On 17 March the whole of Northern Ireland spills into the streets — carnival parades, giant puppets, pipe bands and green everywhere, from Belfast City Hall to the town where St Patrick is said to be buried. And nearly all of it is free.
Where — big free parades and family festivals in Belfast, Downpatrick, Armagh, Derry, Newry, Enniskillen, Omagh and more. Belfast has the biggest city carnival; Downpatrick and Armagh are the true heart of the St Patrick story.
When — Wednesday 17 March 2027. Most parades step off around midday to mid-afternoon; Armagh's Home of St Patrick festival runs longer, from 7 to 18 March 2027.
What's on — carnival floats and giant puppets, pipe bands and trad music, children's activities and face-painting, heritage sites to visit, markets and street food. A proper family day, wherever you are.
Cost — the parades and street festivals are free. A couple of the indoor heritage attractions (the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, the Navan Centre near Armagh) are ticketed.
Check your town's exact time. With the 17th falling midweek in 2027, some towns confirm their parade date and route closer to the day — check your local council before you set off.
Come ready for March weather — it's often cold and showery, so wrap up warm. And a bit of green in the outfit is half the fun.
Where to go
The towns, and what each one does best
You're never far from a parade on 17 March. Here's where the biggest and most special celebrations are — pick by what suits your family.
🎉Belfast — the biggest carnivalA huge free city-centre parade of carnival floats, giant puppets and dancers, looping around City Hall, with a free family festival village of workshops and taster sessions. The most spectacle in one place.
☘️Downpatrick — the real heart of itThe most authentic celebration: the town where St Patrick is said to be buried. A warm cross-community parade, a St Patrick's Village with a kids' zone and music stage, and heritage all around.
⛪Armagh — the Home of St PatrickThe ecclesiastical capital, with a 12-day Home of St Patrick festival (7–18 March 2027): a parade, a free open-air concert, two St Patrick's cathedrals, and family days at Navan Fort.
🌉Enniskillen — the flotillaA distinctive two-day festival with an illuminated flotilla of boats on Lough Erne, a "Castle to Castle" parade and a free family fun day. Something different from the town-street parade.
🥁Derry, Newry & OmaghBig, warm town celebrations — Derry runs a whole Spring Carnival around its parade, Newry a full festival day, and Omagh a "Music & Mythology" parade with a leprechaun trail for the kids.
⛰️Slemish — the pilgrim climbAway from the parades, hundreds climb Slemish in Co. Antrim — the mountain where, legend says, the young Patrick herded sheep — now a family morning with a petting farm and trad music at the foot.
Plan your visit
Timings, getting there and road closures
Parades usually step off between midday and mid-afternoon — in Belfast around 1:30pm from City Hall, and early afternoon in most towns. Town centres close to traffic for the parade, so come in by public transport where you can (Translink runs holiday services), or park on the edge and walk in, and arrive early for a good spot on the route. The street celebrations are free, so there's nothing to book — just turn up. It's mid-March, so dress warm and bring a coat.
Confirm your town's exact date and time nearer the day.
Because 17 March 2027 is a Wednesday, some councils finalise their parade time, route and road closures only a few weeks before — and occasionally shift the parade to a nearby day. Check your local council or Discover Northern Ireland for the confirmed 2027 details before you travel.
Before you head in
What to wear and bring
🧥Warm layers and a coatMid-March in NI is cold and often showery — you'll be standing on a street for a while, so wrap up and bring something waterproof.
☘️A bit of greenHalf the fun is joining in — a green hat, a shamrock, face-paint. Kids love being part of the colour rather than just watching.
🚌A transport planTown centres close for the parade and fill up — check Translink for the holiday timetable, or park on the edge and walk in.
💧Water and snacksThere's street food about, but a drink and a snack keep little ones happy through the wait for the parade.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Date
Wednesday 17 March 2027, St Patrick's Day. Most towns celebrate on the day itself; Armagh's Home of St Patrick festival runs 7–18 March 2027. Confirm each town's exact parade time nearer the day.
Cost
The parades and outdoor festivals are free across Belfast, Downpatrick, Armagh, Derry, Newry, Enniskillen and Omagh. Some indoor attractions (the Saint Patrick Centre, the Navan Centre) charge admission.
Timings
Parades usually step off between midday and mid-afternoon — Belfast around 1:30pm, most towns early afternoon. Festival programmes run through the day around them.
Getting there
Town centres close to traffic for the parades. Translink runs a holiday service — public transport or park-and-walk is easiest. Downpatrick has no train, so drive and arrive early; Armagh has good bus links and city-centre car parks.
Family
Very family-focused — kids' zones, face-painting, craft and sensory activities, living history at Navan Fort, and the "everyone welcome" spirit that defines the modern festivals.
Accessibility
Provision varies by town; the Navan Centre publishes an autism/ASD guide, and most parade routes have step-free pavement viewing. Check your council's page for the current year's detail.
Weather
Mid-March, so expect cold and showers — warm layers and a coat make the day. A shower rarely stops a parade.
Heritage
Make more of the day at the St Patrick sites — Down Cathedral and the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, Armagh's two cathedrals and Navan Fort, and Slemish and Saul, all part of the genuine St Patrick story.
Questions
St Patrick's Day in NI, answered
When is St Patrick's Day 2027?
Wednesday 17 March 2027. Most towns hold their parade on the day, usually stepping off between midday and mid-afternoon. Armagh's Home of St Patrick festival runs longer, from 7 to 18 March 2027.
Where's the best parade in Northern Ireland?
Belfast has the biggest and most spectacular city carnival. But Downpatrick is the most authentic — the town where St Patrick is said to be buried — and Armagh, the Home of St Patrick, runs the longest festival. Derry, Newry, Enniskillen and Omagh all put on big warm celebrations too.
Is it free?
Yes — the parades and street festivals are free everywhere. Only some indoor heritage attractions, like the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick and the Navan Centre near Armagh, charge admission.
Is it good for young children?
Very — carnival colour, giant puppets, kids' zones, face-painting and craft activities are all part of it. Bring warm layers, get a spot on the route early, and let them wear a bit of green to join in.
What time do the parades start?
Usually between midday and mid-afternoon — Belfast around 1:30pm from City Hall, most towns early afternoon. Because the 17th is midweek in 2027, confirm your town's exact time with the local council closer to the day.
Why is Northern Ireland special for St Patrick?
This is where the St Patrick story actually happened — he's said to have herded sheep at Slemish, landed and built his first church near Downpatrick, is traditionally buried there, and founded his principal church at Armagh. It's genuinely the Home of St Patrick.
Find your parade
Celebrations run in towns right across Northern Ireland on 17 March. Belfast's is the biggest; Downpatrick and Armagh are the heart of the St Patrick story. Check your local council for the confirmed 2027 time and route.
The Home of St Patrick — where the story really happened
St Patrick wasn't Irish. By his own account he was a Romano-British boy, carried off by raiders at about sixteen and enslaved in Ireland for six years — and tradition says he spent them herding sheep on the slopes of Slemish, the old volcanic hill in Co. Antrim that families still climb every 17 March. He escaped, and years later came back as a missionary.
The story that grew up around him is written across this corner of Ireland. Legend has it he landed near Downpatrick and was given a barn for his first church at Saul, and it's at Downpatrick that he's traditionally said to be buried, on the hill beside Down Cathedral. Armagh became his principal church and remains the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland to this day, the only city in the world with two cathedrals that share his name. How much is history and how much is legend, no one can fully prove — but the places are real, and you can stand in them.
The modern celebrations are a newer thing: bright, cross-community, family-first festivals that have grown over the last couple of decades into a day when the whole country goes out together. Wrap up, wear a bit of green, and go and be part of it.