All the best Bristol spots for music and discounts to celebrate St Patricks day in style

There are two types of people in this world; those who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as though it’s Christmas, and those who wouldn’t be able to tell you what month it’s in. Luckily for you, I fall into the former, and so here is my guide on how to spend this St Patrick’s Day weekend the right way, guiding you through the right pubs to go to, where the folk music is and what student deals are on this weekend.

Bristol Irish bars

There are two main Irish spots in Bristol; Seamus O’Donnell’s and O’Neill’s bar. Fortunately, these bars are a mere five-minute walk from each other in Old City, making the crawl from one to the other a piece of cake, especially with blurry vision and the dregs of a Guinness in your hand.

O’Donnell’s start their celebrations promptly at 12pm with live folk music, carrying on through the day until midnight. It is the undeniable truth that this bar also has the best Guinness in Bristol – if you can’t make it on Sunday I strongly recommend going to one of their drag Fridays another time.

O’Neill’s on Baldwin Street has Guinness and themed cocktails on offer all weekend with their downloadable app, with live music and Irish dancers on Sunday from 11am through to 1am Monday morning.

St Patrick’s Day street party

The annual St Patrick’s Day parade and street party will take place at St. Nicholas Market in Old City Center from 1pm to 10pm this Sunday. The parade will depart from M Shed at 1pm, moving through the centre before finishing with a huge party at St Nicholas Street parade with 12 acts performing through the afternoon.

This will be free to attend and at the heart of all festivities, just around the corner from the Irish bars, the perfect pit stop on your journey from one to the other.

King Street

It is hard to find a better atmosphere in Bristol than on King Street on a Saturday, let alone on St Patrick’s Day weekend. The Old Duke will be having their St Patrick’s Day special on Saturday night. With live folk music and crowds spilling out onto the King Street benches, the vibes this St Patrick’s Day eve are bound to be unmatched. Across Baldwin Street at Mr. Wolf’s, more live folk music will be playing on Saturday too, with a DJ after that will carry on through the night until 4am.

If you’re looking for a change from folk music through the night, Hey Dude and Kongs on the same street offer live music and a change of pace. With happy hour every day at Hey Dude from 5pm-7pm, and free arcade-style games at Kongs, there will be something for everyone.

Special deals

At Wetherspoons this week all Guinness pints, Jameson’s with mixer and Baby Guinness’ will be sold at a discounted price of £2.99, the perfect place to pre before hitting the more atmospheric but expensive bars in the center.

The Beckford Bar in Senate House is also offering £3.25 Guinness and £2.50 Baby Guinness shots all week – the perfect way to celebrate after a full day of studying.

Greenhouse on College Green will be offering 2-for-1 cocktails all day, and six shots of Baby Guinness for £6. A little further out on Gloucester Road, the Prince of Wales will also be offering 2-for-1 on themed cocktails, and six for £14 for Baby Guinness – ideal for those who don’t want to make the trek down to the centre.

This is all the information one could want to ensure your weekend is unforgettable, or more realistically, the type of unforgettable that you won’t be able to remember what happened the morning after. Remember to wear green and hit the town armed with your best Irish dance moves.

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