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St Patrick’s Day in Berlin: Your guide to great craic

An all-Irish DJ lineup, a night of Gaelic folk classics and some sound pub nights thrown in for good measure. It's your guide to St. Patrick's Day in Berlin.

Photo: IMAGO / NurPhoto

St. Patrick’s day is just around the corner – and Berlin is ready for it.

There’s a lot more to the holiday than just an excuse to drink pints of Guinness (though that’s not too bad, either). St. Patrick’s Day is about celebrating Irish culture – in all its diasporic and varied glory. Leading up to the holiday on Friday March 17th and for the rest of the weekend, Berlin will definitely be having some craic.

Queer Ceilidh

Poster illustration: @maishroom

For those not in the know, the word ceilidh comes from the Gaelic term for gathering or party. Most ceilidhs are all about group dancing and are usually initiated by the Caller, who talks you through the dance before you begin. Take a turn round the dance floor at Queer Ceilidh, hosted by Regenbogenfabrik and supported by the Irish Embassy of Berlin. Berlin-based band NightLark will be providing live music and Calling. It’s a sober event and no prior-dance experience is required.

  • 16.03.23, doors open at 19:00, event starts at 19:30. Ticket price is donation-based.
  • Regenbogenfabrik, Lausitzer Str. 21a, Kreuzberg, get more info here.

St. Patrick’s Day at Trinkteufel

IMAGO / Funke Foto Services

As the meeting spot for Berlin’s punk scene throughout its 25 year history, the St. Patrick’s Day plan at Trinkteufel won’t disappoint. Enjoy some rowdy Irish rock, Irish whiskey, beer and cider on tap. Don’t forget to wear something green!

  • 17.03.23, event starts at 19:00. No entrance fee.
  • Trinkteufel, Naunynst. 60, Friedrichshain, get more info here.

Spice Bag Art Show

Crazy Bastard will be serving classic Irish Spice Bags (a popular Irish takeaway dish inspired by Asian cuisine often sold at Chinese takeaway restaurants). Photo: Cheap and Cheerful Kitchen

While spicy food might not be the first thing you associate with Ireland, Berlin’s very own Crazy Bastard Hot Sauce was in fact created by Irishman Jonathan O’Reilly. Over the St. Patrick’s weekend (that’s right, it’s a whole weekend now), O’Reilly’s Crazy Bastard kitchen is joining up with its next door neighbour Backhaus Projects for a special gallery show with works by Irish artists living in Berlin, while doubling as an Irish deli. Expect modern Irish favourites like Chicken Fillet Rolls, Spice Bags, Curry cheese chips and Garlic cheese chips.

  • 17.03.23 – 19.03.23, event starts at 17:00. No entrance fee.
  • Backhaus Projects, Weserstr. 168, Neukölln, get more info here and here.

St. Paddy’s pub quiz at Alte Kantine

IMAGO / POP-EYE

Alte Kantine at the Kulturbrauerei will be hosting a special Paddy’s Day-themed pub quiz, so expect questions about such topics as the colour green, leprechauns and beer. Dressing up is encouraged and, like Alte Kantine’s regular pub quizzes, all questions will be presented in picture, video and audio-form. After the quiz wraps up – and the winners have received their prize (plus shots), you can head on over to the dance floor at Kantine DELUXE next door, at no extra charge.

  • 17.03.23, admission from 18:30, quiz starts at 19:00. Tickets are €7 (max 8 people per team)
  • Alte Kantine, Knaackstr. 97, Prenzlauer Berg (inside the Kulturbrauerei), get more info here.

Irish folks tunes at ufaFabrik

IMAGO / Frank Sorge

In the mood for some traditional Irish folk with a few modern twists? For their eighth St Patrick’s Day performance at the ufaFabrik, Aaron Shirlow and Noel Minogue of Midnight Court are joined by a full band with fiddle, tenor banjo, bagpipes and traditional Irish bodhran drum in tow.

  • 18.03.23, event starts at 20:00. Tickets are €21 (€17 reduced).
  • ufaFabrik, Viktoriastr. 10-18, Tempelhof, get more info here.

Culture Club: St. Patrick’s Day Special

Photo: Bulbul Berlin

Bulbul Berlin is hosting a Paddy’s Day party with an all-start, all-Irish lineup. The evening’s headliner is Eddie Reylonds (aka Tr One, aka Themisto Man). Also on the decks you’ll find one of Cork’s finest DJs and former Berliner Paul Kav as well as Patrick Reddy, a Berlin-based DJ who wows crowds with his genre-spanning vinyl sets.

  • 17.03.23 (23:00 – 06:00).
  • Bulbul, Skalitzer Str. 114, Kreuzberg, get more info here.

Celtic music by Patrizia Sieweck

Photo: Patrizia Sieweck

Expect fast violin tunes and captivating songs from the Irish and Celtic tradition, tales of seafaring and adventure from Patrizia Sieweck. She’s a multi-instrumentalist, plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and singer. Sieweck spent four years of her life in West Cork, where she had the chance to learn from musicians such as Paul O’Shaughnessy, Aly Bain, Dirk Powell and Brittany Haas.

  • 15.03.23, event starts at 19:00. Tickets €15 (€13 reduced)
  • Kurt Mühlenhaupt Museum, Fidicinstr. 40, Kreuzberg, get more info here.

Wondering where to get a great pint of Guinness in Berlin? Check out this handy guide map.