| Rank | Place | Score | Why it’s worth going |
|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 10/10 | Best overall package: huge parade, four-day festival, trad sessions, céilí, pubs, concerts and the atmosphere of the whole city participating. About 500,000 line the parade route in 2026. (Visit Dublin) |
| 2 | Savannah | 9.8 | Probably the most enjoyable American version. Beautiful historic centre, several days of traditions, huge parade, packed squares and bars, but still feels rooted in a real local Irish community. (Visit Savannah) |
| 3 | Chicago | 9.7 | The green river is genuinely spectacular, then you get the downtown parade plus the much more local South Side parade the following day. One of the few places where the entire weekend feels like an event. (Time Out Worldwide) |
| 4 | New Orleans | 9.6 | Perhaps the most fun outright: multiple parades, Irish Channel block parties, Mardi Gras-style floats and people throwing cabbages, potatoes and beads. Less traditionally Irish, but an excellent trip. (New Orleans) |
| 5 | Montserrat | 9.5 | The most distinctive. Week-long Afro-Irish national festival, public holiday, Caribbean music and food, plus the island's unusual Irish history. Much more immersive than a two-hour parade. (National Geographic) |
| 6 | Montréal | 9.3 | Big, convivial three-hour downtown parade with an unusually strong local tradition and excellent post-parade pub culture. The parade remains one of Montréal's major annual public events. (Tourisme Montréal) |
| 7 | Sydney | 9.2 | Excellent modern festival format: CBD parade into The Rocks, harbour setting, live music, dancing, food and family festival. In 2026 it expected 25,000+ spectators and 1,500 marchers. (What's On Sydney) |
| 8 | Boston | 9.0 | South Boston is completely absorbed by it. Massive neighbourhood atmosphere, pubs, house parties and a very substantial parade. More boisterous than polished. (Boston.gov) |
| 9 | New York City | 8.9 | The parade itself is extraordinary in scale and tradition: Fifth Avenue, bands, county associations, firefighters, police and the Fighting 69th. I rank it below Boston/Savannah because it is more of a spectacle to watch than a festival to participate in. (NYC St. Patrick's Parade) |
| 10 | Buenos Aires | 8.8 | One of the best surprises: large outdoor celebration, strong nightlife, Argentine-Irish culture and a city particularly suited to staying out late. Less ceremonial and more party-like than most traditional parades. |
| 11 | Auckland | 8.6 | Compact but very enjoyable: Queen Street parade followed immediately by a city-centre festival, then Irish clubs and pubs. Excellent weather potential and easy to experience properly in one afternoon. (St. Patrick's School) |
| 12 | Galway | 8.5 | Smaller than Dublin but arguably easier to enjoy. Strong Irish cultural atmosphere, lively pubs and music, with the city itself doing much of the work. A particularly good choice if the parade isn't the sole objective. |
| 13 | Kilkenny | 8.4 | Another excellent Irish choice: beautiful compact medieval centre, festival programming and much less overwhelming than Dublin. Very good destination for a family weekend. |
| 14 | Cork | 8.3 | Substantial city parade and festival combined with a genuinely good pub/music city. Less internationally spectacular than Dublin but probably a more relaxed trip. |
| 15 | San Patricio-Melaque | 8.2 | Completely different from everything else: a genuine Mexican patronal fiesta culminating on March 17, with processions, traditional dancing, banda, toritos, castillos and subsequent rodeo festivities. I'd rank it very highly for uniqueness, rather than parade quality. |
| 16 | Brisbane | 8.1 | Strong CBD parade backed by a wider Irish festival and old community institutions. Good balance of parade, music, dancing and outdoor festival atmosphere. |
| 17 | San Francisco | 8.0 | Large Market Street parade — about 110 floats in 2026 — followed by festival activity at Civic Center. Combine that with the city itself and it's a very worthwhile weekend. (SFMTA) |
| 18 | Birmingham | 7.9 | When the full Digbeth parade is running, this is one of Britain's best: dense Irish neighbourhood atmosphere, floats, bands and packed pubs. It has more genuine community character than London. (St. Patrick's Parade) |
| 19 | Philadelphia | 7.8 | Excellent traditional parade through one of America's best historic centres. Strong Irish community and lots of bands/dancers, although the surrounding festival atmosphere doesn't quite match Savannah or Boston. (City of Philadelphia) |
| 20 | Tokyo | 7.7 | Not huge by global standards, but wonderfully incongruous and exceptionally well done: Omotesando parade, Japanese Irish dancers and musicians, followed by the Yoyogi Park festival. One of the best choices if novelty matters. |
