St. Patrick’s Festival 2018 – our selection of the best events!

St. Patricks Day is the most celebrated and loved national holiday over the world, and many people visit Dublin to celebrate this festival. With this year’s theme “home”, St. Patricks Festival takes place for the 22nd time in Dublin. The city will be the centre of culture, music and entertainment during the weekend of the 17^th to the 19^th of March. Every year different amazing events take place in the centre, and we made a selection of the ones you should definitely check out.

Greening the city

Many buildings around Dublin turn green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. When it’s getting dark outside, stroll through the city to enjoy the iconic buildings wearing the emerald colour. Not only Dublin is turning in its national colour, but many other countries are lighting their cities up during St Patrick’s Day.

Where we live

“Where we live” has everything to do with this year’s theme. These two weeks are all about what it’s like to live in Dublin and Ireland, told in joyful, but also devastating stories by the island’s best storytellers. The programme will consist of commissioned theatre works, work-in progress showings, crazy ideas, live art and an exhibition. The events will take place at the Complex in Smithfield.

St. Patricks Parade

Put on some green before you leave the house for the special St. Patricks Parade. Ireland’s leading theatre and pageant companies are going to perform in the parade with magnificent creations. This will be a spectacular day in the heart of Dublin’s city centre. The Festival Parade will go down the east side of O’Connell Street, O’ Connell Bridge East and on to Westmoreland Street.

Guinness in the Liberties – Exclusive Guided Tour

The famous Arthur Guinness signed the lease on the St. James’s Gate site in 1759. Because of this lease, the Guinness Family helped shaping Dublin’s 8 area. In this guided tour you will get back in time in the mysterious back street of Dublin 8’s Liberties quarter. The tour will start at the St. Patricks Cathedral and will end with a beer tasting at the Open Gate Brewery.

Coming home: Art and the Great Hunger

Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum in Hamden (Connecticut) is sending its art collection to Dublin in honour of St. Patricks Festival. The collection is one of its own, and has a beyond compare link to millions of Irish and Irish-American people. The exhibitions will show the horrible impacts of the great hunger in Ireland. The art collection can be seen in the Dublin Castle, West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen, and Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin in Derry.

These are just a few of the many events that will take place in Dublin’s capital. Check out the website to see which other events are going on. One thing is certain, you won’t be bored this weekend.