St Patrick's weekend to draw 1.5m revellers

Dublin: Organisers of Dublin's St Patrick's Festival expect to attract some 1.5 million people to the capital for a five-day programme of events beginning today.

Apart from the showpiece parade on Friday, some 4,000 performers will take part in a schedule of music, theatre, carnivals, comedy, street arts and dance between now and Sunday.

The festival opens this evening with an open-air musical spectacle in Smithfield, when the Spanish-Argentinian circus troupe Grupo Puja perform an acrobatic show in a futuristic globe suspended 50ft overhead.

A wide array of outdoor events will defy the forecast of cold wind and intermittent rain. On Sunday, Merrion Square will become an open-air circus arena, while a five-day festival market at Wolf Tone Quay will offer fresh Irish and international produce, crafts and jewellery.

On Saturday, a Lá Gaelach will give fluent speakers and novices a tour of the city as Gaeilge.

Musical tastes will be indulged by performances across a range of genres.

A collaboration between sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird and duo Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill (Vicar St, Thursday, 8pm), a free Céilí Mór on Earlsfort Terrace (Thursday, 2.30-5.30pm), a children's concert by Micheál Ó Súilleabháin and Mel Mercier (The Ark, Saturday, 1pm and 3pm) and a concert by talented Slovenian band Terrafolk, blending folk and jazz (O'Reilly theatre, Saturday 8pm) are the highlights.

The Irish Film Institute will hold a day of films selected by Scottish author Irvine Welsh (Sunday, noon and 4pm), while the annual symposium at Dublin Castle (today, 9.30am-5.30pm) will hear speakers raise questions concerning the public and private spheres, under the theme What is Public Space?

Meanwhile, the Irish Kennel Club is holding an international dog show at the National Show Centre, Cloghran, Co Dublin, on Friday and Saturday, with judging beginning at 8.30am.

Traffic restrictions will be in place during the festival. Merrion Square west will be closed from 8am to 7pm every day until next Monday and on Sunday, Fitzwilliam Street Lwr, Merrion Square East and South, and Merrion Street Upper will be closed.

For Friday's parade, which starts at Parnell Square at noon, the following streets will be closed: Dominick Street Upper, Mountjoy Street, St Mary's Place North, Granby Way, Parnell Square North, Parnell Square East, O'Connell Bridge (all from 7am to 1pm), Westmoreland Street, College Green, Dame Street, Lord Edward Street, Christchurch Place (from 7am to 2pm). Nicholas Street and Patrick Street will close between 7am and 2.30pm and Clanbrassil Street Lwr (Kevin Street to South Circular Road) will be closed from 10am until 3.30pm.

For those travelling to the parade, Luas services will operate to a Saturday timetable on both the red and green lines, starting at 6.30am with the last tram at 12.30am. A full Dart service will also operate, with extra services running before and after the parade. A full programme of events is available at www.stpatricksfestival.ie