Ranked: The biggest and best St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the world

In some parts of the world, March 17 is just another day, but to anybody with Irish heritage, a penchant for the colour green, or who’s a regular splitter of the G, it’s one of the merriest days of the year – St Patrick’s Day. 

Thanks to the Emerald Isle’s expansive diaspora, Paddy’s Day is now celebrated all over the planet. There’s everything from free Céilís and enormous parades to river-dyeing sessions and potato-flinging contests. We’ve compiled a handful of the biggest and best taking place in 2026, so grab your Guinness and have a scroll. 

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The world’s best St Patrick’s Day celebrations

1. Dublin

Best for: Paddy’s Day purists

There’s only one way to start this list, and it’s with the Irish capital’s monumental, four-day celebration of St Patrick’s Day, which this year takes place from March 14-17. Half a million people will line Dublin’s streets to watch colourful floats meander from Parnell Square to the junction of Kevin Street and Cuffe Street, but that’s far from all that’s lined up to mark the occasion. Think free traditional Irish Céilís, harbour walks on the Dublin Coastal Trail, all-ages treasure hunts and plenty of gigs, poetry readings and comedy sets, too. Great craic, right?

2. Montserrat 

Best for: a history lesson 

The Caribbean is home to its own Emerald Isle in the form of Montserrat, and March 17 is a massive celebration here. Not just for the sake of St Paddy, but to commemorate a monumental uprising that took place on this day in 1768 against British colonial rule, when enslaved people anticipated plantation owners to be distracted by the St Patrick’s day festivities. The date tells a tale of resilience and cultural pride, and is annually marked by a glorious culmination of Irish and Afro-Caribbean cultures, with everything from church services and wreath-laying to community dinners, art exhibitions, and of course, a glowing parade throughout March.

3. Chicago

Best for: big city shenanigans

Leprechaun costumes and Irish flags crop up all over the world to mark St Patrick’s Day, but Chicago takes things one step further with a tradition which has been going for more than 60 years. Way back in 1962, the Plumbers Local Union poured 100 lbs of an oil-based dye (actually used to help clean up the river’s waterfront) into the water, and the Chicago River ran vivid green for a whole week. Now, the tinting of the river, which today uses a much more environmentally friendly vegetable-based dye, takes place on the Saturday before St Patrick’s Day at 10am – head down early to snag your spot.

📍 The best places to watch the Chicago River dyeing

4. Ireland, Indiana

Best for: those who don’t need their five-a-day

It’d quite frankly be rude if a little town called Ireland didn’t do anything to mark St Patrick’s Day, but we needn’t worry as this Dubois County community hosts an annual three-day festival which rivals even Dublin with its merriness. Everything from a 5km run to rounds of bingo, a Sham rock-paper-scissors tournament and a crafts fair are on the programme, as is the ‘Spud’s Sweep’. That’s right – competitors literally turn their hands to flinging potatoes as far as they can, in front of an understandably enthusiastic crowd.

5. Tokyo 

Best for: green tie wearers

This one’s a bit of a wild card, but Tokyo is a fantastic place to be for St Patrick’s Day. Asia’s largest Irish cultural event comes in the form of Green Ireland Festival, where costumed revellers sing, jig and march their way along Omotseando (Tokyo’s answer to the Champs Élysées) and take over Yoyogi Park Events Square with everything from Irish food stalls to playful rugby scrums. The Tokyo American Club is hosting the 30th Emerald Ball in 2026 (where the dress code is green tie), and there’s also another smaller parade in Yokohama.

6. Banwen, Wales

Best for: upping your step count

Despite St Patrick’s title as the patron saint of Ireland, the bloke wasn’t actually Irish. Born nearing the end of Roman rule in Britain, his birthplace is recorded as Bannavem Taburniae, considered by many to refer to Banwen in south Wales. He was famously captured and taken to work as a slave in Ireland before escaping and becoming a bishop. St Patrick is lauded for many feats, but it’s his bravery that is marked every year with a short pilgrimage from Banwen to Saint Patrick’s Stone.  

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