Where to party like the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

The London St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off in Hyde Park and midday, then takes a jaunt through Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, turning London’s streets into a sea of green until 6pm. Along the way, the city’s Irish pubs are ready to welcome revellers with hearty food, flowing drinks, and toe-tapping tunes, ensuring the fun is as endless as the Guinness. We recommend Waxy O’Connors (Rupert Street) and Philomena's Irish Sports Bar & Kitchen (Great Queen Street).

No parade in Birmingham this year, but that doesn’t mean there’s no party! Week-long celebrations at Birmingham’s Irish pubs are anything but quiet, head to Cleary’s (Moseley Street) or Hennessey’s (Allison Street) to keep the party going! The streets are alive with the sound of revelry, pints are clinking, and the fun keeps flowing – because why celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for just one day when you can have a whole week of shenanigans?

Bank holiday bliss is here for Northern Ireland! The party’s on from March 10th to 18th, with a week packed full of heritage and live tunes from local musicians in traditional pubs; Fibber Magee (Great Victoria Street) and Maddens (Berry Street) to name a few, promise enough partying to make your feet sore. The Parade starts at 1:30pm on the 17^th, running through the city centre. It’s the perfect time to soak up the culture, dance like no one’s watching, and keep the celebrations rolling all week long!

Liverpool, often called the second capital of Ireland, throws a cracking parade along its iconic riverfront starting at the former Irish Centre at 2pm on 17^th March. And if you’re after a real Irish vibe, make your way to The Flanagan’s Apple (Matthew Street) – Liverpool’s very first Irish bar – where the pints are poured with pride, the craic is top-notch, and the Irish spirit flows as freely as the River Mersey!

The parade (Sunday 16^th) rolls through a city that’s been home to a lively Irish community since the 19th century, where the spirit of the Emerald Isle is still going strong. Manchester boasts a celebratory Irish Festival (8^th –18^th March) with hundreds of musicians and traditional Irish arts on show throughout the city. As the sun sets, the pub scene comes alive with a buzz that’s as contagious as an Irish jig – Mother Mary’s (New Wakefield Street) or Kielys (Watson Street) are the perfect spots to keep the party going and the pints flowing!

Celtic Football Club, born in 1887 to support the Irish immigrants flooding the city, goes full throttle on St. Patrick’s Day. Celtic Park turns into a sea of green and white, with fans celebrating like it’s a national holiday. Meanwhile, the pubs are packed and the pints are clinking at Kitty O’Shea’s (Waterloo Street) and Brazen Head (Lower Bridge Street) where the party rages on until the early hours—because who needs sleep when it's St. Paddy’s Day?