Twelfth of July: Where to watch Orange Order parades across Northern Ireland
There will be 18 main parade venues across the country
The Orange Order expect over half a million people to take part or spectate at this year's Twelfth of July celebrations.
Northern Ireland's newest city is also a venue this year, Bangor joins the list of 18 other places hosting a demonstration.
Thousands of Orangemen, women and children will step along out with nearly 600 marching bands.
Belfast and Ballymena are the only venues where Twelfth demonstrations occur annually.
Below you can find out where and when the parades are taking place across Northern Ireland:
LURGAN
This County Armagh Twelfth parade is described as the largest Orange gathering in the world.
11 District Lodges will be on parade, with a total of 150 Private Lodges and almost 5,000 members; in addition, ladies from the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland will take part, along with a number of Junior Boys and Junior Girls Lodges.
Lurgan expects to attract upwards of 40,000 spectators.
Almost 70 bands will accompany the Lodges with pipe, accordion, silver and flute bands. There are always approximately four Scottish bands on parade at the Co Armagh demonstration and as the "County of the Diamond" is well-renowned for the Lambeg Drum, dozens will be accompanying the Lodges.
BELFAST
This demonstration in the capital city will leave Belfast Orange Hall, at Carlisle Circus, at 10am.
Keeping the tradition of previous years, the Millar Memorial Flute band will lead the parade as it makes its way along Clifton Street, Donegall Street, Royal Avenue and Donegall Place to Belfast City Hall.
A wreath laying ceremony will take place at the Cenotaph in the grounds of the City Hall shortly before 10.30am and the parade will then proceed via Donegall Square West, Bedford Street, Dublin Road, Shaftsbury Square, Bradbury Place, Lisburn Road, Balmoral Avenue and Malone Road to the field at Barnett's Demesne.
Orangemen and women representing a total of nine districts – accompanied by approximately 60 bands – will walk the six-mile route, traditionally the longest of all the Twelfth demonstrations.
Thousands of spectators - including many visitors from other countries - are expected to line the route through the city.
BALLYMENA
27 lodges and nearly 20 accompanying bands will take part in the annual Twelfth celebrations in Ballymena.
There will also be two Ladies Lodges and two Junior lodges on parade.
The parade will gather at Church Street Car Park.
At 12.30pm it will proceed to the demonstration field at Wakehurst Playing Fields via Meeting House Lane, Castle Street, Church Street, Broadway, Broughshane Street, William Street, Ballymoney Street, Broadway, Wellington Street, Lower Mill Street, Pentagon, Galgorm Road, Waveney Road, Harryville Bridge, Salisbury Square, Henry Street, Larne Street, Larne Road, Wakehurst Road and Brooke Park.
The return parade will leave the field at 4.30pm to return to the Protestant Hall via Brooke Park, Wakehurst Road, Queen Street, Salisbury Square, Harryville Bridge, Waveney Road and Galgorm Road.
RANDALSTOWN
Nine District Lodges from Larne, Sixmilewater, Staffordstown, Carrickfergus, Cloughfern, Carnmoney, Antrim, Killead and will be led by host district, Randalstown.
The parade will include around 50 bands and numerous Lambeg drummers, who will accompany up to 2,000 members in the lodges as they make their way around the town to the main Demonstration field.
The parade will move off at 11am and follow a route which takes in Shane's Street, Lower Main Street, turning right into Neillsbrook Road, passing the rugby pitches, via Park Green and emerging onto Ahoghill Road, turning left, joining Portglenone Road at the Point. Continuing past Memorial Orange Hall and Memorial Garden, turning right at New Street Corner, along New Street to the Demonstration Field at Dunmore Park.
The main parade will take about 1¼ hours to make its way to the field with the last lodge leaving the assembly point at 12.15pm.
BALLYCASTLE
The 43 lodges on parade here will be accompanied by 29 bands and six sets of Lambeg drums.
Also on parade will be Rawlins White Memorial LOL 803 from Cardiff. They will be accompanying Moyarget Chosen Few LOL 1196, who will be celebrating their 200th anniversary in March 2024.
On parade for the first time will be a new Junior Lodge, Ballycastle District JLOL 8, which was formed earlier this year.
The parade will assemble at the football pitch on Ramoan Road to commence at 1pm. The parade will travel along Ramoan Road, Church Road, Coleraine Road, Castle Street, The Diamond, Ann Street, Rathlin Road, Strandview Road, North Street, Quay Road, War Memorial to Quay Road Playing Fields
The Districts will parade in the following order: Ballycastle, Cloughmills, Rasharkin, Ballymoney and Bushmills. Each District will lay a wreath at the War Memorial on their way to the demonstration field.
On the arrival of the last Lodge at the Quay Road Playing Fields, the Platform proceedings will commence at approximately 3pm.
At approximately 4pm, the parade will assemble to parade back through the town.
The order for the return parade will be Cloughmills, Rasharkin, Ballymoney, Bushmills and Ballycastle.
Throughout the day there will be a collection in the town which will go towards the vital service provided by the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance.
PORTGLENONE
Sixteen lodges will take part in the 'Triangle' Twelfth of July parade which will be held this year in Portglenone.
They come from the Districts of Portglenone, Ahoghill and Cullybackey, with the parade rotating around the three venues in turn.
The main parade will move off at 12.30pm from the assembly point at Portglenone Free Presbyterian Church on the Hiltonstown Road, Portglenone.
It will follow a route through the village along Hiltonstown Road , Cullybackey Road, Main Street, over the bridge to Clay Road.
BROUGHSHANE
The parade will feature two sets of Lambeg Drums and nine bands, will start in the Commons, Tullymore Road, Broughshane at 12noon.
It will make its way down the Tullymore Road towards the Carnlough Road, taking a right and parading on down Main Street, through the village, to Beechvale, where it will turn around and come back up Main Street.
The parade will then turn up the Church Entry and continue to the demonstration field at the corner of Buckna Road and Rathkeel Road.
Platform proceedings will start at around 2.30pm, with musical accompaniment by Aughafatten Accordion Band.
The parade will leave at 4pm to return to the Commons, off Tullamore Road.
LOUGHBRICKLAND
It is anticipated that there will be around 10,000 attendees and over 60 Lodges and bands here on the day.
The parade will begin at noon and will be led by the host District, Loughbrickland No.10.
The assembly field is on the Scarva Road and the route of the main parade will include Scarva Street, Main Street, under the A1 underpass, Grovehill Road, arriving at the Demonstration Field.
The return parade will start at 4pm.
BANGOR
Bangor will play host to the Twelfth of July celebrations for the first time since it was awarded city status in December 2022.
More than 40 lodges and 30 bands will be on parade, with a selection of flute, accordion and pipe bands taking part.
They will be joined by lodges from the Ladies Association and Juniors, including the recently formed Bangor District JLOL 18 who are taking part in their first Twelfth.
The main parade will commence at noon and follow a route around the town before returning to Ward Park where there will be a range of activities and entertainment including music by Donaghadee Fifes and Drums, a performance from the Demi Walker School of Dance and singing from Clara Wilson.
The full route is: Ward Park, Gransha Road, Castle Park Road, Castle Park Avenue, Abbey Street, Newtownards Road, Church Street, Oakwood Avenue, Belfast Road, Abbey Street, Main Street , High Street, Hamilton Road, Castle Street, Gransha Road and returning to Ward Park
The return parade will commence at approximately 3.45pm.
COMBER
In total, 61 lodges from the five participating districts will be on parade accompanied by around 48 bands.
Representatives from the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland and the Junior Grand Lodge will also be taking part.
The parade will get underway at 12noon, led by the North Down Dragoons, comprising cavalry and foot soldiers in military costume of the Williamite period.
It will travel along Killinchy Street, High Street, Ballygowan Road, Railway Street, Orange Hall Lane, Brownlow Street, Glen Road, Mill Street, Castle Street, Bridge Street Link, Bridge Street, Comber Square, Killinchy Street and back to Park Way.
On return to the field, the Platform Proceedings will get underway at 2pm.
KILKEEL
The 15 lodges on parade will be accompanied by their own bands.
It is anticipated that more than 1,700 Orangemen, women, juniors and bandsmen and women will take part in this year's parade, cheered on by a crowd in excess of 3,000 people.
The Kilkeel Lodges leave Kilkeel Orange Hall at 11am to parade the 1.5 miles to the Leestone Road on the outskirts of the town. There, they join with the remainder of the District and return to Kilkeel finishing at Queen Elizabeth II Park on the Manse Road.
Following the refreshments, the Platform Proceedings begin at 2.15pm.
The District will leave to commence the homeward parade at 4pm.
BALLINAMALLARD
The County Fermanagh Twelfth of July demonstration will take place in Ballinamallard this year.
Large crowds are expected to be in attendance, including many tourists and visitors to the Lakeland county.
The Fermanagh parade traditionally encompasses the entire county with Brethren taking part from Newtownbutler, Lisbellaw, Brookeborough, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen, Ballinamallard, Kinawley, Glenawley, Lisnarick, Pettigo, Magheraboy, Church Hill, Maguiresbridge, Garrison and Tempo districts.
Ballinamallard will also play host to visiting lodges from the Republic of Ireland, representing Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan and their bands.
The return parade is due to begin at approximately 2.45pm.
COLERAINE
This venue is expected to attract a crowd in the region of 50,000 people.
The Order believes this number will be boosted by holidaymakers from the nearby resorts of Portrush and Portstewart.
The main parade will leave from Union Street at noon following a route through the town - Railway Road, Long Commons, Beresford Road, Blindgate Street, Dunmore Street, New Row, Church Street, The Diamond (left hand side), Bridge Street, Old Bridge, Waterside, Castlerock Road, Kings Road, Carthall Road - and out to the demonstration field on Wheatsheaf Road.
Platform Proceedings in the field will commence at 2pm.
The return parade will leave the field at 3.30pm led by Macosquin District.
MAGHERAFELT
Almost 50 bands and lodges due to take part in the parade,
The main parade will move off at 12noon led by the County Officers and Magherafelt District LOL No 3. The parade will continue along the one-and-a-half-mile route to the field on the Moneymore Road, parading along the Castledawson Road, Broad Street, the Diamond, Queen Street and Moneymore Road.
Once in the field, the platform proceedings get under way at 2pm.
Following the platform proceedings the parade will leave the field at 3.30pm, making the return journey back to the buses on the Castledawson Road.
DUNGANNON
In total, seven Districts from the Mid Ulster/South Tyrone area will parade with 64 lodges and 41 bands.
The Districts on parade are Killyman, Stewartstown, Cookstown, Coagh, Pomeroy, Castlecaulfield and Benburb.
The main parade will leave Lord Northland Memorial Park and travel along Park Lake Road, Moy Road, Ranfurly Road, Church Street, around the War Memorial in Market Square, Scotch Street, Railway Road, Milltown, Brooke Street, Wellington Road and back along Moy Road and Park Lake Road.
The parade will step off at 1pm with the County Officers, Killyman Colour Party, and Grand Mistress of The Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland Sister Joan Beggs leading the way.
CLOGHER
In total 23 lodges accompanied by 20 bands are expected to turn the village.
The parade will commence on Station Road at 12.15pm, making its way through the town to the Demonstration field.
Bands and Lodge members will assemble at the Livestock Mart Car Park. The procession on leaving the car park will make its way along Station Road, turning right unto Main Street. The parade will proceed along the length of Main Street leaving the town on the Fivemiletown Road and making its way to Dunwoody's Hill adjacent to the cricket pitch.
Platform proceedings start at 2.15pm.
The return parade will leave the Demonstration field at 4.15pm and retrace the route back to Station Road.
DROMORE (Co. TYRONE)
The 50 lodges will be joined on parade by two local lodges from the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland and junior lodges.
They will be accompanied by approximately 40 bands, including a range of pipe, accordion and flute.
The parade will move off from the Assembly Field on the Omagh Road at 12.30pm.
It will follow a route along Omagh Road, Main Street, Galbally Road to Demonstration Field at Trillick/Fintona Road junction.
The platform proceedings in the field will get underway at 2pm.
The return parade will leave the field at 4pm.
UPPER BALLINDERRY
Upwards of 2,000 Orangemen and women are expected to be on parade, with members from seven districts - Lisburn, Glenavy, Magheragall, Royal Hillsborough, Derriaghy, Ballinderry and Aghalee - taking part.
The parade will start at 11.30am from the assembly field at the Ballinderry Road, Upper Ballinderry side. It will turn right onto the Glenavy Road at the Junction of the A26 parade up the Glenavy Road turn left onto North Street parade down short stop at the War Memorial Hall to lay a wreath.
At the platform there will be a religious service and speeches, which will get underway at 2pm.
Following the platform proceedings there will be displays of Lambeg drumming. The return parade will commence at 4.30pm approximately.
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