With St Patrick's Day just a week away, a number of events have been planned around the world in celebration of the Irish holiday – which is the one national holiday that is celebrated in more countries than any other. Join in the fun with our guide to some of the best places to celebrate St Patrick's Day, from Birmingham to London and of course – Dublin.
Dublin:
Where better to celebrate St Patrick's Day than the Emerald Isle? Expect the pubs and streets throughout the city to be packed with revellers enjoying the 'craic over the weekend, with the St Patrick's Festival taking over the Irish capital from 16-19 March. Hit the city centre for midday on Friday to see the St Patrick's Day Parade, featuring pageantry, performances in a spectacular procession. Then, after sunset, several of the city landmarks including Trinity College and Christchurch Cathedral will be illuminated green in honour of the national holiday. For more information visit stpatricksfestival.ie.
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Birmingham:
Birmingham's St Patrick's Day parade is believed to be the third biggest in the world, with some 80,000 people turning out to celebrate the occasion. The 2017 parade will tour through Digbeth, the city's Irish quarter, from 12pm on Sunday 12 March, featuring colourful floats, marching bands and traditional Irish dancers. There will also be the first ever Emerald Mile fun run ahead of the parade, along with live entertainment, street food and drinks at Birmingham's very own Emerald Village. Get all the latest information and timings at stpatricksbirmingham.com.
London:
London's St Patrick's Day celebrations take place on Sunday 19 March, with a parade leaving Piccadilly at midday, weaving through the city to Trafalgar Square, where the festival will take place. As well as traditional musicians and marching bands, the festival will also play host to a street food market serving Irish delicacies. Think Irish black pudding, Irish fried chicken sandwiches and American-style Irish beef burgers.
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Belfast:
Belfast's city centre will be awash with colour as the annual St Patrick's Day Carnival Parade and Concert takes place on Friday. The parade will leave Custom House at 12pm, before making its way down to Custom House Square, where a free concert featuring special guests and local musicians and dancers will take place.
New York:
If you happen to be in the Big Apple on St Patrick's Day, you're in for a treat! New York's St Patrick's Day parade is the oldest and largest in the world, after first being held on 17 March 1762. Around 150,000 people march in the huge procession, which takes place through Manhattan passing landmarks including Central Park, Fifth Avenue and St Patrick's Cathedral. Find out more at nycstpatricksparade.org.
See our guide to the best things to do this week here.