the fascinatingly strange. Expect a unique cocktail of comedy & circus, giving you a night to remember, with the rich heritage of Jameson Distillery Bow St. adding a dash of Irish spirit to the experience – where history and craft meet unforgettable entertainment.
Forget Me Nots Choir (March 15-16)
The Forget Me Nots is an inclusive community choir based in Baldoyle, Co. Dublin. Performing at the Hugh Lane Gallery (Saturday 15th) and Bewley's Grafton Street (Sunday 16th) at 11:30 am on both days, enjoy old and new Irish songs and their own specially commissioned anthem and songs inspired by Ireland.
Abair: Storytelling with Jack and Nuala (March 15)
ABAIR is an annual oral traditions programme taking place as part of the St. Patrick’s Festival, which explores the Irish traditions of song and story and traces their links around the world.
Join Jack Lynch and Nuala Hayes, two of Ireland’s foremost storytellers, for an afternoon of folk tales, myths, legends and yarns in the Peacock Bar at the Abbey Theatre!
In the Footsteps of St. Patrick (March 15-18)
Hear about St. Patrick, including the origin of both true stories and myths surrounding him. Visit part of the route he likely walked. Tour includes a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Discover the fascinating truth of St. Patrick and enjoy a special and entertaining walk that focuses on the man behind the legend and on the Dublin of his time. See places that most visitors and many Dubliners miss.
The full St. Patrick's Day Festival program (March 15-17) is available here. You can also keep up to date on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.
