Over 30,000 people to attend Derry's St Patrick's Day featuring music and festivities

This year’s programme will incorporate the theme of Forest, Sky and Sea as the city celebrates the arrival of spring and brighter days with activity planned for Guildhall Square, the Craft Village, Waterloo Place and the Guildhall.

The centrepiece will again be the North West Carnival Initiative’s renowned Spring Carnival Parade through the city centre at 3pm featuring flamboyant performances from local dance groups, sports clubs and community organisations.

The parade will set off from Bishop Street car park at 3pm and wind its way through the city centre, finishing up at Strand Road car park.

Elsewhere there will be traditional Irish music in Guildhall Square as well as inside the Guildhall from 1pm to 3pm.

From 3:30pm to 6pm the Guildhall’s Main Hall will also host a céilí, while Portabello will be taking to the stage outside at Guildhall Square from 4pm to 6pm.

There will also be live music in the Craft Village from 4pm to 6pm.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, who will lead the parade with St Patrick, launched the full programme recently on the City Walls where the parade will pass under through Shipquay Gate.

“As the days get longer and colour returns to our green spaces, excitement is starting to build for our 2025 St Patrick’s Day Spring Carnival celebrations,” she said.

“It’s a great day out for all the family with lots of activity and entertainment planned for around the city centre.

“It’s always a magnificent sight to see hundreds of colourful parade performers weaving their way around the city centre in front of thousands of spectators and I can’t wait to be part of that.”

Festival and Events Manager at Council, Jacqueline Whoriskey, revealed that last year’s event attracted record numbers to the city centre.

“The St Patrick’s Day Spring Carnival is packed with unmissable festivities, offering something for everyone to enjoy,” she said.

“From live music to captivating street performances and walkabout characters, the city will come alive with energy and excitement.

“We adopted a city centre route for the parade in 2019 and that has proved popular with participants, attendees and businesses and attracted its highest ever attendance last year of 32,500 people.”

The Spring Carnival Parade aims to feature over 500 participants from throughout the city.

Lane closures will be installed from 2.00pm. Bishop Street, Shipquay Street, Foyle Embankment, Harbour Square, Queens Quay, Strand Road will be closed to traffic for varying lengths of time during the parade, between 2.30pm and 4.30pm.

There will be no city centre on-street parking on Bishop Street, The Diamond and Shipquay Street from 7.00am, while Strand Road and Bishop Street Carparks will be closed to facilitate the parade.

A quiet space is available at The Guildhall from 1pm to 6pm and an accessible viewing area will be located at the layby on Whittaker Street between 1:30pm - 4:30pm.

The full programme for the 2025 Spring Carnival celebrations for Derry and Strabane can be accessed now at derrystrabane.com/springcarnival.