The Pope may have brought St Patrick's day forward to Saturday 15 March to avoid Holy Week but that just means a longer period of revelry. Here's our guide to the best Paddy parties in town
See all St Patrick's Day events
Mid-March means Ireland’s national day is upon us, and the capital’s expats have already begun celebrating their culture in a festival that culminates this Sunday with London’s traditional parade. Celtic events you can still catch this week include a performance by the London Irish Symphony Orchestra which, uniquely, plays only classical music of Irish origin (Thur at City Hall); Tom O’Brien’s play ‘Money from America’ (until Mar 20 at the Broadway Theatre); and the Irish Film Festival (Thur-Sun, various venues including the Tricycle Cinema, Barbican and London Irish Centre). Feature continues
On Sunday, the parade of Irish floats begins its amble from Park Lane at 12noon, weaving its way through Piccadilly and down Whitehall with musicians, dancers and community representatives. In Trafalgar Square there will be free music on stage including performances from Irish hitmakers Aslan and former Moloko front woman and pop foxtress Roisin Murphy, and Leicester Square plays host to an outdoor ceilidh with Irish dancing. Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) hosts a two-day speciality market in Covent Garden Piazza selling artisan produce from the Emerald Isle including farmhouse cheeses, soda bread, smoked fish, oysters and sea vegetables (Sat & Sun 11am-6pm).
The Mayor’s website has a list of St Patrick’s Festival week events taking place across the capital.
And if you do want to oil the wheels with the black stuff, check out our guide to the London's best Irish pubs.
Bars, Pubs and Clubs
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