St Patrick's Day Festival in Birmingham cancelled over coronavirus

The St Patrick's Day Festival which was due to take place this weekend in Birmingham has been postponed in response to the threat of coronavirus.

The decision to postpone the Festival is said to have been made "following community feedback."

The Festival is the third largest St Patrick's Day parade in the world, behind New York and Dublin - which have also been postponed or suspended.

The organisers behind the parade in Birmingham have said that a "world-class" festival experience will be delivered later in the year instead.

Festival chair Peter Connolly said: “We are devastated to share this news with you, however, we are committed to providing our city with a belated St Patrick’s celebration that we can all be proud of later in the year."

The St Patrick's Day parade in Birmingham was under threat earlier this year after the main sponsor pulled out.

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