Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a religious and cultural holiday held on March 17, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

In honor of St Paddy, here is a follow-up to St Patrick’s Day 2026.

Twin Cities Irish Fest (August 7-9, 2026)

Twin Cities Irish Fest

Twin Cities Irish Fest is the new name, new look, new branding for the Irish Fair of Minnesota. Everything’s new, but still grounded in their goal “to promote and preserve Irish culture by creating exceptional experiences that bring people together from Minnesota and beyond in the spirit of joy and discovery.”

Board of Directors issued this statement:

Our commitment to inclusivity for the entire state of Minnesota and beyond remains unchanged. The new name is intended to help our audience better understand where they can attend this amazing event and take part in it, regardless of where they live or are traveling from – all are welcome at the Fest! The artists, dancers, vendors, volunteers, and visitors who make this festival feel vibrant and welcoming come from communities throughout the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and far beyond the state. That statewide, countrywide, and international spirit will always be a part of who we are and we firmly believe the new name is a tool that will help us grow our Irish Fest community and ensure its longevity for another 40 years.

This year’s festival will take place from August 7-9 on Harriet Island along the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota. Early bands announced are Gaelic Storm, Chasing Abbey, 11-piece all-female Irish traditional music supergroup Biird, Seo Linn, and new band Howley (formed by the brothers of We Banjo 3. More headliners and local acts to be announced at a later date. For the latest information, head over to twincitiesirishfest.com.

Gaelic Storm

We previously caught Gaelic Storm in Mar 2025, and wrote, “Gaelic Storm is on their “Roll out the Barrel” Tour… which is rolling out the barrel of fun. In fact, before the band took the Pantages stage, their walk on music was “Beer Barrel Polka” to get us in the mood for the theme. The Celtic band started in Santa Monica, playing traditional Irish and Scottish music, as well as writing original Celtic folk and rock songs. Their music debut in the Titanic (1997) soundtrack, and since then have been bringing their music to a wide audience as a touring band… Murphy is very charismatic, often going very goofy facial expressions and always joking. Being the only original band member he does stand out a little, as the rest of the band looks very young, such as Natalya Kay standing beside Pete Purvis and Parker Hastings (who replaced Twigger). In Gaelic Storm tradition, the band is known as being a live band. Many of the fans in the audience have seen the band at least once or twice… so they keep returning whenever Gaelic Storm is in town. They have a very strong fanbase in Minneapolis, so, of course, you can expect them to return on their next tour.”

The Great Irish Songbook Vol. 2: Poets & Storytellers
by Dervish (May 29, 2026)

Dervish

Legendary Irish ensemble Dervish announced The Great Irish Songbook Vol. 2: Poets & Storytellers, coming out May 29 via Down the Road Records/Exceleration Music. The album is a sequel to their acclaimed 2019 collaboration The Great Irish Songbook.

Dervish North American tour

3/17 – The Spire – Plymouth, MA
3/18 – The Burren Double Bill – Somerville, MA
3/19 – Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center – Old Saybrook, CT
3/20 – Shalin Liu Performing Arts Center – Rockport, MA
3/21 – Norfolk Library – Norfolk, CT
3/22 – Jane Pickens Theater – Newport, RI
4/26 – Rogue Folk club – Rio Theatre – Vancouver, BC
4/28 – Triple Door – Seattle, WA
4/29 – Alberta Rose – Potland, WA
5/1 – Sebastopol Community Center – Seastopol, CA
5/2-3 – KVMR Celtic Festival – Grass Valley, CA

Tourist History by Two Door Cinema Club (Oct 23, 2025)

Two Door Cinema Club

Northern Irish indie rock favorites Two Door Cinema Club announce their biggest North American Headline tour to date, celebrating their breakout debut album Tourist History, released via Glassnote Records. The tour will feature a special full-album performance, accompanied by the band’s greatest hits.

Two Door Cinema Club (with Bad Veins) at Bluebird Theater (30 Oct 2010) image courtesy of Two Door Cinema Club

We had an opportunity to see Two Door Cinema Club in Oct 2010, but due to over commitment (seeing Dandy Warhols at the same time at a different venue)… but we did manage to catch their opening band Funeral Party: “One of my biggest regrets was not being able to cover Two Door Cinema Club on their first American tour, in support of Tourist History, in 2010. Let me take you back to Rocktober 2010, on the night of October 28, 2010, Two Door Cinema Club was headlining the 7th Street Entry, while Dandy Warhols was across the street at Fine Line Music Café. Earlier in April 2010, Two Door Cinema Club was in America, opening for Phoenix (as indicated by the original tour dates), but decided to stay a little longer to do their own headlining USA tour. The Minneapolis date (Oct 28) was near the end of the US tour, with a final stop at the Bluebird Theater in Colorado.”

Upcoming North American Tour Dates

September 24, 2026: Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
September 25, 2026: Columbus, OH @ Kemba Live!
September 26, 2026: Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
September 27, 2026: New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *^
September 29, 2026: Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway ^
October 1, 2026: Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
October 3, 2026: Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
October 4, 2026: Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
October 6, 2026: Pittsburgh, PA @ Venue TBA
October 9, 2026: Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
October 10, 2026: Charlotte, NC @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater
October 11, 2026: Washington, DC @ The Anthem
October 13, 2026: Monterrey, MX @ Pabellon M
October 15, 2026: Mexico City, MX @ Mexico Pepsi Center
— Support From —
STRFKR (all dates)
* = Phantogram
^ = Friendly Fires