St Patrick's Festival 2027: moving groups in and out of Dublin
The 2027 festival runs from 13 to 17 March, and the parade is on Wednesday 17 March. We book transfers through licensed, insured operators for groups flying in, staying in town, or coming up from the country for the day.
Airport arrivals in festival week
Visitors flying in for the parade are best landing a day or two ahead, not on the morning itself. A hired coach meets them in Zone 16, the airport's coach park, and the return run sets down outside Terminal 2. In festival week, plan on the upper end of the 20 to 45 minutes into town.
Planning notes
- The full 2027 programme is due to be published in January 2027.
- The St Patrick's Day parade is on Wednesday 17 March 2027.
Set-down on parade day
The parade runs through the city centre, and stops near the route may not be usable on the day. Loading happens only at signed city coach stops; on-street coach bays are for parking, with a two-hour limit. The operator confirms the drop-off once traffic arrangements for 2027 are known; the programme is due in January 2027.
Bus gates on Bachelors Walk and Aston Quay (07:00 to 19:00) and the all-day College Green gate also shape where a coach can go.
Waiting it out in the Docklands
For a group that wants the vehicle to wait, the NTA's Docklands layover park is the usual answer: 50 bays off the street, with the entrance on Park Lane and payment by NTA Cashless Parking. It keeps the coach off the streets until the agreed pickup time.
Collection after the parade
Pick a collection point a short walk from the route, name it in advance, and set a time rather than 'when the parade ends'. A headcount at the door avoids a second run for stragglers.
Questions
What date is the parade in 2027?
It is on Wednesday 17 March 2027, the last of the festival's five days.
Can the coach wait near the parade route?
Not for long. City coach bays have a two-hour limit and are for parking only. For a longer wait the coach goes to the Docklands coach park and returns at the agreed time.
When will the 2027 programme be published?
The full programme is due in January 2027. Book the vehicles early; the exact set-down point is confirmed once traffic plans are out.