It’s the 25th year of St Patrick’s Day Parade celebrations in Leeds City Centre.
And as a city we sure know. how to celebrate.
This year, the beloved St Patrick’s Day parade will take place on Sunday 17 March 2024, but throughout the day there will also be rides, refreshments and plenty of Irish dancing and music over at Millennium Square.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the celebrations in Leeds this year for St Patrick’s Day, including the expected road closures.
Millennium Square Celebrations
From 10.30am – 4pm, the stage at Millennium Square will be filled with music and dancing from homegrown talent like Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Sean Harrington and Luke Flear, the Leeds Irish Choir and Tommy K the DJ with Irish dancing from the Joyce O’Donnell and St Aldreds Schools of Dance and Leeds University Union Dancers.
The event itself is completely free of charge, with plenty of opportunities to raise a glass of Guinness or for the little ones to make the most of a day out with rides and refreshment stalls.
This is a community led event co-ordinated by the Leeds St Patricks Day Parade Committee supported by local sponsors, with funding support from Leeds City Council, and the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme.
The St Patrick’s Day Parade route
A sea of colourful floats and walking displays will be taking to the streets of Leeds, following the route outlined below.
The parade will begin on Great George Street and proceed across the city in an easterly direction, turning right onto Albion Street and then turning right onto The Headrow. From here, the parade will proceed in a westerly direction and turn left into Park Row.
The parade will continue in a southerly direction along Park Row and turn left into Boar Lane, continuing in an easterly direction, before turning left into New Market Street and then onto Vicar Lane.
It will continue in a northerly direction along Vicar Lane, before turning left into The Headrow, continuing in a westerly direction, before turning right onto Albion Street. Finally, it will turn left down Great George Street where the parade will come to an end.
St Patrick’s Day Parade Launch Night
On Saturday 9 March, from 7.30pm, the Leeds Irish Centre will kick off celebrations for the St Patrick’s Day Parade 25th Anniversary. The night will consist of plenty of Irish music and dancing, with songs from Sean Harrington and Sean Kelly, with Irish step dance from Joyce O’Donnell Dance School, and sets from Leeds Set Dancers.
The event, like the parade, will be completely free of charge with no tickets required for entrance or the complimentary buffet from Mama Maria’s.
Expected road closures for the St Patrick’s Day Parade
- Portland Gate East Between Cookridge Street and the vehicle access to Broderick Court (8am-12.30pm)
The following closure points were between 10am and 1pm on the day of the parade last year, and the same route is expected to be followed this year
- Albion Street at junctions with Great George Street; The Headrow and Boar Lane
- Bank Street at its junction with Boar Lane
- Central Road at its junctions with Duncan Street New Market Street
- Dudley Way at its junction with Great George Street
- Eastgate (Westbound) at its junction with Eastgate Roundabout
- Great George Street at its junction with Calverley Street to its junction with Albion Street and Woodhouse Lane
- Infirmary Street at its junction with East Parade and Park Row
- King Charles Street at its junction with The Headrow
- King Edward Street at its junction with Vicar Lane
- Kirkgate at its junction with High Court
- Lands Lane at its junction with The Headrow
- Lower Basinghall Street at its junction with Boar Lane
- Lower Briggate at its junction with Call Lane and Boar Lane
- Park Row at its junction with Infirmary Street
- Russell Street at its junction with Park Row
- South Parade at its junction with East Parade and Park Row
- St Anne’s Street West of The Light car park exit
- The Bourse at its junction with Boar Lane
- The Headrow (Eastbound) at its junction with Oxford Pace and Calverley Street
- Trevelyan Square East and West at its junction with Boar Lane
- Upper Basinghall Street at its junction with The Headrow
- Wormald Row at its junction with Albion Street
- Bishopgate Street at its junction with Mill Hill and Boar Lane
- Neville Street Northbound at its junction with Sovereign Street (access to Hilton Hotel to be managed)
- Cookridge Street at its junction with Great George Street
You can find all the information you need on the Leeds St Patrick’s Day Parade website here closer to the day itself.
Feature Image – Tom Blackwell, Flickr
