Parading for St Patrick's Day in Leeds

The colourful event celebrating all things Irish is now in its 17th year and has become a highlight of the city’s cultural calendar.

The day of fun will kick off at 10.30am with a parade winding through the city centre and a rousing start and finale in Millennium Square. The packed agenda will include traditional music and Irish dancing, fancy dress, food and family-friendly capers galore. A launch night is also being held two days earlier at the Leeds Irish Centre.

Leeds is estimated to have about 15,000 residents who can trace their heritage back to Ireland. Many of their ancestors fled their homeland during the potato famine of the 1840s, settling in areas including Richmond Hill.