St Patrick’s Day 2025 in London: events, parties and celebrations

The Irish are experts when it comes to partying. They’re so good, in fact, they even have a special untranslatable term – the craic – to describe their unique brand of conviviality. With Trafalgar Square as the setting for London’s official bash in celebration of their patron saint, a blast is pretty much guaranteed.

When is the London St Patrick’s Day parade?

This year, the extravaganza is taking place the day before the official St Patrick’s Day celebrations, on Sunday March 16. It’s set to see more than 50,000 turning out for Irish food, dancing and a huge parade featuring pageantry, floats and music that will wend its way from Hyde Park Corner along Piccadilly, St James’s Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street and Whitehall.

Once it ends up in Trafalgar Square, there’ll be plenty more entertainment, with a main stage featuring Irish acts, as programmed by the London Irish Centre, plus a film festival (this year will have a sustainability theme). Elsewhere, expect stalls, food and a whole heap of fun as attendees paint the town green.

Read our guide to St Patrick’s Day in London.

Believe it or not, there are more ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than just sinking Guinness at your local (although we aren’t against that method at all). If you want to learn a little about all those who have migrated to the capital from the Emerald Isle before you start on the pints, we’ve got just the thing. This brilliant walking tour begins at Parliament Square and meanders all the way through the theatre district to explore Ireland’s cultural and literary contributions before finishing in Soho. But the craic doesn’t end there – the guide will certainly be rounding off the trip at the pub.

Big Penny Social knows good craic – you can tell from the fact its annual St Patrick’s Day party always sells out. This year, the festivities run for one hour longer and will feature performances from Coppermill Folk and Irish dancing from the Maguire O’Shea Dance Academy. There’ll be plenty of stout and baby Guinness shots to get you in the party mood, plus Taytos and coddle (a kind of Irish stew, to the uninitiated) to tuck into should you get hungry.

It’s pure trad vibes at The Audley’s Public House St Paddy’s Day celebrations. Fuel up on Guinness before dancing to the live ceilidh band, Banish Misfortune, playing from 3pm on Saturday and get your strength back after all that reeling with a bowl of Irish Lamb Stew or Guinness rarebit. If you’re after a fiddle-filled feet-stomping riot, you’ll find it here.  

Legendary London music venue and Irish boozer is getting in the Paddy’s Day spirit with a big ol’ knees-up – or a ‘big feck off party’ as they call it. This year, they’re joined by the energetic ‘Pogues-meets-the-Dubliners’ band Skimmington Ride and punk, pop, ska and reggae mixers Riff Raff. We Got The Killers will be on the decks after the bands are done, lining up plenty of Irish floor-fillers to get you dancing.

St Patrick’s Day isn’t just about how much Guinness you can drink. It's also about celebrating Irish culture and there’s nowhere better to do that than the London Irish Centre. This year, they’re throwing a Family Day party, where young and old can gather to revel in music, storytelling and more from the Emerald Isle. On the bill for the show are Kíla, an award-winning band who spool out jigs on traditional Irish folk instruments, and Olivia Armstrong, a storyteller from County Down who specialises in folktales, myths and legends.