Your Visit
This page contains useful information about travelling to Ireland and how to make the most of our wonderful events and festivities when you get here!
Getting Here
If you have decided to pay a visit to the island of Ireland, you will either be flying or getting a ferry. You will find some useful information below on how to get here.
By Plane
By Plane Getting to Dublin is a breeze. Dublin Airport is one of the busiest in Europe, with hundreds of daily flights providing a huge range of options to get here.
Direct flights are available from most major cities in the UK and continental Europe, several hubs in North America, and the Gulf cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Connecting hubs hook up with further flights from all over the world, providing for easy access to the Irish capital.
By Ferry
By Ferry Irish Ferries offer a range of options for those who want to travel by sea to or from Ireland.
Direct Irish Ferries to Ireland
- Dublin to and from Holyhead (Britain)
- Rosslare to and from Pembroke (Britain)
- Dublin to and from Cherbourg (France)
Irish Ferries landbridge route to Ireland - Travel to and from Continental Europe via Britain. Crossing the Irish Sea from Dublin or Rosslare, you can then link up with Irish Ferries route from Dover to Calais.
By Train
By Train Those travelling into Dublin from other counties and Northern Ireland will arrive at one of the three main stations in Central Dublin where you can catch long-distance, intercity trains. These are Connolly, Heuston and Pearse Station.
FAQs
What is St. Patrick’s Festival?
St. Patrick’s Festival is a celebration based around our national holiday ‘St. Patrick’s Day’. The Festival takes place annually in March over a 3 or 4 day period and showcases the very best of Irishness and Ireland as a destination, platforming our incredible unique culture, heritage and traditions to a global audience through quality experiences.
When does 2026 St. Patrick’s Festival take place?
St. Patrick’s Festival takes place from 14th to 17th March 2026 at various locations around Dublin City Centre.
What events will be taking place?
Over the 4 days of the 2026 Festival there will be hundreds of different events and street performances throughout Dublin city centre.
The Festival will feature:
- The Parade on 17th March
- Céilí Mór on Merrion Square West on 17th March
- Dublin City Council St. Patrick’s Festival Treasure Hunt on 14th March
- Citywide street performances – 14th to 16th March
- Workshops – 14th to 16th March
- Festival Funfair on Custom House Quay -14th to 17th March
- St. Patrick’s Festival After Dark Programme – 14th to 16th March
More information on all of our events can be found on our website events page.
Do I need to purchase a ticket to go to events?
Most of our events are free to attend and you do not need a ticket. Some events are free, but you need to sign up in advance to attend. For a small minority of events there is a small ticket charge to attend. Details of whether tickets are needed are included on the relevant events pages on our website.
Can I volunteer at the Festival?
Yes, we are always grateful to have extra help over the days of the Festival. There are lots of different types of roles that volunteers can help with. If you are interested in volunteering, please go to the ‘Get Involved’ section on our website to sign up.
When and where does the parade start?
The parade starts at midday on Tuesday 17th March 2026 running from Granby Row in the north of the city, down O’Connell Street, over O’Connell Bridge and through the south side of the city, ending at the Cuffe St./Kevin St. junction.
Do I need a ticket to watch the parade?
No, you don’t need a ticket, the parade is free to attend and there are lots of standing points along the route to watch the parade.
If you would prefer to watch the parade from the comfort of one of our covered, tiered seated grandstands then tickets for these can be purchased though our website.
What should I bring to the Parade?
We’ve celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in both snow blizzards and tropical sunshine, so keep an eye on the forecast and dress appropriately! The Parade takes approximately 2 hours to pass, so make sure to bring refreshments to keep you hydrated and happy. It’s best to wear comfortable footwear.
The Parade is full of joy, colour, music, dance, spectacle and fun – it’s large and loud, so if you have any sensory issues, we advise you to consider bringing sensory protection aids such as ear defenders.
What facilities are in place for the Parade for attendees that have accessibility requirements?
We have a number of areas along the Parade route that are reserved for attendees that have additional needs. There are three wheelchair-accessible viewing areas for St. Patrick’s Festival 2026 will applications for these areas will open in mid-January 2026. in There are wheelchair portaloos at each of our wheelchair areas and there will be an Accessoloo with a hoist and changing bench made available for use. This will be parked up on D’Olier Street (Fleet St. Junction).
We also have an area called the ‘Relaxed Parade Space’ which is a space designed to support the needs of neurodivergent families and individuals, and those with sensory processing differences. Applications for this area will also open in mid-January 2026.
Road Closures
In order for the Parade to pass smoothly and safely through the streets of Dublin, it requires a number of road closures in the city centre, from early in the morning of the parade through until the late afternoon.
We advise all spectators and participants to plan their journeys in advance. Road closures for St. Patrick’s Festival 2026 will be available closer to the Festival dates.
Accessibility
St. Patrick’s Festival aims to offer a programme and service that allows everyone an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the Festival.
St. Patrick’s Festival is happy to provide accommodations, to the best of our ability, to allow individuals with disabilities and additional needs to participate in the Festival’s workforce, services, and activities.’
Relaxed Parade Space
The Relaxed Parade Space, brought to you by Dublin City Council, with additional support from AsIAm, Neurodiversity Ireland and Bank of Ireland, is a space designed to support the needs of neurodivergent families and individuals, and those with sensory processing differences, ensuring that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a safe and happy place for all to enjoy. Applications opening soon
Wheelchair Accessible Viewing Area
Applications for our wheelchair-accessible viewing areas for St. Patrick’s Festival 2026 are now open. We provide wheelchair-accessible viewing areas along the Parade route:
One on O’Connell Street
One on Westmoreland Street
One at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
If you, a friend or family member are a wheelchair user, you can come and view the parade in one of our designated wheelchair viewing areas. These areas are prioritised for wheelchair users but can also be used by people who use mobility aids or have limited mobility, in order to give them some more space and comfort whilst the parade goes by.
Family members can accompany the wheelchair user / person with limited mobility in this designated area.
Accessoloo
St. Patrick’s Festival want to make our events fully accessible, for all to enjoy. We want to make it possible for disabled young people and adults to make positive memories at St. Patrick’s Festival.
At the Parade, in addition to the wheelchair portaloo at each of our wheelchair areas, there will be an Accessoloo with a hoist and changing bench made available for use. This will be parked up on D’Olier Street (Fleet St. Junction).
Wheelchair Accessibility Across Our Programme
The St. Patrick’s Festival Parade is fully wheelchair accessible. All of St. Patrick’s Festival’s outdoors programme is fully wheelchair accessible. This includes the Treasure Hunt, Céilí Mór and all performances tagged as ‘outdoors’ on our website.
Our indoors programme is in partnerships with various venues across the city, please check accessibility details with each individual venue.
Guide Dogs
St. Patrick’s Festival welcomes the accompaniment of service animals at the Parade and all our other events.
Information
The Parade
Our 2026 St. Patrick’s Festival programme runs from Saturday 14th to Tuesday 17th March. Our full programme details will be launched on 3rd February. In the meantime, you can find out all you need to know about the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade on 17th March in the links below.
Book Your Tickets
Grandstand tickets for the 2026 St. Patrick’s Festival Parade are now on sale
