March 17 will go down in the history of Lisbon and Portugal as the first time a St. Patrick’ s Day parade has been held .
On this day, from 4pm, Avenida da Liberdade will be “painted” green, with more than 200 musicians from 10 bagpipe bands playing some of the best-known Irish tunes.
What is St. Patrick’s Day?
The St. Patrick’s Day parade is one of the most celebrated Irish national holidays worldwide, celebrated by more than 70 million people.
It honors Ireland’s patron saint and it is customary on this day to hold large parties in his honor, especially parades, where people dress in green.
It ‘s also customary to drink a lot of beer on this day, especially in Irish pubs spread across all continents.
Musical march to Praça do Comércio
This march, which will run along Avenida da Liberdade, will feature 10 bagpipe bands, eight Spanish and two Portuguese, and will culminate at Praça do Comércio for a big party open to the public at 5pm.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival
A day earlier, on March 16 (Saturday) in Marvila, Garagem Lisboa hosts the 7th Jameson St. Patrick’s Day Arraial.
In addition to an interesting musical line-up with performances by Mayra Andrade, Mirror People, Fogo Fogo, the trio Bateu Matou, the duo DJ Glue and Shaka Lion and DJ CVLT, at this event you’ll be able to get tattooed or shave your beard, while having fun with arcade games or taking photos in a special photobooth dedicated to the theme.
And there’ll be plenty of food, too, in a catering area run by Chef Natalie Castro.
If you still don’t have anything to do next weekend, this is a good opportunity to see and feel more closely how the Irish live this national holiday so intensely, on a day that promises lots of music, color and joy. And, of course, lots of beer!