Celebrating St Piran's Day: All you need to know

The black and white Cornish Flag is raised during St Piran's day celebrations, while traditional music is played

St Piran's Day is Cornwall's national day, held on 5 March to celebrate Cornish identity, culture and heritage.

The day honours St Piran, the patron saint of Cornwall, who is believed to have arrived in Cornwall soon after the Romans left in the 5th Century.

He is thought to have been a Christian missionary expelled from Ireland by an angry king, tied to a millstone and thrown into the sea.

Today, the day is celebrated with parades, live music, community events, traditional food and cultural activities across Cornwall, drawing both locals and visitors.

Why does Cornwall celebrate?

Cornwall celebrates St Piran's, seen as a founding figure who helped shape the region's early religious life.

Besides converting many of the locals to Christianity, he was also known for celebrating his faith with feasting and merriment.

Legend also credits St Piran with teaching the Cornish how to smelt tin, linking him to the mining industry, which was once a key part of Cornwall's economy.

His association with tin is believed to be reflected in the Cornish flag, with the white cross on a black background said to represent tin flowing from rock.

The day has grown into a modern celebration of Cornish pride, marking the county's language, music, history and sense of community.

St Piran's Day events in 2026

Truro holds a St Piran's Day Parade annually on 5 March with music, dancing and shop window competitions.

This year, the parade begins at Lemon Quay at 13:00 (GMT), with visitors encouraged to gather from 12:30, and finishes outside Truro Cathedral on High Cross.

In Bodmin, hundreds of children from local primary schools will parade along Fore Street as crowds line the route.

The parade will begin at The Old Library at 11:00 on 5 March, and will end at Mount Folly where there will be speeches from dignitaries followed by children's traditional dances.

The same day, Launceston will host a children's parade starting at 10:00, with local school children gathering in the Town Square to perform traditional Cornish songs and dances.

Led by the mayor and councillors, the parade starts and finishes at the castle entrance.

Crowds celebrate St Piran's day with flags, music and parades across Cornwall

Newquay Library is hosting a St Piran's Trail from 28 February to 7 March, during which visitors follow a route around the town gathering posters, each containing letters needed to solve a mystery Cornish word.

Those who wish to participate can pick up maps from Newquay Library.

St Piran's festival in Redruth is set to take place on 7 March at 11:00, with market stalls, live music and family entertainment.

In Looe, the council will host hot drinks, cake and crafts in the council chambers, with a performance from Pelynt Male Choir, from 10:00 to 16:00 on 5 March.

The event will raise money for two Cornish charities - St Petroc's homeless charity and Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary.

Civic officials wear traditional robes to symbolise local authority, history and tradition

How to celebrate St Piran's Day

Key traditions include wearing black and white - colours of the national flag of Cornwall - and gold.

Enjoying foods historically tied to the region's mining, fishing and trading culture, include a traditional Cornish pasty, saffron bun or Hevva cake.

The "Trelawny Shout", a mass sing-along of the Cornish anthem, is held in bars throughout Cornwall, connecting locals to their roots through traditional folk songs.

What is new this year?

Emma Rand, digital marketing and PR assistant of Truro City Council, said: "I can confirm that the 2026 parade route is longer than last year's.

"It will cover the Victoria Square side of Truro, doing a loop up Kenwyn Street, onto Little Castle Street and down River Street.

"Last year's parade only covered Lemon Quay, Lower Lemon Street, Boscawen Street onto King Street and finished on High Cross due to city centre roadworks," she said.

What else is on?

Mr and Mrs Pasty warm up for Cornish Pasty week on the Neon Jungle Roller Skating Rink at The Lost Gardens of Heligan near Mevagissey

A new Global Pasty Championships will launch at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey, on 28 February.

The event, timed as the grand finale of Cornish Pasty Week, highlights the pasty as a symbol of Cornish identity, heritage and pride.

Bakers from around the world will compete to make the best traditional and inventive pasties, alongside some junior categories designed to pass family recipes on to the next generation.

Organisers said the championships will feature speed-crimping contests, pasty-making workshops, live entertainment and family-friendly activities, expanding St Piran's celebrations beyond parades and ceremonies.

Cornish Pasty Week runs from 23 February and will raise money to support cooking and food education in Cornwall's schools, with more than £35,000 already donated in recent years.

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