– This post was written by Becky Wicks –
Slip on your four-leaf clover sweater and get ready to dance with a leprechaun – it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day again.
Saint Patrick is the jolly green patron saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to the people of Ireland. He lived during the 5th century and died on March 17, which is the day the world gets together to dress in green, spill beer in awkward places, and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
If you’re looking for things to do in Amsterdam on St. Patrick’s Day 2021, including where to watch the Six Nations rugby, pack your big green hats and fake beards, and look no further. Here are Tiqets’ top St. Paddy’s Day picks, plus some ideas on how you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at home.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Amsterdam 2021
Wednesday March 17, 2021
The St. Patrick’s Day Festival In Amsterdam 2021 is a Dutch-Irish collaboration held every year to celebrate Irish music, arts and culture in Amsterdam. There’s usually loads going on at Splendour (a central Amsterdam entertainment venue) and highlights often include evenings of words and music with Booker-Prize-winning authors, popular musicians, workshops and late-night Irish traditional music and céilí dancing. More details will be announced closer to the time, so keep an eye on the Facebook page.
Six Nations Rugby
Saturday February 6, 2021 – Saturday March 20, 2021
The 2021 Six Nations Championship will be the 22nd Six Nations Championship and the 127th edition of the competition. The various matches will be shown at different Amsterdam venues, most of which still have to be announced for 2021, but here are our picks from the past. It might be an idea to bring waterproof clothing – beer will be spilled.
Where:
- Belushi’s – With Happy Hour from 10 am till midnight, and burgers, wings and bar snacks to help soak up the beer, Belushi’s (close to Dam Square) is a top rugby-watching spot
- The Tara – This central International pub offers three different bars. Mingle in five interconnected rooms and stay post-game for great dining options
- Molly Malone’s – The annual St. Patrick’s Day party with live music gets pretty rowdy at this cozy canal-side pub, but their big screens make it an intimate place to cheer on your team
- O’Reilly’s Amsterdam – Just behind the palace on Dam Square this busy Irish pub promises quality coverage, excellent drinks, plus free Wi-Fi for all your rugby selfies
- The Three Sisters – With 27 TV screens and a kitchen that’s open from 10 am to midnight, this is a popular place. Try to get one of the 16 Chesterfield armchairs to watch the game!
Amsterdam Wine Festival
Saturday March 20, 2021 – Monday March 22, 2021

Can’t stand the thought of all that beer being sloshed? Come slosh wine about instead. The Amsterdam Wine Festival hopes that the harvest festivals of the Southern Hemisphere (Oogstfeesten Zuidelijk Halfrond) can continue in March 2021. If permitted, they’ll be ready to get you tipsy at the Gashouder from Saturday to Monday with the best wines from South Africa, Argentina, and New Zealand. It’s 5,000 m2 of boozy fun including all the tastings you can handle. Sublime FM presents bands and DJs, too. Come with your dancing shoes tied tightly.
How to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at home in 2021
Let’s be honest, it will be a while before the world is back to normal post COVID-19. If by chance we’re to find ourselves stuck in lockdown over St. Patrick’s Day 2021, there are still fun ways to high-five St. Paddy from your home.
Organize an online St. Patrick’s quiz night
What drove St. Patrick out of Ireland? Which symbol appears on Irish coins? There’s a whole lot you probably don’t know about St. Patrick’s Day, and Ireland in general, so use this day as an excuse to educate yourself on all things Irish. A bit of St. Patrick’s Day trivia can be arranged between friends on Zoom, or around the family dinner table. Get free printable trivia sheets here.
Get busy baking in the kitchen
Green cocktails are one thing, but if the kids want to get their lips and fingers green too, get baking on St. Patrick’s Day. Equip yourself with some green food dye, frosting and sparkles, and get creative. From a St. Paddy’s desert pizza, to Irish whoopie bombs, green velvet cheesecake and leprechaun cookies, there’s lots to inspire your baking here.
Cook up a St. Patrick’s Day meal
There’s nothing like a steaming plate of comfort food to get you into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit at home. Ireland is known for thick meaty stews, bangers and cabbage, and mashed potatoes; in fact, potatoes transformed the Irish diet when they were introduced from the New World in the late 16th century! Follow a recipe for Irish colcannon online and pair it with some tasty sausages and a pint of Guinness.
Stick on a St. Patrick’s Day movie or Irish TV show
Did you know that Irish tradition dictates that any man who is proposed to on Leap Day in Ireland must accept? If you can’t get yourself to Ireland in 2021 stick on the movie Leap Year, a family-friendly romantic comedy that deals with this exact situation. Alternatively, the show Derry Girls is an hilarious look at life in Northern Ireland through the eyes of teenagers in the 1990s.
Teach yourself to dance the Irish jig
Some call it river dancing and only a few special people can make it look cool. Are you one of them? Why not try on your dancing shoes and give an Irish jig a whirl? There are lots of step-by-step videos that will teach you on the internet, like this one.