Join the rest of Ireland this Friday in celebrating our national holiday, St. Patricks Day!
The parade will be starting at the northern edge of Parnell Square, near the Hugh Lane Gallery, at 12:00 noon. It then winds its way slowly down O’Connell Street, past Trinity College at College Green and onto Dame Street before it finishes at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
We have covered quite a few details about all the events and dos in the past few days, but here’s everything you need to know about St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2023:
This year’s Nationall St. Patrick’s Day Parade, driven by the values of community, diversity, youth and sustainability, will be the most ambitious ever, featuring breath-taking new artistic, interactive and aerial elements.
A major new opening pageant has been commissioned featuring a collaboration with St. Patrick’s Festival Community Arts pageant with Macnas, Junk Kouture, Discovery Gospel Choir, and a whole host of community groups, while the Festival continues to work with Ireland’s foremost creative pageant companies including Dublin Pride, Spraoi, Artastic, Inishowen Carnival and you might even spot some special Disney friends. This year, Buí Bolg and Kia are collaborating on an exciting new pageant entitled ‘The Future That Moves Us’ featuring an interactive AR element in the parade for the very first time. With half a million spectators expected to line this year’s route, the Parade will feature 7 creative pageants, 10 transitional showpiece performances, 15 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and Canada, and over 4,000 participants in what is shaping up to be the largest ever National St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Theme
On our national day of cultural celebration, St. Patrick’s Festival invites those across the world to come together on Friday 17th March to collectively celebrate, share, laugh, perform, participate and remember that ‘MAR A CHÉILE SINN’ (WE ARE ONE).
Embracing that unifying and inspirational theme of ONE, the National St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2023 will shine a light on all the goodness that surrounds us. The theme acts as a reminder that when we act with dignity and respect as ONE, we can protect each other and our wonderful world. Ireland is known for its enduring traditions, culture and heritage, but our stories are also part of a unifying global culture, one which bonds us through music, storytelling, sport, nature and tradition, one which traverses borders and reminds us of our shared responsibility for the united care of our planet, protecting it for our future generations.
Grandstands
There is no better way to enjoy all the colour and spectacle of the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade than from the comfort of your own seat in one of the Grandstands.
Each Grandstand offers covered, tiered, allocated seating, strategically located in five different areas along the Parade route. See and experience the Parade from a unique location, as the Grandstand Hosts provide lively commentary to guests, telling the story of the parade as it unfolds right in front of you.
While many tickets (and understandably so) are all sold out, there are still tickets available for two of the stands. Grab your tickets to these two Grandstands now!
Here’s hoping we have updated you with everything you need to know about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2023. Have fun!
(And if you get ‘thirsty’ during the parade, you have our tips handy on which pubs you can go to!)
