Organisers of the annual St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin have confirmed that the parade will not take place in 2021.
Instead, there will be virtual events held on a dedicated online television channel called ‘SPF TV’ from March 12 to 17, where organisers say there will be “marching bands, pageantry and ceremony” to mark Ireland’s national holiday.
“A rich and dynamic programme of Festival events, created by hundreds of artists, musicians, performers, makers, creators, arts and live event workers and community organisations across Ireland, will run on the St Patrick’s Festival TV online channel over six days and nights, marking our national day and offering a joyous and uplifting celebration of Ireland’s contemporary culture and traditional heritage,” a statement said.
It is anticipated that over 80 million people from around the world will tune into the events when they are broadcast in March, according to a statement from St Patrick’s Festival organisers.
RTE is expected to be the partner for the virtual parade, which will take place on March 17.
St. Patrick’s Festival returns from March 12 to 17 with six great virtual days and nights of online events! See our full statement and sign up for news and updates at https://t.co/AIawjx4TQ0 #stpatricksfestival pic.twitter.com/CYvvt9GgqT
— St. Patrick's Festival (@stpatricksfest) January 20, 2021
In a statement, Aileen Galvin, Marketing and Communications Director of St Patrick’s Day Festival, said: “A rich and dynamic programme of festival events, created by hundreds of artists, musicians, performers, makers, creators, arts and live events workers and community organisations across Ireland, will run on the St Patrick’s Festival TV online channel over six days and nights.”
The St Patrick’s Day Parade was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with virtual events taking place instead.
Over the four days of the annual festival, €70 million is generated for the local economy in Dublin, with approximately 100,000 visitors descending on Dublin each year for the festivities.
Further details of the festival and virtual parade are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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St Patrick’s Day in Dublin, 2020. Picture: Alison O’Hanlon / Dublin Gazette St Patrick’s Day in Dublin, 2020. Picture: Alison O’Hanlon / Dublin Gazette
