The Old Crown is set to host 13 Irish and Birmingham-led events in March to celebrate Birmingham-Irish culture and heritage following the news that the Digbeth Parade will not be returning in 2026. The events start with a Peaky Blinders themed party on Friday 6th March and ends with their themed Catchphrase quiz hosted by Roy Walker on Thursday 19th March.
Birmingham’s St. Patrick’s Parade started in 1952, making it the first of its kind in Britain, and has been a major annual event celebrating Irish heritage and Birmingham’s multiculturalism, though it faced a hiatus from 2020-2023 due to the pandemic and local roadworks before returning in 2024. The parade was then unfortunately cancelled in 2025 and is not set to return for 2026.
However, The Old Crown, a pub that is situated at the heart of Birmingham’s Irish & creative quarter has announced a string of events centered around Irish celebrities, traditions, food & entertainment.
General Manager of The Old Crown, Matt Deakin has said: “Along with the rest of the Birmingham Irish community, we were deeply saddened to learn that the St. Patrick’s Day parade will not return to Digbeth this year. However, Digbeth remains the historic heart of our heritage, and we are fully committed to ensuring the occasion is marked with the grand celebration it deserves.”
Their upcoming events include, to name a few:
Wednesday 11th March: An Evening with Andy Townsend & Ray Houghton (Former professional Irish footballers)
Friday 13th & Saturday 14th March: Robert Arkins’ The Commitments performing live
Sunday 15th March: ‘Parade Day’ party with live Irish bands & DJs all day
Sunday 15th March: The Tumbling Paddies live at Luna Springs
Tuesday 17th March: St Patrick’s Day Trad Sessions plus live music from Fin Furey & Bang On The Ear
Thursday 19th March: Catchphrase with Roy Walker
The full roster of events is set to release later this month – for more information visit www.theoldcrown.co.uk