The annual St Patrick’s Day Parade will be returning on Tuesday, March 17, following its established route from Parnell Square.
The annual festival, in Dublin, kicks off tomorrow, with locals and visitors expecting a programme featuring more than 150 artists taking part across music, street theatre, dance, comedy, craft and participatory performance. The national St Patrick’s Day Parade will return on Tuesday, March 17th, and will feature over 3,000 participants, following its established route from Parnell Square.
More than half a million people are expected to line the streets of Dublin to watch the parade. The theme for St Patrick’s Festival 2026 is ‘Roots - a celebration of where we come from, what grounds us, and how we continue to grow together’.
Speaking ahead of the celebrations, Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam said: “The theme is especially fitting, because it reminds us that the story of Dublin is shaped by the generations who built our communities, the traditions that ground us, and the cultures that continue to enrich our city today.” He said the festival was “a huge opportunity for us in Dublin to put our best foot forward ... so that those who are coming to visit our city, and Dubliners in the city centre, all have a wonderful time”.
“We are now a multicultural society and it’s great to see that so many different communities are going to be taking part,” he said of the diversity of participants and attendees. Speaking about the operations involved, McAdam said there’ll be over 450 cleaning staff on duty on St Patrick’s Day for waste management.
“We expect more than 40 tonnes of rubbish to be collected, and 950 bins emptied across the route,” he said.
“Many respects to the unsung heroes of Dublin who’ll be out early morning and late at night, to make sure that while everyone has a fun time, we’ll make sure the city stays clean as well.” He advised: “Parents should have some identifying details on their children, just in case they get separated as a safety precaution at large events”.
Throughout the St Patrick’s bank holiday weekend, according to Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Roberts, An Garda Síochána is set to have a comprehensive policing operation in place across Dublin. He added: “Gardaí will be out working hard to make sure that the many thousands attending the national parade and the wide range of family-friendly events being held across the city can enjoy themselves.
“Those attending the festivities can help us keep people safe by using public transport and following the instructions of Gardaí and stewards,” he added.
“We want everyone to have a brilliant time with family and friends, so please look out for one another and don’t hesitate to call on us should you need our help”.
