Aerial acrobatics, supermodel donkeys, Slovenian gypsy music and Harry Potter as Gaeilge will be some of the offerings at next month's St Patrick's Festival. Some 4,000 performers will be watched by an expected 1.5 million spectators at the five-day, five-night event in Dublin.
Details of the State's biggest party were announced in Dublin yesterday.
"The biggest and most exciting new event will be the 'Money Oíche'," said Donal Shiels, chief executive of the festival. Describing it as "a big acrobatic spectacle in Smithfield, with acrobats suspended on a futuristic globe, 50 feet up in the air", he said it would open the festival on the Wednesday night and would "transfix" Irish audiences the way it has others across the world.
Performed by the internationally renowned Argentinian and Spanish company Grupo Puja, the opening night show will be preceded by a special music performance with 150 drummers. It will run from 8pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights and will be free, though ticketed.
The focal event of the festival will be the parade on Friday 17th, which this year has a theme of "Wishful Thinking". The route - the same as last year, which reversed the traditional route - will see the parade begin in Parnell Square at noon, run along O'Connell Street and on to Westmoreland Street, making its way around College Green, up Dame Street and on past Christ Church to end at Patrick Street.
It will take about one and a half hours to pass at any given point, according to parade director Carina McGrail.
As part of the "wishful thinking" theme there will be a feature depicting the Ireland football team playing Brazil in a World Cup final.
Another display with a Caribbean theme expresses the wish that it might one day always be sunny in the Gaeltacht.
Though the parade is free, tickets for viewing platforms can be bought for €60 per person.
The extremely popular Céilí Mór is on again this year at Earlsfort Terrace, between 2pm and 6pm on St Patrick's Day.
An increased emphasis on Irish culture will be evident throughout the festival. "Another new thing is An Lá Gaelach on the Saturday," said Mr Shiels, adding he hoped it would encourage people to "engage with the city" through Irish. There will be bellydancers, drummers and children's entertainers performing throughout the day, throughout the city and all through Irish. There will also be a screening of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Irish in Meeting House Square.
Among other events will be Donkeys at Docklands - an exhibition of 50 life-size photographs of donkeys, by Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani; a concert for children at the Ark Theatre in Temple Bar on Saturday 18th; the Big Day Out on Sunday 19th with "fun activities" and stalls at Merrion Square; and the festival market at Wolfe Tone Square, off Jervis Street, each day.
Full details and ticketing information at www.stpatricksfestival.ie or 01-6763205
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