Home Culture in Vancouver St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Vancouver in 2026

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Vancouver in 2026

March 10, 2024

St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17 and all week there are Irish celebrations including Vancouver’s CelticFest, parties at pubs and other Irish events.

Concerts, festivals and other events take place during the St. Patrick’s Day season.

For a list of great places to enjoy a pint of Guinness or green beer, click Irish Bars & Pubs in Vancouver. To learn about other events taking place at other times this month, see our Vancouver March Calendar. To learn about St. Patrick’s Day-themed events in the Lower Mainland, continue reading.

Saint Patrick’s Day Week

In 2026 St. Patrick’s Day is on the Tuesday of the first week of Spring Break, with the rest of the school holidays running until the 27th.

Taking place around the same time as the start of school Spring Break, CelticFest is an Irish Festival in Vancouver. Continue reading below to learn more about the festival and other ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day each year.

CelticFest Vancouver

CelticFest Vancouver features numerous events over the week of and weekends just before and after St. Patrick’s Day.

In 2025 the festival ran from March 7th to 22nd. Dates for 2026 are to be confirmed as of mid-December. The following are some of the events that happened last festival, to give an idea of what can be expected in the future.

Friday, March 14th, 2025 – a night of comedy hosted by Aaron McCann at Foy’s Irish Bar & Grill in Vancouver. Ceilidh takes place at night with singing and dancing at the Hellenic Community Centre.
Saturday, March 15th, 2025 – Family Day celebrations at Famee Furlane of Vancouver. There are live performances and kids activities to enjoy. Today also features a concert with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir at Christ Church Cathedral.
Sunday, March 16th, 2025 – Hermitage Green performs at Vogue Theatre.

For more information about the festival, check out CelticFest Vancouver.

Other St. Patrick’s Events

The following events also happen in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. For ones that haven’t yet posted details for 2026, we list what happened in 2025.

St. Patrick’s Day Festival – a one-day celebration at The Blarney Stone Pub that started at around 9:00 am last year. Brunch is available and families with kids are welcome inside until 5:00 pm. Live music and other entertainment continue until well after midnight.
Shamrock’n Race – 5 km, 7-mile and half marathon runs around Burnaby Lake Regional Park on the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day. In 2026 the event takes place on March 15th.
Celtic Fest in Surrey – a free event with Celtic music and family-friendly activities at the Museum of Surrey. Family-friendly activities happened between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on March 22nd last year, so five days after St. Patrick’s Day.
Vancouver St. Patrick’s Day Boat Party – hosted by Vancouver Boat Parties, there was an Irish-themed nightclub event on a boat in False Creek and English Bay on March 22nd last year. The event began at 8:00 pm and ran until around midnight. Hopefully it happens again in 2026.
Fort Pub & Grill – the pub in Fort Langley hosted special St. Patrick’s Day festivities from March 14th to 17th last year. There was Irish food, live music, dancing and also prizes to be won.
Shamrock the Block – a free street party-style festival in Gastown featuring live entertainment, beer gardens, drink specials and more on March 17th last year. Its status for 2026 is TBC.
Eagles St. Patrick’s Party – the Eagles Club in North Vancouver had a party last year with the band Persons of Interest and Eire Born Irish Dance Company on March 15th. A couple of days later, on March 17th, they had another party with the band Celtic Cowboys. Their event schedule for March of 2026 is yet to be announced.

Shamrock 'n Race — The Shamrock’n Race in Burnaby

ST. PATRICK’S IN VICTORIA

If you plan to be on Vancouver Island in March then be sure to check out Victoria’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival. Last year the event took place on Sunday, March 16th. Details for 2026 are TBC as of mid-December.

Click St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Victoria to learn more.

Irish Pubs Around Vancouver

Looking for an Irish pub to celebrate the St. Patrick’s season at? Then click Vancouver Irish Pubs for some Celtic suds and fun. Local Irish-themed bars include places like the Blarney Stone and Mahony’s Tavern in downtown Vancouver. There are also Kelly O’Bryan’s restaurants in both New Westminster and Kitsilano.

Other Information

Click Spring Break in Metro Vancouver for ideas on things to do during the school break with your family, or North Shore Family Activities for adventure ideas and things to do in North and West Vancouver.

For lists of other events in the Lower Mainland click March Calendar or Festivals & Events.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

There used to be a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Vancouver up until 2016. However, that no longer happens.

For a list of places to celebrate March 17th up at BC’s largest ski resort, see the website WhatToDoInWhistler.ca. To learn about St. Patrick’s Day events in the province’s capital, see the website Victoriasbestplaces.com.