The Final Draft > St. Patrick's Day Kilkenny 2026

What's going on in Kilkenny for St. Patrick's week?

St Patrick's Day and St Patrick's festival in Kilkenny is a fun and fast-paced affair, with so much to do that you might even get a little overwhelmed while trying to figure out just where to go and what to do!

Ireland's day of celebration used to be a one-afternoon affair; a parade and a party, and that's it. But over the years St Patrick's celebrations have become a week-long celebration of everything that makes Ireland special, with each city showing off its best and brightest

In Kilkenny, we too like to let our locals shine, and we have so many creative and talented people. With that in mind, here's our guide to the best events and top Kilkenny attractions for St. Patrick's Festival 2026.

Patrick's Day Parade

The Parade is the main event of the whole festival, and takes place in the early afternoon on St. Patrick's Day (17th March). Street performers, dancers, musicians, artists and performers of all kinds will weave, march, and move in procession through the crowds. You'll see stilt walkers, Irish dancers, drummers, aerial artists… all kinds of characters proudly parading through Kilkenny's packed streets, each bringing their own magic to the day. There'll be face painting for younger festivalgoers, live music, and other stage performances, and plenty of street food and celebration.

The theme of Kilkenny's parade this year is "Le Chéile," which means "together." The parade will be the perfect place to come together with the whole community of Kilkenny and experience the true spirit of "Le Chéile" that makes the city so special. You can find more information about the parade here.

Festivals and funfairs

From the 14th right up until St Patrick's Day, the Festival food and craft market will set up stalls, offering you an exceptional selection of gourmet street food, artisanal produce and bespoke handcrafts. You can pick up great gifts and souvenirs for loved ones in between tasting Thai food and tacos, all right in the heart of the city.

Beside the market, the Big Wheel turns slowly in the skyline against the backdrop of Kilkenny Castle. Hop on for a relaxing spin as you get a brand-new view over turrets, rooftops, bunting and lights, and the city in celebration mode.

During the day, you'll find a wide selection of workshops, performances, lectures, and exhibitions that you can take part in, though many you will have to book in advance. At night, you can expect live music, fire performers, dancers, and more performances, with lots of headlining events on throughout the week to keep you entertained.

Pints and provenance

With everything going on in the city this weekend, make sure to plan ahead and book a Guided Brewery Tour in Kilkenny at the Smithwick's Experience. If you've never visited us before, you couldn't pick a better weekend for a first visit. Of course, as with a tour at any time of year, you'll learn our story of our Franciscan beginnings, generations of brewing craftsmanship, how we achieve our distinctive flavour, and how we have evolved over the years.

But over the festival week, the Barrel Yard also becomes one of the city's liveliest spots. Live music sessions, as part of the trad festival, will fill our colourful courtyard with plenty of thumping bodhrán rhythms, fiddle melodies and whistles all creating the unmistakable sound and energy of real Irish music.

Our guided tours are available to book on our website now, and we're also delighted to offer free entry, *where available, to adults with a Patrick-related name. It can be Patrick, Paddy, Padraig, Pat, Patricia, or any other derivative, and we'll also accept adults with surnames which derive from a form of Patrick including Patrick, Fitzpatrick, Mulpatrick, etc.

Saturday, March 14th: 5pm onwards

Hailing from the heart of Ireland - the magic midlands - and led by the talented Kevin Morin, Abbeyfolk always deliver an unforgettable performance of incredible Irish musicianship. Expect a unique blend of instruments with Kevin's captivating vocals, and an atmosphere that's pure Ireland.

Tuesday, March 17th: 3.30pm onwards

To ring in St. Patrick's Day, the Barrel Yard welcomes B&B, a lively two-piece band who'll play some of our favourite Irish folk and ballads along with a wide range of crowd favourites to keep everyone entertained… and maybe having a bit of a sing and dance too!

You can expect to be in a sea of green clothing, tricolour novelty hats, Irish jerseys, flags, and face-painted revellers - this is Ireland's biggest celebration of the year. It's the perfect setting to enjoy a pint of Smithwick's right at the source, and experience Ireland at its best.

The sounds of the city

Kilkenny's tradfest will be running throughout the festival week, which means that it's not only the Barrel Yard where you'll get to fill your ears (and your hearts) with the fantastic energy of Irish trad music, but all over the city. In the pubs and hotels, on outdoor stages, around the market, in the streets, and everywhere else, musicians from all over the country will come together to give the week its own heartbeat.

Seeing a good trad session will be one of the best things to do in Kilkenny throughout this week, and there will be lots you can stumble upon. But if you feel like attending one of the ticketed and headlining events (this will be a great activity for groups or couples during the festival), you can check out the program here.

*The free tour offer is valid only for walk-up visits, not for those on pre-booked tours, and is subject to capacity availability. As it's a tour of a former brewery site, the offer is also open to over 18s only. Those who believe they qualify must show valid photo identification.