Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade & Festival

Thousands of revellers will flock to The Rocks on Sunday 15th March to celebrate all things Irish at the globally renowned Sydney St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival. 1,500 participants from a variety of organisations and community groups will take part in the traditional parade at 11am before the festival kicks off in First Fleet Park at 12 noon.

Toe-tapping live music, world-class Irish dancing, Irish language lessons, crafts, face-painting, bars, food stalls and much more will be on offer as the largest St Patrick’s Day celebration in the Southern Hemisphere raises a glass to the Irish patron Saint.

Nestled between the iconic Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, festival goers will be treated to a spectacular view as the Opera House will be lit up in green to mark the occasion. Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening Initiative now sees close to 500 landmarks around the world go green and it all started in Sydney back in 2009.

Inspired by our past, excited for our future is the theme of this year's event and whether you’re an Irish expat, boast Irish roots or just want to be Irish for the day, the Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival is the perfect place to celebrate Irish culture and heritage.

65 different groups from Irish dance schools to sports clubs and the ever-popular Irish Wolfhounds will participate in the parade as eager spectators will line the streets from Dawes Point Park to First Fleet Park to get a glimpse of the action. The parade is sponsored by Durkin Construction and a $500 cash prize is offered to the best float.

The festival itself kicks off at 12 noon. An exciting line up is planned for the main stage with continuous live entertainment throughout the day from Susan O’ Neill, Blackwater, The Bottlers, Medusas Wake and Strawberries & Cabbage. There’s also a performance stage where world class traditional Irish dancers will perform and an Irish language tent for both kids and adults to learn ‘cupla focal’ or brush up on their native tongue.

The children’s village is often the first stop for families with a huge array of free activities on offer throughout the day. Arts and craft, baby rhyme time, face painters and tattoo artists are just some of the attractions and will give children a wonderful opportunity to learn about their Irish heritage.
A unique citizenship ceremony will take place with the support of the Australian Department of Home Affairs where 40 people will receive their Australian citizenship with the Opera House as their backdrop.

Another highlight of this year’s festival is the time capsule where attendees are invited to send a postcard to the future outlining what Sydney St Patrick’s Day 2020 means to them. Cards will be stored and the time capsule re opened in 20 years’ time.

There is also an exhibition in partnership with to enjoy. The Aisling 20/20 Vision will showcase 20 Irish Australian women who helped shape Australian history. Illustrations are by artist Lily Kate Vallance.