THE theme for Dublin’s St Patrick’s Parade and Festival 2023 has been announced – and it has inclusivity at its heart.
Organisers revealed plans for their annual celebrations marking Ireland’s national day this week, claiming: “This year’s national St. Patrick’s Day Parade, driven by the values of community, diversity, youth and sustainability, will be the most ambitious ever, featuring breath-taking new artistic, interactive and aerial elements.”
“On our national day of cultural celebration, St. Patrick’s Festival invites those across the world to come together on Friday 17th March to collectively celebrate, share, laugh, perform, participate and remember that ‘Mar a chéile sinn’ (we are one),” they explain.
Drag Queen Pixie with Ibeth Gomez Lozan at at the National Museum Collins Barracks for the launch of the Saint Patricks Day Festival.“Embracing that unifying and inspirational theme of ONE, the National St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2023 will shine a light on all the goodness that surrounds us,” they add.
“The theme acts as a reminder that when we act with dignity and respect as ONE, we can protect each other and our wonderful world.
“Ireland is known for its enduring traditions, culture and heritage, but our stories are also part of a unifying global culture, one which bonds us through music, storytelling, sport, nature and tradition, one which traverses borders and reminds us of our shared responsibility for the united care of our planet, protecting it for our future generations.”
Ireland’s national St Patrick’s Day parade takes place in Dublin on Friday, March 17.
Karley Torres from Venezuela with traditional musican Sean Lawler playing button accordian, Laura Scott playing the Harp and Mary Jo Faherty playing the fiddle at at the National Museum Collins Barracks for the launch of the Saint Patricks Day FestivalA major new opening pageant has also been commissioned for the 2023 celebrations, featuring a collaboration with St. Patrick’s Festival Community Arts pageant with Macnas, Junk Kouture, Discovery Gospel Choir, and a range of community groups, while the Festival itself will continue to work with Ireland’s foremost creative pageant companies including Dublin Pride, Spraoi, Artastic, Inishowen Carnival.
This year, Buí Bolg and Kia are collaborating on an exciting new pageant entitled ‘The Future That Moves Us’, which will feature “an interactive AR element in the parade for the very first time”, the organiser confirmed this week.
“With half a million spectators expected to line this year’s route, the Parade will feature seven creative pageants, 10 transitional showpiece performances, 15 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and Canada, and over 4,000 participants in what is shaping up to be the largest ever National St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” they add.
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