Whether you have a fondness for the colour green, or a love of splitting the G, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most festive days of the year.
Thanks to Ireland’s far-reaching diaspora, Paddy’s Day is now celebrated across the globe. Time Out rounded up some of the biggest and best celebrations happening in 2026, but left out Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day parade—second only to New York’s.
Read more: St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Montreal 2026: Date, Time & Location
Over the three-hour parade, hundreds of floats, marching bands, performers, and revelers make their way through the streets to celebrate Montreal’s Irish community. Held annually since 1824, it is the city’s oldest and largest parade.
Photograph: Shutterstock / senturkserkan
Where are the world’s best St. Patrick’s Day celebrations?
According to Time Out, these cities are host to the biggest and best St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the world:
1. Dublin, Ireland
2. Montserrat
3. Chicago, United States
4. Ireland, Indiana, United States
5. Tokyo, Japan
6. Banwen, Wales
For Time Out’s complete ranking, click here.
Photograph: Shutterstock / senturkserkan
What time is the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Montreal?
The 201st Montreal St-Patrick’s Parade will take place on Sunday, March 22, 2026, starting at 12 p.m. and could last for several hours.
Photograph: Shutterstock / senturkserkan
What city has the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade?
Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is generally considered the second-largest in North America, following the massive New York City parade.
While NYC hosts the largest, Montreal’s event is the oldest in Canada (since 1824) and draws over 500,000 spectators for a three-hour celebration on De Maisonneuve Boulevard
According to a report by the CBC, the St. Patrick’s Society was founded in 1834 to help organize the annual parade. Montreal’s parade is actually older than Dublin’s, as the first official St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin didn’t take place until 1931.
Photograph: Shutterstock: senturkserkan
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