London sees some big parties through a typical year, but none get much bigger than
the St. Patrick's Day celebrations - this year taking place on Sunday 13th March. More than 100,000 revellers are expected to attend the extravaganza in central London.
Outside of Ireland, New York is famed for its spectacular St. Patrick's Day parade, but London is fast catching up, and this year the event is expected to be bigger and better than ever.
The parade, which begins at midday, starts off at Piccadilly, taking a route down Lower Regent Street, along Pall Mall East, into Trafalgar Square before finishing up in Whitehall.
The festival takes place in Trafalgar Square, running from 11.30am till 6.30pm, and promises a range of traditional and contemporary Irish music and dance acts.
Performers include the popular
Davitt Showband (a family band from Wexford playing Irish and country hits), dance performances by the
Delaney Academy of Irish Dance, and the unique and hugely entertaining musical combo
Beoga, from County Antrim.
If you fancy getting involved, you'll have a chance to join in some Irish
céilí dancing, and of course there'll be some mass sing-alongs throughout the day too.
Besides the performances, Trafalgar Square will also host the Community Tent, highlighting Irish organisations from across the capital, including the
London Irish Centre.
There'll also be an Exhibitor Area showcasing the sponsors of the event, such as the
Irish Post and the
London 2012 Organising Committee.
Irish Language Ambassadors will be milling about the place so you can learn a few words of Irish while you're there - if you don't already know any.
All in all it promises to be an exciting day of entertainment celebrating all things Irish, so grab a Guinness and get along to join in the fun.
