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 Choirand 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.
A sea of colourful floats and walking displays will be taking to the streets of Leeds, following the route outlined below.
Images: Google Maps
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.
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
Leeds
The full route for the Tour de France Femmes through Leeds has been revealed
The full details of the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been released - and the action will be kicking off right in the heart of Leeds.
Preparations have moved up a gear this week, with the full map of the first stage revealed, which will see the world's leading female cyclists setting off from none other than The Headrow.
Leeds will make sporting history on 30 July next year, when we host the start of the world's biggest women's professional cycle race.
When our city was added to the 2014 Tour de France route, around 230,000 people packed into the city centre, with another two million lining the rest of the Yorkshire route - so we're expecting even bigger scenes next year.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will move from the centre of Leeds to travel through communities including Headingley, Kirkstall, Bramley, Farnley and Drighlington.
Now, an interactive map has been published that gives people the chance to see for the first time exactly which streets will be in the thick of the action next summer.
Riders will set of from The Headrow before travelling down Briggate and Boar Lane - then they'll head via via Woodhouse Lane, Hyde Park Corner and Otley Road into Headingley before travelling west on North Lane and Kirkstall Lane.
Key roads on the rest of the route include:
Bridge Road at Kirkstall, which will take the riders across the River Aire;
Broad Lane, Waterloo Lane, Lower Town Street and Henconner Lane in Bramley;
Butt Lane between its junctions with Pudsey Road – near Farnley Reservoir – and Tong Road at Farnley;
Whitehall Road, from its junction with Back Lane at New Farnley, to Drighlington.
From Drighlington, the riders will cross into Kirklees and then head over the Pennines into Manchester.
Leeds City Council will be keeping people fully updated about the planning involved to host the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, including road closures and other traffic management measures.
Following its visit to Leeds, the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will run from Manchester to Sheffield on July 31 before finishing in London on August 1.
The event will make Leeds the first place outside mainland Europe to host the start of stage one of a Grand Départ for both the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "The Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift promises to be a great occasion for Leeds and one that will raise our profile on the international sporting stage while also delivering a boost to the local economy.
“Today’s announcement of further route details is a reminder that the countdown to July 30 is well and truly on, with a huge amount of planning and preparation work already taking place.
“As part of that work, we will be doing our utmost to ensure residents and businesses have all the information they need about the arrangements for the day.
“People in Leeds are famed for the passionate support they show when the city hosts major sporting events and I’m sure this one will be no different. Roll on next July!”
A new bar dedicated to Guinness and games is coming to Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
Expect live music, a load of craic and plenty of Guinness at Leeds' brand-new bar.
Opening on Leeds' bustling Merrion Street, 'Love, Jackie' is the latest concept from the team behind Roxy Ball Room and King Pins.
Love, Jackie will be taking over a 7,000 sq ft space,and will be promising proper prints, late nights and plenty of Irish charm.
Pouring will be the holy trinity of Irish stouts - Guinness, Beamish and Murphy's.
Image: Supplied
These will be served alongside Leeds' own Kirkstall Virtuous IPA and a vast whiskey selection that celebrates the best of Ireland.
Games wise, try your hand at crazy pool, interactive darts, shuffleboard and karaoke. There will also be live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The opening comes as Merrion Street enjoys a new wave of investment and hospitality openings, helping bring new life to one of Leeds' best known night life attractions.
Image: Supplied
Matt Jones, CEO of Professionals at Play, said: “Everyone knows a Jackie. She’s the one who gets everyone together, convinces you to stay for another and makes sure there’s never a dull moment.
“We wanted to create a pub with that same personality. Somewhere with brilliant drinks, live music, plenty of games and the kind of atmosphere that makes you forget you were only popping in for one.
“Merrion Street is coming back to life, and we’re excited to be part of its next chapter. We think Jackie will fit right in. And because Jackie’s never been one to turn up empty-handed, the first drink’s on her."
We'll keep you updated on opening times as and when we find out, but for now you can sign up here for a pint of free Guinness. Cheers to that!
Sophie Smith -
4th March 2024 
