CelticFest in Vancouver

Vancouver CelticFest is a Celtic festival over St. Patrick’s Day week that usually includes concerts, whisky tastings, live music and street parties.

In 2024 there was a CelticFest event in the North Plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on March 16th. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Ceilidh also took place on Friday, March 15th, at the Hellenic Community Centre at 4500 Arbutus Street. Live music at that event was with the band Blackthorn. There was also a concert with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir on March 16th.

For information about other St. Patrick’s Day-related events in the Lower Mainland, click Vancouver on St. Patrick’s Day.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY EVENTS

Top things to do in the Lower Mainland on the St. Patrick’s Day weekend most years include attending a St. Patrick’s Day-themed party like the one at Eagle’s Hall in North Vancouver, or the annual celebrations at the Blarney Stone Pub in Gastown. Both events took place on March 17th this year. On the same day, there was also the Shamrock’N Race in Burnaby.

CelticFest St. Patrick’s Celebrations

CelticFest ran from March 13th to the 21st in 2024.

The Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir teamed up with CelticFest again and performed at Christ Church Cathedral on March 16th. On the same day, there was also the CelticFest Vancouver Live Concert in the North Plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.

See below for a description of these and other CelticFest events from 2024.

CelticFest Crowd Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery — CelticFest in 2022

CelticFest Events in 2024

The 19th annual CelticFest included a comedy show, breakfast event, Irish music, and more. There was also an outdoor festival on March 16th that was open to the public with live performances, a pop-up market and other activities.

The schedule of events from 2024 is listed below.

Wednesday, March 13th, 2024

ICCCVAN St. Patrick’s Breakfast Event – a breakfast and networking event with Tánaiste Micheál Martin, TD, at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver from 7:00 to 10:00 am. Tickets started at $90 each.

Thursday, March 14th, 2024

Comedy Night – an evening of laughs hosted by Amy Walsh at Donnellan’s Irish Pub. The event ran from 7:00 to 11:00 pm. Performers included Darragh Bourke, Cass Furman, Rory Dunn and more. Admission cost $10 at the door.

Friday, March 15th, 2024

Ceilidh – a night of Irish and Scottish music and dancing at the Hellenic Community Centre in Vancouver. Performers at the event included the band Blackthorn, the Eire Born Irish Dance Company, Shot of Scotch Vancouver and BC Regiment Irish Pipes & Drums. Tickets were $30 for adults and the event ran from 7:00 to 11:00 pm.

Saturday, March 16th, 2024

CelticFest Vancouver – free concerts and activities outside of the Vancouver Art Gallery ran from 10:00 am until 9:00 pm. There was a family zone, bar, marketplace and lots of live entertainment. Performers throughout the day included Chasing Abbey, Sophia Strang, Paul Caldwell, Dylan Mullen, Queen Jas Minh, and more. Click CelticFest Vancouver for more details about this event, including the full entertainment schedule from this past year.
Our Hearts in the Highland – a concert by the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir. It was an evening of music from 7:30 to 10:30 pm at the Christ Church Cathedral. Tickets were $35 for adults and $10 for children.
What’s the Craic? – a burlesque and variety show at the Rio Theatre. It was a sexy St. Patrick’s Day celebration with live music, comedy and more. General admission started at $30 and the show ran from 8:00 to 11:30 pm.

Sunday, March 17th, 2024

Rio Movie Showing – the Rio Theatre showed The Quiet Man and my left foot at 1:00 and 4:00 pm. Tickets cost about $13 per showing or $17 for both.
Twin Embers & Dani Larkin – the musicians performed at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James starting at 8:00 pm. The event cost about $30 to attend or $15 to watch from home.

Thursday, March 21st, 2024

Ímar – another concert at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James. This one started at 8:00 pm and was $40 to enjoy in-person. The event was also available to watch online for $15.

Note: The above details were subject to change. See the CelticFest Vancouver website for the latest information.

CelticFest Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery

One highlight of CelticFest each year is the event held in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (outside the Vancouver Art Gallery). It’s a full day of celebrations and family-friendly activities to enjoy.

In 2024 the one-day event ran on Saturday, March 16th. It began at 10:00 am and continued until 9:00 pm. The event was open to the public and admission was free.

There were live music and dance performances, along with games and face painting opportunities. The event also featured a marketplace made up of local vendors, plus a photobooth, appearances by Celtic sports teams, and more. Food trucks were on site serving tasty treats and there was also a bar selling alcoholic beverages.

To get an idea of what to expect at the event in future years, check out the 360-degree photo below. It was taken at the 2024 event. As you can see, lots of people were outside enjoying the sunshine and live music.