St. Patrick’s Day Music Festival
ShamrockFest
ShamrockFest, also known as National ShamrockFest, was a one-day St. Patrick’s Day music festival in Washington, D.C., produced by HiBall Events on the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds. Started in 2002 and held on a Saturday near St. Patrick’s Day, it drew about 40,000 people, making it one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day festivals in the country.
2002–2022
About ShamrockFest
A typical ShamrockFest put about 50 artists on around seven stages, mixing Celtic and folk music with punk, rock, hip-hop and EDM headliners. The Dropkick Murphys played it at least five times, and Flogging Molly, Sublime with Rome, Blues Traveler, House of Pain, Coolio, Sum 41, Shaggy, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Steve Aoki all took its stages.
In 2022, when high winds called off the day at RFK, HiBall moved ShamrockFest to Echostage the next day, where the Dropkick Murphys and Steve Aoki played. HiBall hasn’t produced it since; in 2024, ShamrockFest brought St. Patrick’s Day to Loudoun County as VA Irish Fest, at One Loudoun in Ashburn, Virginia.
- Years
- 2002 to 2022
- When
- One day, on a Saturday near St. Patrick’s Day
- Where
- RFK Stadium Festival Grounds, Washington, D.C.; Echostage in 2022
- Crowd
- About 40,000 people
- Lineup
- About 50 artists on around seven stages
- Music
- Celtic and folk, with punk, rock, hip-hop and EDM headliners
- Produced by
- HiBall Events
Lineups by year
- 2007
- Flogging Molly
- 2011
- Dropkick Murphys, Carbon Leaf
- 2013
- Sublime with Rome
- 2014
- Dropkick Murphys, Carbon Leaf
- 2015
- Gaelic Storm, Blues Traveler, Reel Big Fish
- 2016
- Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, Vanilla Ice
- 2017
- Dropkick Murphys, House of Pain, Coolio
- 2018
- Sum 41, Shaggy, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish
- 2019
- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Andrew W.K.
- 2022
- Dropkick Murphys, Steve Aoki, at Echostage after high winds called off the RFK day
In the press
- PR Newswire · November 9, 2021 “Dropkick Murphys Shipping Up to DC for ShamrockFest 2022”
- PR Newswire · March 2019 “St. Patrick’s Day Ain’t Over Until ShamrockFest Says It Is”
- Federal News Network · March 2019 “Fun stuff: Shamrock is real rock”
- NBC4 Washington “Shamrock Fest: One of DC’s Biggest Bashes”
St. Patrick’s Day Music Festival
ShamrockFest: questions and answers
What was ShamrockFest?
ShamrockFest, also called National ShamrockFest, was a one-day St. Patrick’s Day music festival in Washington, D.C., produced by HiBall Events on the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds. It drew about 40,000 people, with about 50 artists on around seven stages.
When did ShamrockFest start?
ShamrockFest started in 2002. HiBall Events last produced it in 2022, when it moved to Echostage after high winds called off the day at RFK.
Where was ShamrockFest held?
On the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds in Washington, D.C.: the paved grounds beside the stadium, not inside it, on a Saturday near St. Patrick’s Day. In 2022, when high winds called off the day at RFK, it moved to Echostage the next day.
Who played ShamrockFest?
The Dropkick Murphys played ShamrockFest in 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2022. Other headliners included Flogging Molly (2007 and 2016), Sublime with Rome (2013), Blues Traveler and Gaelic Storm (2015), House of Pain and Coolio (2017), Sum 41 and Shaggy (2018), the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Andrew W.K. (2019), and Steve Aoki (2022).
Is ShamrockFest still happening?
HiBall Events hasn’t produced ShamrockFest since its 2022 edition, which moved to Echostage after high winds called off the day at RFK. In 2024, ShamrockFest brought St. Patrick’s Day to Loudoun County as VA Irish Fest, at One Loudoun in Ashburn, Virginia.
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