The best pubs, bars and events to celebrate St Patrick's Day 2024 across Greater Manchester

St Patrick’s Day is a holiday that has become fully embedded into the history of Manchester over the years. In fact, it’s now believed that around 35 percent of the city’s population today have some form of Irish ancestry.

This year, St Patrick’s Day (March 17) will fall on a Sunday - which means there is going to be a lot going on across Greater Manchester over the weekend and in the days prior to the big occasion.

Held every year, the Irish holiday is observed to remember the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. And with that comes the usual celebration of parades, dancing, music, food, drinking and a lot of green décor and shamrock-themed outfits.

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As usual, Manchester is going big on the celebrations this year and will see the return of the city’s ever-popular Irish Festival. There will also be art trails, bottomless brunches, special pub nights, live shows and even a DJ night playing everything Irish from B*Witched to The Cranberries.

To get you in the celebratory spirit, and to find out what’s going on near you, we’ve rounded up some of the most exciting, different, and traditional ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Manchester this year. There’s a mix of family-friendly events, free things to do and things you’ll need to book in advance if you want to grab a spot.

The Manchester Irish Festival is now in full swing with a bustling line up of 200 events all taking place, including the free parade. Recognised as Europe’s biggest Irish festival, the celebration includes a pop-up Irish Festival Village at St Ann’s Square serving up pints of Guinness and Irish-themed food until St