Dublin City Council Family Village Brings Generations Together for St. Patrick’s Festival 2026

St. Patrick’s Festival has launched the full line-up of activities at the Dublin City Council St. Patrick’s Festival Family Village, a free, inclusive celebration for families taking place from 14 – 16 March 2026 at Wood Quay Amphitheatre, as part of the city-wide St. Patrick’s Festival. 

The Family Village will serve as a vibrant hub of creativity, play and cultural experiences for younger children and their families. Across three days, the Family Village will offer a rich programme of hands-on adventures, creative workshops and live performances, celebrating Irish culture and festival spirit in a welcoming environment for all ages.

The Family Village Programme 

The Family Village will host a weekend of free activities and live performances, bursting with fun and designed for the whole family. Highlights include The Big Dig Workshop – A Viking House Excavation, where children can get hands-on with archaeological-style discovery; the Children’s Willow Fish Workshop on Sunday, offering creative, nature-inspired crafts; and perennial favourite Get Shamrocked, a city-wide face-painting and festive-glitter experience also running at the Village. Playful participatory attractions include Bee-ology, exploring nature and pollinators performed by Bumble Movement Arts, Bricí Spraoi’s Imagination Playground, an innovative big block system designed to encourage child-directed free-play, The Wiggle Wagon, Juggle Boards for movement and fun, and lively entertainment from Juggler Brendan.

Families can also enjoy performances from groups and artists such as SEANEM, Little Top Stars Bubbles, North:South, The Cold Call and Break an Egg: all designed to engage audiences young and old in creative, buoyant experiences across the Village zone. 

Dublin City Council St. Patrick’s Festival Family Village sits at the heart of a bustling city-wide Festival programme that includes street theatre, city park experiences, workshops, and concerts from 14 – 16 March, leading into the iconic National St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Tuesday, 17 March.

All Festival events at the Family Village are free and designed to be accessible and engaging for families and young children. No advance registration is required for general visit activities, though individual workshops may have limited capacity.

More details and a full Festival schedule can be found at www.stpatricksfestival.ie.

Cllr Ray McAdam, Lord Mayor of Dublin says: “As Lord Mayor, I am proud that the Dublin City Council St Patrick’s Festival Family Village at Wood Quay is where the Festival comes alive for families, kids buzzing, grandparents laughing, and Dubliners and visitors making new memories together. It is Dublin at its best, an active city in motion, a living city full of family life, and an engaged city where everyone belongs.”

Tony Smithers, Head of Events and Filming, Dublin City Council says: The Dublin City Council St. Patrick’s Festival Family Village is the beating heart of this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival – a place where imagination, creativity and community come together across three vibrant days. The Family Village has been designed as an immersive world of play, performance and hands on discovery for younger children and their families. As part of the wider Festival experience, the Family Village stands as a welcome addition to this year’s much loved Dublin City Council St. Patrick’s Festival Treasure Hunt, enriching the programme with even more opportunities for families to engage, explore and celebrate together.

Richard Tierney, CEO of St. Patrick’s Festival says “The Dublin City Council St. Patrick’s Festival Family Village finds itself at the heart of St. Patrick’s Festival, a place where generations come together to share time, creativity and joy. A shining example of our 2026 theme of Roots, it celebrates the connections between children, parents, grandparents and communities, creating a space where traditions are passed on, new memories are made and everyone feels welcome as part of the wider Festival.” 

Dublin City Council Treasure Hunt

A recent highlight of the Festival, the Dublin City Council St. Patrick’s Festival Treasure Hunt will again take place on Saturday, 14 March, offering teams a fun way to explore Dublin’s streets and landmarks before returning to the Village before 4pm where they will be entered into a raffle to win fantastic prizes. Prizes include parade hospitality tickets with grandstand seating, One4all and Decathlon vouchers, as well as spot prizes for categories such as Best Team Name and Best Costumes.

Participants can register in advance online at www.stpatricksfestival.ie or here to secure their place. This method is advisable as capacity is limited and walk-in registration on the day will be subject to availability.