Luton St Patrick's Festival 2018
Location
Luton Town centre The Hat Factory
Date
March 16 - 18, 2018
Activities
St Patrick's Parade
Live Music & Performance
The one where we were snowed off by the ‘Beast From The East’!
What we accomplished:
5,000 + attended St Patrick’s Parade Day
The Mall shopping centre reported a footfall of 33,300 on the day.
470
children attended the ‘Life of St Patrick’ story telling workshops
150
performers
400
people attended the St Patrick’s Day celebration
30
volunteers
400
people attended the drama performances.
20
Irish music, song and dance acts
100
children and young people participated
15
choir members
Luton St Patrick’s Festival again delivered an exciting mix of live music, dancing and a comedy drama. Organised mainly by LutonIrish Forum volunteers and sta volunteeringtheir time, it ran from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th March.
Friday featured two hilarious live performances of the acclaimed comedydrama, A Wake in The West, by Cli oneyDramatic Society in the Library Theatre. This proved to be one of the most popular productions Luton Irish Forum has ever hosted. Typical is this comment from the sold- out evening performance “It was a wonderful show – hope they come back next year”.
Saturday provided a choice of excellent live music and dance at Luton Irish Forum for the St Patrick’s Day Celebration. The Devine Family played traditional Irish music, Eugene Doonan sang Irish country, The Wilsons Show performed a mix of rock and party hits, and the Finbarr Conway Academy of Irish Dancing showcased talented local dancers. The day ended with a spectacular set of traditional music and dancing from the Galway Trad Group.
Due to extreme weather conditions, the Sunday programme was changed at short notice. Unfortunately, the annual parade was cancelled but the main outdoor stage acts were successfully accommodated in the Hat Factory. The Town Hall hosted the annual presentation of shamrock and was attended by a host of dignitaries including Celine Byrne from the Irish Embassy. The volunteers, staging company BT Events, Luton Culture and the wider community responded with overwhelming support and rallied round to keep the show on the road.
Local DJ and Diverse FM presenter Jim Carway was MC for the day, with headline acts including the renowned Tommy Fleming, the multi-talented Rigs and Jeels, and one of Luton St Patrick’s Festival favourites, The BibleCode Sundays. In The Mall, it was business as usual, and the line-up included top class performances from The Wilsons Show, Crosskeys, Ramridge Primary School Choir, Galway Trad Group, and several local Irish dancing schools.
“Now that has been one hell of a weekend! The Irish Forum team did a superb job of organising and reorganising an outstanding few days. Great entertainment all weekend!”
The Wilsons Show
“Great St Patrick’s day celebrations in Luton. Pubs packed, queuing outside, Guinness running out! Great for Local businesses and great for Luton people! Well done all!”