Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr and Noel John McLaughlin, Fáilte Ireland at the Launch
Celebrating our national holiday, St. Patrick’s Festival will bring together 3,000 artists, musicians, dancers, poets and performers in a stunning programme with over 30 events spanning four days and nights. Launched today (15th February) by Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr, the theme for St. Patrick's Festival 2017 is Ireland You Are. It looks to celebrate who we are as a culturally diverse, complex and brave society, not withstanding its challenges, yet with strengths and characteristic traits that are many. From cathedrals to classrooms, the city will reverberate with an evocative programme of mesmerising music, powerful performances, intriguing walks and inspiring talks.
Attracting over 100,000 overseas visitors, the four day Festival is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council and Department Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Hundreds of thousands of people, both nationally and internationally, will enjoy this spectacle of Irish creativity and celebration.
Speaking today, Noel John McLoughlin, Fáilte Ireland’s Marketing Director said:
“St Patrick’s Festival is much more than a parade and this year’s event will provide four days of exciting events with a fantastic mix of Irish cultural experiences. It is great to see the Festival expanding this year outside of Dublin city centre with events in Swords, Blanchardstown, Howth and even a mystery train to the Wild Atlantic Way. Easily the largest festival in Ireland, as a flagship tourism event the St Patrick’s Festival attracts over 112,000 overseas visitors and benefits the economy by more than €70m. It truly is the perfect way to begin the tourist season.”
To view the full news release and see the programme of events for St. Patrick’s Festival click on www.stpatricksfestival.ie
Join the conversation online at #stpatricksfest #SPF2017
facebook.com/StPatricksFestivalIreland, or twitter.com/stpatricksfest
instagram.com/stpatricksfestival or YouTube/stpatricksfestvideos
NOTES TO EDITOR
St. Patrick’s Festival's principal funders are Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council and the Department Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The principal aim of St. Patrick’s Festival is to develop a major annual international festival around the national holiday over which the Irish people can stand proud. It reflects the talents and achievements of Irish people on national and world stages, showcasing the skills of every age and social background.
There were over 105,000 out-of-state visitors at the Festival in 2016, spending an average of 8.8 days in Ireland, and 6.5 days in Dublin. During the 2015 Festival, out-of-state visitors generated an estimated total expenditure of €73m while in Ireland, including expenditure of €51.3m while in Dublin, and circa €22m which was spent in the rest of Ireland. (Independent research conducted in 2015 & 2016 by Behaviour and Attitudes on behalf of Fáilte Ireland.)
The first St Patrick’s Festival was held over one day, and night, on March 17th 1996. Preparation for the St. Patrick’s Festival used to take 5 months, but with its subsequent growth, it now takes 18 months to plan for Ireland’s biggest annual celebration.
Why was it started?
• To offer a national festival that ranks as one of the greatest celebrations in the world
• To create energy and excitement throughout Ireland via innovation, creativity and grassroots involvement, and marketing activity
• To provide the opportunity and motivation for people of Irish descent (and those who sometimes wish they were Irish) to attend and join in the imaginative and expressive celebrations
• To project, internationally, an accurate image of Ireland as a creative, professional and sophisticated country with wide appeal
Jump to top