Events programme revealed for Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival

The programme for the national St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, Ireland from March 15 to 17 2025, has been unveiled. The theme of this years’ global celebration of Irish Arts, culture and heritage is Adventures (Eachtraí), representing the famed and legendary Adventurous spirit that lives inside us all, known and loved the world over as a defining symbol of Irishness. 

This year’s St. Patrick’s Festival invites locals and visitors alike 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. 

The world-famous parade and immersive on-street performances will include a huge celebration of Irish culture throughout the weekend, from captivating street theatre to comedy, awe-inspiring circus performances, family-friendly areas, neurodivergent friendly performances, a lively Céilí Mór located at the beautiful Merrion Square on March 17, plus much more.

The National St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Dublin, 2025

Driven by the values of joy, community, diversity and sustainability, this year’s parade promises to be the most joyful yet as it brings more experiences, laughter, spectacle and delight for those watching. 

The iconic procession will feature Ireland’s foremost creative parade companies including Bui Bolg, Spraoi, Inishowen Carnival Group, The Outing Queer Arts Collective, Artastic and Art FX, with a highly anticipated Parade return coming in the form of the beloved and legendary Macnas and Cork Puppetry Company! 

The 2025 parade will also see a beautiful and meaningful collaboration between St. Patrick’s Festival and Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre who are celebrating 40 years of Pavee Point. This particular piece will honour the wagon wheel, a shared traditional focal point for both groups, and bring the two together as they share stories & skills between the two communities. 

Kia embarks on its fourth adventure as an official sponsor of St. Patrick's Festival, while Dublin Zoo have jumped on board with surprises that’ll leave crowds roaring for more! 

With half a million spectators expected to line this year’s route, the Parade will feature over 23 artistic parade performances and ceremonial unit displays, 10 community groups performances and 12 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and Austria.

The St. Patrick’s Festival has also announced the return of the Dublin City Council Relaxed Parade Space for 2025, allowing neurodivergent members of the community and their families to safely enjoy the festivities in a safe, sensory-friendly environment. The application for the Dublin City Council Relaxed Parade Space is now open and guests will be selected by lottery on February 17. 

A limited number of Parade Grandstand Seats and Hospitality Packages can be purchased at www.stpatricksfestival.ie and for those that are unable to attend this year’s Parade, the full Parade will be broadcast live on RTÉ One, and around the world on RTÉ Player.

St. Patrick’s Festival Events Programme

Kicking off the festival will be the much-loved Dublin City Council Treasure Hunt which is guaranteed to be a hit with all ages. You can also catch acrobatic delights and juggling wonders with circus companies like Cikada Circus, Tumble Circus, Hands Down Circus, Symmetry Circus and Amadan Circus on city corners; dance on the pavement to tunes by Acid Granny and the Shamrock Show Band; or stop by to enjoy Team Fuinneamh or Moss Russell ‘Squish Stomp Spin’ (both neurodivergent friendly performances). 

Performance and visual art will surprise and delight all over the city, courtesy of talented creatives and cultural curators including interdisciplinary performing artist Elisa Gallo Rosso, multidisciplinary dancer and percussionist, Favour Odusola, illustrator and visual artist Harry Pizzey and many more! 

There’s even more to be found across a plethora of iconic city locations, including the Wood Quay Amphitheatre, Wolfe Tone Square, Hugh Lane Gallery, Capel Street, Barnardo Square and St. Stephen’s Green. More details and announcements to follow on www.stpatricksfestival.ie 

The 18th annual Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk takes place this St Patrick’s Day, Monday, March 17. Over 3,000 walkers are expected to take on the 26 km challenge with the option of starting at Howth or Dun Laoghaire Harbour and finishing at the opposite harbour. 

Speaking of the Festival programme announcement, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain said, “St. Patrick’s Festival continues to be a vibrant celebration of Irish culture and creativity. This year, I’m particularly excited to participate in the Parade and see the iconic Lord Mayor’s Coach proudly return to our city’s streets. I’m also looking forward to the diverse range of events taking place across Dublin, bringing the spirit of St. Patrick’s Festival to life on the city’s streets. With a dynamic programme curated for all ages, this year’s festival is set to be truly remarkable. I want to congratulate the St. Patrick’s Festival team for delivering yet another exceptional showcase of our heritage and talent.”

Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals & Events at Fáilte Ireland revealed, "St. Patrick’s Festival returns to Dublin this year with a fantastic programme of music, entertainment, and arts that celebrates the rich tapestry of Irish arts, culture, and heritage and we look forward to welcoming over 500,000 visitors for celebrations this year. The eyes of the world are on Ireland on the 17th of March, and St Patrick’s Festival Dublin acts as the kick-off point for our main tourism season due to the winter in Dublin initiative, showcasing Ireland as a fantastic visitor destination to audiences across the globe. The festival is also a vibrant celebration of the incredible talent and creativity within our communities – from the street performances taking place across the city, to the magic and colour of the parade, and of course, the unmissable craic of the Céilí Mór, which is hugely popular with overseas visitors.”

Richard Tierney, CEO, St. Patrick’s Festival comments, "St. Patrick’s Festival is a truly collaborative effort, brought to life by the incredible contributions of artists, creators, events teams, and community organisations from across the country, along with our core Festival team. The 2025 Festival is set to fill the city’s streets with energy and excitement like no other, featuring the much-anticipated Festival Parade and a host of family-friendly events across the city. We are immensely grateful to our funders, partners, and sponsors for making this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival possible and I look forward to welcoming visitors from near and far to Dublin this March."

St. Patrick’s Festival is made possible through the continued support of the Government of Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, the Department of Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council, and many generous partners and funders.

The Festival Programme is available now at stpatricksfestival.ie and will continue to be updated as more events are announced. To be the first to hear all the news, join the Festival mailing list on the website and follow St. Patrick’s Festival on all social media channels.