St Patrick’s Day 2026 in London: events, parties and celebrations

The Irish are experts when it comes to partying. They’re so good, in fact, they even have a special untranslatable term – the craic – to describe their unique brand of conviviality. With Trafalgar Square as the setting for London’s official bash in celebration of their patron saint, a blast is pretty much guaranteed.

When is the London St Patrick’s Day parade?

This year, the extravaganza is taking place the day before the official St Patrick’s Day celebrations, on Sunday March 15. It’s set to see more than 50,000 turning out for a huge parade featuring pageantry, floats and music. It'll start at 11am, when it will wend its way from Hyde Park Corner, down Whitehall to a triumphant finish in Trafalgar Square.

From 12noon til 6pm, Trafalgar Square will host plenty more entertainment, with music acts, dance performances, and cultural displays. You'll also find stalls, food and a whole heap of fun as attendees paint the town green.

Read our guide to St Patrick’s Day in London.

Hackney’s very own ceilidh band Cut A Shine is back with another of its seasonal dances in the beautiful Round Chapel on Glenarm Road. Its St Patrick’s Day celebration promises a night of dancing as well as food stalls selling traditional Irish stew and a bar stocked with enough stout and whiskey for even the most hesitant dancers to join in the ‘barn dance proper’ which will kick off at 9:30pm (there’s low key dancing from 8pm to help you learn the moves). 

Believe it or not, there are more ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than just sinking Guinness at your local (although we aren’t against that method at all). If you want to learn a little about all those who have migrated to the capital from the Emerald Isle before you start on the pints, we’ve got just the thing. This brilliant walking tour begins at Parliament Square and meanders all the way through the theatre district to explore Ireland’s cultural and literary contributions before finishing in Soho. But the craic doesn’t end there – the guide will certainly be rounding off the trip at the pub.

Legendary London music venue and Irish boozer is getting in the Paddy’s Day spirit with a big ol’ knees-up – or a ‘big feck off party’ as they call it. This year, they’re joined by the energetic ‘Pogues-meets-the-Dubliners’ band Skimmington Ride and punk, pop, ska and reggae mixers Riff Raff. We Got The Killers will be on the decks after the bands are done, lining up plenty of Irish floor-fillers to get you dancing.

Looking for a knee-slapping gig for the St Patrick’s weekend? Irish country music icon Declan Nerney will perform at the London Irish Centre. He’ll be dipping into his four-decade-long back catalogue, which includes beloved songs like ‘Stop the World (and Let Me Off)’, ‘Anna from Fermanagh’ and ‘Three Way Love Affair’  to bring a night of certified Celtic bangers. 

Boxpark Shoreditch is calling on all the huns to herald in the St Paddy’s weekend with a mega bottomless brunch. They’re calling on gals to grab their besties and pull up in their finest emerald fits for a green-tinged brunch fit for a queen. They’ll be serving up bottomless cocktails (green ones, we presume), street food, and blasting out party anthems spanning RnB, hip hop, afrobeats, dancehall and throwback hits. 

Gather your brood and join Hackney’s ceilidh band Cut A Shine for its afternoon of family friendly St Patrick’s barn dancing. The bandmembers will teach you and the little’uns all of the crucial ceili moves and ensure that everyone is kept fueled with traditional Irish stew and champ (vegan option available). Things will round off at 3.30pm with a disco where the kids can show off all their newly-learned Celtic choreography. Oh, and there’s a fully stocked bar of Guinness and whiskey for the grown ups.