Birmingham's St Patrick's Day parade axed due to tram works

Organisers say they look forward to the festival's return after a two-year hiatus

Birmingham's traditional St Patrick's Day parade will not go ahead this year due to tram works along the route, organisers said.

The parade, thought to be among the largest globally, has not been held since 2019 due to coronavirus.

Instead, organisers have planned a week of events around the Digbeth area to celebrate the city's Irish community.

The Midland Metro Alliance, which runs the trams, said it had presented the organisers with alternatives.

The organisers said they looked forward to the celebration of "what it means to be Brummie, and how it feels to be Irish".

Birmingham's St Patrick's Day Festival started in 1952 and attracts more than 100,000 visitors. It claims to be the third largest of its kind anywhere in the world.

The parade usually takes place along Digbeth High Street, where works to extend the city's tram network are currently under way.

Thousands of people attended the event in 2019

The week-long programme is due begin on 11 March and will include the annual St Pat Rocks' stage at the Zellig and the Custard Factory on 13 March. Organisers said it would feature international headline music acts along with local bands.

The festival week will also include live music, concerts with traditional Irish sessions, as well as whiskey and beer tasting, history talks and storytelling evenings, Irish dance and sport.

This year will also see a return of the festival's In Memoriam project, debuted as part of 2021's virtual event, paying tribute to members of the Irish community who have died over the past year.