Irish Quarter readies for St Patrick's Day despite city parade cancellation
St Patrick's Day will see the Irish community in the West Midlands converge on the Digbeth area for events marking the important date in Ireland's calendar, with one venue announcing its annual ten days of festivities to mark the occasion.
Independent bar and music venue, Nortons Digbeth, has announced its annual St Patrick's Festival line-up exploring Irish culture, community and heritage will run from Friday, March 7 to Monday, March 17 2025
It comes following the news that Birmingham's St Patrick's Day parade, which was due to take place on March 16, has been postponed for this year, with organisers saying they could not safely put on the event for 2025.
However, Digbeth is still set to come alive with St Patrick's Day celebrations, with Norton's programme featuring a series of live Irish music performances, Irish Gaelic classes, an Irish dance showcase, Six Nations and Cheltenham race screenings and related events, all of which will be launched with a 'green tie ball' dinner on Friday, March 7.
During the festival, revellers can also book a guided Irish whiskey tasting and a 'Church End Brewery' beer tasting and be part of an exclusive Guinness masterclass at Nortons.
Nortons will also observe Irish tradition by hosting a St Patrick's Day mass in the 'back room' venue and event space on the actual day of the Irish national holiday, March 17.
Peter Connolly, owner of Nortons Digbeth, said: 'Our yearly St Patrick's Day festival here has become a firm favourite in the Birmingham Irish calendar, welcoming all communities for ten days of varied cultural experiences in a safe and friendly environment.
'Nortons Digbeth is a proud advocate of the city's Irish Quarter, and we're thrilled to be joining forces with our bar and venue colleagues across the area to highlight the incredible offering we all work hard year-round to deliver, especially over the St Patrick's period.
'Our doors are open to all, and we look forward to inviting people to come through our doors, to explore and celebrate Irish culture, heritage, hospitality and identity with us and the partner organisations we work with year round.'
The cancellation of the parade has prompted businesses in the Irish Quarter to pull together to drive visitors to the area for what is traditionally one of the district's busiest weekends.
Independent Digbeth NTE and hospitality venues including The Anchor, Autobrew, The Big Bull's Head, Cleary's, The Fountain, Hennessey's, The Mockingbird Cinema and Bar, Nortons Digbeth, The Old Crown, Redcorc and The Spotted Dog have all pledged support for the Birmingham Irish Quarter St Patrick's Day 2025 campaign.
The group of publicans will be launching a digital and printed map for visitors to help navigate venues over the St Patrick's period, as well as sharing news and offers around special events planned as part of celebrations.
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