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St Patrick's Day Festival and Parade 2016

St Patrick's Day on Trafalgar Square

Please note that this event has already occured.

Key information

Date: Sunday 13 March 2016

Time: 12:00pm to 6:00pm

Venue: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN, GB

Cost: Free

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the heart of central London. This lively event brings the best of Irish culture and a packed programme of great entertainment to Trafalgar Square.

There’s a colourful parade too which leaves Piccadilly at midday and winds its way to Trafalgar Square. Featuring a showcase of London Irish sports clubs, dance schools, marching bands, community organisations and pageantry, come along and cheer them on!

St Patrick’s Day is organised by the Mayor of London.

As part of the Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day Festival, the Irish Cultural Centre will be hosting a Q&A session with former Ireland president Mary McAleese at City Hall.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to ask your questions on “Modern Ireland's Changing Faces” to the former president of Ireland.

The event will take place on Thursday 10 March from 7.30pm.

Please visit Eventbrite for more details.

Where: Regent Street Cinema, 309 Regent St, W1B 2UW

On Sunday 13th March 2016, there will be TWO Irish Film and Animation events at the Lord Mayor’s St. Patrick’s Festival London. The St Patrick’s Day Film Festival will take place at the Regent Street Cinema and will entail a collection of short films from 11.30am-2.30pm, and an evening feature screening from 7.30pm.

Irish Short Films in 2 programmes between 11.30am and 2.30pm

Special Preview Screening of SING STREET at 7.30pm with a Q&A with director John Carney (Once, Begin Again) and cast members Ferdia Walsh-Peelo and Mark McKenna.

Find out more

Watch the St. Patrick's Day Film Festival London 2016 trailer

Feast on Ireland's finest at Bord Bia's Trafalgar Square Street Food Market

Acclaimed Irish chef John Relihan heads a delicious line-up, serving up an array of Irish-themed street food at this year’s Bord Bia food market. Relihan, one of Jamie Oliver’s original ‘Fifteen’ chefs, will be cooking on ‘live fire’ to tempt the crowds with slow-cooked Irish Beef Stew and smoked Irish pulled pork wraps.

He’ll be joined on the day by The Pie Cart, Salt Beef Bros., Butchies and Eat The Farm, who have all created delicious Irish-flavoured street food for the event.

An Irish craft beer tent serving drinks from Rye River Brewing Co. (McGargles) and Carlow Brewing (O’Hara’s) will keep the estimated crowd refreshed, as they enjoy the delights of the food menus:

  • John Relihan’s Irish Beef Bar: slow-cooked Irish beef stew and smoked Irish pulled pork wraps with Kitty O’Byrne’s turf BBQ sauce and slaw
  • The Pie Cart: Irish slow-cooked beef and Guinness pies, Irish lamb and potato shepherd’s pies, Irish black pudding scotch eggs and Irish classic pork Scotch eggs
  • Salt Beef Bros: Irish brisket, which is salt-cured and then slow-cooked until tender and served in a sandwich with pickle and mustard or Ballymaloe relish
  • Butchies: London's ultimate Irish fried chicken sandwich, made with free-range Irish chicken marinated in Avonmore Irish Buttermilk, served in soft Kerrygold Irish butter toasted buns
  • Eat The Farm: American style burgers, dry aged Irish beef, unpasteurised artisan cheeses, handmade brioche buns and homemade sauces. Classic Irish ingredients include Ballymaloe relish, Guinness, Teeling Single Grain Whiskey and Cashel Blue Cheese

Public Transport

The Tube

Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines) is the closest Tube station, with an entrance/exit on Trafalgar Square.

The following stations are within a few minutes' walk:

Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines)
Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines)
Embankment (Bakerloo, Northern, District and Circle lines)

Mainline train

Charing Cross mainline rail station is about a three minute walk from the Square.

Buses

Bus routes will also be impacted by diversions or curtailments on Sunday from 06:00 until 15:00, due to the St Patrick’s Day celebrations. These are:

  • 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 29, 38, 87, 88, 91, 94, 139, 159, 176, 453, C2.

To plan ahead on the day go to TfL Journey Planner and for up to date information on bus services follow @TfLBusAlerts

The following services are available on site. Please request from the Information Point.

  • Accessible viewing area
  • BSL interpreter
  • Hearing Loop
  • Disabled Toilets
  • Electrical Charging Point in Accessible viewing area
  • Free and accessible water – Water Foundations and in The Cafe

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