Please note that this event has already occured.
Key information
Date: Sunday 13 March 2022
Time: 12:00pm to 6:00pm
Venue: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN, GB
Cost: Free
Come and celebrate London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival on Sunday 13 March in Trafalgar Square. There’ll be the best of Irish arts, culture, food, music to enjoy, and more, including the spectacular annual parade.
Now in its 19th year, the Mayor’s annual shindig has become a highlight of London’s cultural calendar. This year’s theme is coming back together, as Londoners and visitors unite in celebrating the great contributions Irish people have made to the city.
St Patrick’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the enduring strength of relationship between the British and Irish. Key workers from across London will be Grand Marshals at the event, in recognition of their tireless work during the pandemic.
More than 50,000 people are expected to join the annual procession of Irish marching bands, dance troupes and pageantry. This year sees the return of the popular Giant St Patrick and the Garda band from Dublin. The parade starts at Hyde Park Corner, then travels through Piccadilly, St James’s Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street and Whitehall.
The action then moves to Trafalgar Square where your host Gemma Bradley will introduce a world-class line-up, in partnership with London Irish Centre. Expect family concerts, storytelling, children’s films and youth performances, as well community choirs, schools, dance troupes and a singalong finale.
Alongside the main stage, International Chef of the Year 2019, Anna Haugh will be running food demos. There’ll also be children’s workshops featuring camogie games, medal making and face painting, and a great selection of food and drinks stalls.
And if that’s not enough, there’ll also be events happening across London all weekend. Expect everything from busking on the Underground to a three-day film festival by Irish Film London.
Grand Marshals
This year, to pay tribute to the Irish Londoners who have supported the city throughout the pandemic, 11 key workers will be honoured as Grand Marshals of the famous parade.
Programme on Trafalgar Square
Curated by our programme partner, London Irish Centre.
Fáilte ar ais (Welcome back)
Hosted by – Gemma Bradley
- Damien Dempsey (Headliner)
- Altan (Headliner)
- Xnthony and the Girlband
- Séamus & Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta
- Olivia Armstrong
- Xona
- Fiddler of London
- Irish Elderly Pensioners Choir
- Maguire O’Shea Irish Dance
- Soulé
- The Trad Gathering
- Irish Film Screenings by Irish Film London
- Rags CV – Spoken Word Artist
- Hungry Grass
Trafalgar Square Plan
Conditions of Entry to Trafalgar Square
Please do not attend the event if you feel unwell, or have recently been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
Searching is a condition of entry to this event.
To help protect the safety and welfare of both visitors and staff the following is a non-exclusive list of items that are prohibited from being brought into Trafalgar Square:
- Bladed items, including; pen knives, fixed bladed knives and scalpels
- Offensives weapons e.g. tasers, etc.
- Imitation or toy weapons, including toy hand grenades and guns
- Items that could be readily converted into weapons
- Component parts of weapons
- Flares or fireworks
- Party poppers and party canons
- Helium filled balloons
- Strobe lights, high intensity torches and lasers
- Hazardous materials e.g. CS gas, pepper spray, gas canisters, acids and alkalis
- Spray paints or cans of paint
- Powders that are not personal prescription medicines or for cosmetic purposes
- Illegal drugs
- Opened bottles / cans of alcohol
- Pointed Scissors / pointed tweezers
- Knitting Needles
- Syringes (unless required for personal medical use)
- Placards, Banners and Flags
- Mobile phone jamming devices
- Full facial Masks
- Items that could cause loud audible disruption e.g. whistles, megaphones, sirens, air horns, large radios / cd players
- Covert surveillance and recording equipment
- Climbing and abseiling equipment
- Tools e.g. pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, saws, etc.
- Animals, other than assistance dogs
- Bottles containing liquid. Water refill points are available within the Square
- Glass items
- Any items considered to be suspicious or unacceptable by security staff that the owner cannot provide a reasonable explanation for possessing
Please also note that when full, we will operate a one in, one out policy.
Please note this event will be filmed and photographed. Your entry and presence at the event constitutes your consent to be photographed and/or filmed. The resulting images may be used for promotional and marketing purposes.
Irish Music on the Underground
Irish music will once again flow throughout Tottenham Court Road station on Saturday 12 March from 10am - 3pm.
Pop along to see Irish music and dancing live.
Sponsorship
Interested in being part of the largest gathering celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in London?
Sponsorship opportunities are now open. Benefits include:
- association with a key Mayoral event
- on site branding at the iconic Trafalgar Square
- invitation to the official launch event
- face to face engagement with over 75,000 event attendees
- reach and awareness across key GLA social media channels
- platform to create compelling brand experiences
Please email [email protected] to speak with the team for more information.
Name of event: Foscadh + recorded Q&A
Date: Fri 11th March
Time: 8pm
Location: Catford Mews
Description: Sean Breathnach’s debut is an Irish language feature centered on its sheltered protagonist John having his first experience in relationships, trust and vengeance after his parents' death. Screened with a pre-recorded Q&A from the director.
Price: £10.50/£8.50 with concessions
Link to tickets or info: https://catford-mews.co.uk/whats-on/foscadh/
Name of event: Short films on Irish Film From Home
Date: from Fri 11th March and throughout March
Time: n/a
Location: Online via Irish Film From Home (www.irishfilmlondon.com/irishfilmfromhome)
Description: A brand new selection of short films chosen from open submissions, showcasing the best of new Irish filmmaking talent
Price: £5 or FREE to Irish Film London Friends and Champions
Link to tickets or info: visit www.irishfilmlondon.com/irishfilmfromhome to book directly
Name of event: The Secret of Kells + kid's craft workshop
Date: Sun 13th March
Time: 1pm
Location: Catford Mews
Description: Nominated for an academy award for best animated feature, The Secret of Kells is the first instalment of an Irish folklore trilogy from Cartoon Saloon. This family friendly film follows it’s young protagonist Brendan as he embarks on a quest to complete an ancient unfinished book. With a free craft workshop led by Kabutar Arts after the screening
Price: £10.50/£6.50 with concessions
Link to tickets or info: https://catford-mews.co.uk/whats-on/the-secret-of-kells/
Name of event: Wolf
Date: Mon 14th March
Time: 8.30pm
Location: Riverside Studios
Description: Believing he is a wolf trapped in a human body, Jacob eats, sleeps, and lives like a wolf – much to the shock of his family. When he’s sent to a clinic, Jacob and his animal-bound peers are forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of ‘curative’ therapies. However, once he meets the mysterious Wildcat, and as their friendship blossoms into an undeniable infatuation, Jacob is faced with a challenge: will he renounce his true self for love?
Price: £10.50/£6.50 with concessions
Link to tickets or info: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/irish-film-london-presents-wolf-21956/
Name of event: Irish Community Services St Patricks Day Party
Date: Thursday 17th March 2022
Time: 12-4pm
Location: Charlton Athletic Football Club
Description: Dinner Dance with live Irish Music and performances from the South London Irish Choir.
Price: Members £20 / Non Members £30
Link to tickets or info: www.irishcommunityservices.org.uk
Name of Event: Altan + Special Guests
Date: 17th & 18th March
Time: 8.00pm
Location: Irish Cultural Centre
The spirit and sound of Altan comes from the deep and rich musical tradition of their native Co. Donegal. On one of his many visits to the Donegal Gaeltacht of Gaoth Dobhair, Belfast born flute player Frankie Kennedy met fiddler and singer Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, sparking off a deep musical connection, marriage in 1981, and a journey that took them all over the world.
In the mid 80s, Mairéad and Frankie recruited bouzouki player Ciaran Curran from Fermanagh, whose intricate counterpoint is at the centre of the Altan sound, and guitarist Mark Kelly from Dublin, whose mastery of a wide palette of guitar styles and harmonic vocabulary add a breadth and depth of colour.
Special Guests:
17th March – Tim Edey
18th March – The Wilderness YetThe spirit and sound of Altan comes from the deep and rich musical tradition of their native Co. Donegal. On one of his many visits to the Donegal Gaeltacht of Gaoth Dobhair, Belfast born flute player Frankie Kennedy met fiddler and singer Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, sparking off a deep musical connection, marriage in 1981, and a journey that took them all over the world.
In the mid 80s, Mairéad and Frankie recruited bouzouki player Ciaran Curran from Fermanagh, whose intricate counterpoint is at the centre of the Altan sound, and guitarist Mark Kelly from Dublin, whose mastery of a wide palette of guitar styles and harmonic vocabulary add a breadth and depth of colour.
Special Guests:
17th March – Tim Edey
18th March – The Wilderness Yet
Price: £25/£22.50
Link: https://irishculturalcentre.co.uk/event/altan-special-guests/
Name of event: Irish Community Services Singing Workshop
Date: Saturday 19th March 2022
Time: 12-2pm
Location: Townley Grammar School, Bexleyheath
Description: Everyone welcome for an Irish Singing Session and Irish Music.
Price: Free
Link to tickets or info: www.irishcommunityservices.org.uk
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