St David’s Day – the national day of Wales – takes place on March 1, and this year as always people throughout the country will be celebrating.

St David’s Day © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2022) Cymru Wales

Saint David (Dewi Sant) is the patron saint of Wales and every year on St David’s Day parades and events take place to celebrate Wales and all things Welsh. It's a fabulous time to visit and to soak up the carnival atmosphere!

Saint David was a sixth century Welsh bishop, who is said to have died on 1 March 589. He was buried at the site of St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, where his shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages.

The focus of the festivities these days is the St David’s Day Parade in Cardiff. A sea of red and yellow lights up the centre of Wales’s capital city, with fiery performances from giant dragons, bands, theatre groups and more. The parade ends in front of Cardiff’s City Hall, where the crowds join in a rousing mass rendition of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of my Fathers). Parades also take place in towns and villages all over Wales to celebrate St David’s Day, from Wrexham in the east to Aberystwyth in the west.

A Welsh flag flying © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2022) Cymru Wales

In Swansea, Croeso, a two-day festival celebrating all things Welsh took place on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 February. Featuring the best of Welsh culture, the event included live music, street entertainment, cookery demonstrations, Welsh language workshops, the best of Welsh food and drink, and the headline St David’s Parade.

A programme of religious commemoration will take place at St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire on St David’s Day itself, including a pilgrims’ walk with the Bishop of St David’s, and prayers and readings at the Shrine of St David.

St David’s Cathedral © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2022) Cymru Wales

A free St David’s Day celebration will take place at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on March 1, featuring performances from Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir, Cwmdare Voices and the Oasis One World Choir. The North Wales Choir Festival takes place in Llandudno on the North Wales coast on 5 and 6 March and incorporates a St David’s Day celebration.

Welsh male voice choirs will be performing throughout the land on or around St David’s Day, including Johns’ Boys Male Chorus, one of the most decorated Welsh choirs in history and 2019 winners of the Choir of the World at Llangollen International Eisteddfod, at The Holroyd Community Theatre near Oswestry in the Welsh Marches on Saturday 5 March.

Wales Millennium Centre © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2022) Cymru Wales

St David’s Day celebrations aren’t limited to Wales of course, and one of the most prestigious events in England is the St David’s Day Dinner, held at the historic Guildhall in London in aid of charity. The spectacular event includes a champagne reception in the Guildhall Crypt, singing by the 50-strong London Welsh Male Voice Choir and a toast in memory of Dewi Sant.

“Saint David’s Day 2022 is sure to be one of the most memorable in recent years, as celebrations resume after the restrictions of the last two years,” said Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism. “All over Wales, parades, concerts and festivities are taking place, as the Welsh – and Welsh at heart – come together to mark their national day.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of Wales on or around St David’s Day on March 1, please do contact our friendly team today. Of course, Wales is a fabulous place to visit at any time of year and you can be assured of a warm welcome!