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The Late Edition

London's evening edition. Independent, updated daily.

St Patrick’s Day in London 2027: the parade, the pubs and the day itself

17 March 2027 is a Wednesday, so London's parade and festival move to the Sunday. Two different days, and most people want the one they have not booked for.

The interior of a traditional pub

St Patrick’s Day itself is fixed: Wednesday 17 March 2027. London’s parade and festival are not, and that is the thing worth getting right, because in a year when the 17th falls midweek the two happen on different days.

The parade moves

London’s parade and the Trafalgar Square festival are run on the Sunday nearest the day, which in 2027 points to Sunday 14 March. That date is the usual pattern rather than something confirmed: the organisers announce it in the new year, so treat the window on this page as the shape of the weekend and check before you travel for it.

The parade runs through the West End to Trafalgar Square, where the festival is free, family shaped and finished by early evening. It is genuinely a daytime event, whatever the pubs are doing.

The Wednesday

The day itself is a pub day and a work day, which is a combination London handles badly. The Irish pubs in Kilburn, Camden and Hammersmith run live music from late afternoon and are full by six. Anywhere advertising a St Patrick’s Day event on a Wednesday will be charging entry and pouring Guinness that has not been given time to settle.

If you want the drink rather than the crowd, go early or go on the Tuesday. The good Irish pubs are good all year and empty on 16 March.

Getting home

The 17th is a Wednesday, so there is no Night Tube. Last tubes are around half past midnight and the night buses are the rest of it. This catches people out every time the day lands midweek.

Dates and events for 2027 go in as venues confirm them. The guide above is what we know so far; it is rewritten as the list fills.

London month by month

Twelve guides, one a month

What is on right now

All 2189 listings

This guide is rewritten each year before the dates come round. For what is actually happening this week rather than what happens every year, the listings below are dated, checked against the venue and carry the venue's own link.

Next up

  1. Theatre £45 to £110, under 30s and students from £10

    Main Stage: Kimberly Akimbo

    Times vary Main Stage, Hampstead

    Until 7 Nov

  2. Theatre £15 to £35

    Bush Theatre: Darkling, by Titas Halder

    19:30 Bush Theatre, Shepherd's Bush

    Until 24 Oct

  3. Theatre From £31

    Young Vic: Thelma and Louise

    19:30 Young Vic, Main House, Waterloo

    Until 24 Oct

Or pick a part of town

Questions people ask

When is St Patrick's Day 2027?

Wednesday 17 March 2027. The date is fixed, but London's parade is not and moves to the nearest Sunday.

When is the London St Patrick's Day parade 2027?

Not confirmed yet. It is held on the Sunday nearest the day, which points to Sunday 14 March 2027, and the organisers announce it early in the year. Treat that as the pattern rather than a fixed date.

Is the parade free?

Yes. The parade and the Trafalgar Square festival are free and run through the afternoon rather than the evening.

Where are the best pubs?

Kilburn, Camden and Hammersmith have the Irish pubs with live music. They are full by six on the day itself, and they are just as good and half empty the night before.

How do I get home on the day?

17 March 2027 is a Wednesday, so there is no Night Tube. Last tubes are around half past midnight, then night buses.

Every listing on this page is checked against the venue's own page and the page is rewritten each year, usually six to eight weeks before the dates. Times and prices can change on the night; the venue link on each event is the one to trust. How we choose what goes in.