Next Tuesday, March 17, is St. Patrick’s Day, a traditional Irish celebration that comes to the capital with a wide range of activities. Starting this weekend, the streets of Madrid will be filled with music, parades, food, sports, and culture to celebrate Ireland Week.
The main event will be the parade on Saturday, March 14, which will wind its way down Gran Vía with more than 1,200 participants. You’ll be able to see more than 600 bagpipers, Irish dance groups, sports clubs, and entertainers of all kinds.
But the party doesn’t end there, as there will be events every day, most of which will be free. There will be concerts of different styles, book presentations and meetings between writers, film screenings, food tastings, and even themed races and outdoor picnics.
Beer, churros, and music
Another of Ireland’s great attractions is undoubtedly its Guinness beer, brewed in Dublin and with a bitter, roasted flavor. You can enjoy it at the Skybar of the Hotel Riu, in Plaza de España, where an Irish bar has been set up and will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
To strengthen ties between Spain and Ireland, the famous churros con chocolate from San Ginés will be dyed green. And on Tuesday, at 11 a.m., they will be accompanied by a traditional Irish dance, bringing both cultures together.
Of course, the options for listening to live music don’t end there. In addition to the grand parade, there will be a free concert in Callao on Saturday starting at 8:00 p.m. Classical music lovers can enjoy a chamber choir at St. George’s Anglican Church at 7:30 p.m. on the same day (Calle Núñez de Balboa, 43).
And those passing through the Gran Vía metro concourse will encounter the music and dance of the UCD Dance Society, which will perform on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Monday and Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Finally, several venues in Madrid will offer themed concerts, information about which can be found on the Irish Week website.
Immersion in Irish culture
The connection with Ireland will also be made through culture, thanks to the collaboration of several bookstores, libraries, the Spanish Film Library, and the Ateneo de Madrid.
On Friday at 7:45 p.m. , the film *The Outcast* will be screened at the Cine Doré, and throughout the weekend and until Tuesday, there will be various gatherings featuring translators, writers, and literary experts.