- Laugh your head off at the Hackney Empire
If you simply can’t wait until St Patrick’s Day to get celebrating, Ireland’s favourite musical comedy duo The 2 Johnnies will take over Hackney Empire on 16 March. From making YouTube videos from their homes in Tipperary to touring their live podcast across four continents, Johnny B O’Brien and Johnny ‘Smacks’ McMahon are in excellent form. Their mischievous ditties and Irish small town life sketches are putting them on the map as major Irish talent – it’ll be a riotous way to kick off your St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Tickets are selling like hot cakes so grab them while you can.
When: 16 March, 7pm.
Cost: £37 per head
- Indulge in “carnage, catharsis and celebration”: Xnthony’s St Patrick’s Day Culchie Cabaret at The Glory, Haggerston
Beloved LGBTQ+ venue The Glory is promising “the greenest, gaggiest and glitziest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in London”, complete with Irish drag queens, ceilidhs, DJs and a two-floor afterparty. Hosted by Xnthony, award-winning drag artist and writer from rural Roscommon, The Glory’s usual subversive shenanigans will continue until the early hours of Saturday morning.
When: 17 March, 9pm-3am
Cost: £15 per head online, or £17 on the door
- A taste of Ireland in London: The Auld Shillelagh in Stoke Newington
Crowned the “most authentic Irish pub in the world outside Ireland” by the Irish Times, The Auld Shillelagh is the ultimate destination for a St Paddy’s Day in the pub. A friendly boozer with live music every weekend and Guinness touted the tastiest in London, it’s great on any day of the week; on St Paddy’s Day, it’ll be impeccable.
- Groove to some new tunes: DJ DYG Presents a St Patrick’s Day Celebration at Copper Cat in Dalston
Copper Cat is the coolest basement music venue in Dalston you’ve never heard of. If you’re looking to celebrate St Paddy’s Day somewhere off the beaten track, Copper Cat has assembled six live performances from up-and-coming artists from Montserrat, combining reggae, calypso and dancehall. As well as channeling all things Irish, the night will also showcase budding Caribbean musical talent. It’s sure to get you dancing and it’ll give you some great new artists to add to your Spotify playlists.
When: 17 March, 9.30pm
Cost: £8.57 per head
- Cut a rug with Cut A Shine Ceilidh: A St Patrick’s Day Special at the Round Chapel, Clapton
If you’re not feeling too worse for wear after St Patrick’s Day and fancy a family-friendly knees up, Cut A Shine has got you covered. The event welcomes all ages and abilities, with simplified dances for the kids, face-painting and child-friendly disco to boot. If you’re not a confident dancer, you’re in safe hands: Cut A Shine has been teaching traditional partnered dancing and hosting parties for the last 17 years. There’ll be a live band made up of Islington locals, and Irish stew and champ to keep your strength up.
When: Saturday 18 March, 1-4pm
Cost: £6 per head (under 1s go free)
