St George's Day speech template (England, United Kingdom)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
St George's Day is celebrated on 23 April in honour of St George, the patron saint of England. Little is known for certain about his life, but he is widely believed to have been a soldier who died for his faith in the early fourth century, and he is best known from the legend of George and the dragon. It is not a bank holiday. People fly the red-and-white flag of St George, wear red roses, and enjoy parades, morris dancing and community events.
- Date
- April 23
- Next dates
- Friday 23 April 2027
Sunday 23 April 2028
Monday 23 April 2029 - Country
- England, United Kingdom
- Tone
- Cultural celebration
- Typical events
- Community festivals and parades, pub and village hall events, school assemblies, Scout parades, English societies abroad and workplace celebrations held on or around 23 April.
- Length
- 192 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The St George's Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- GOOD AFTERNOON1 / 4
Good afternoon, and welcome to {Venue}. My name is {Your name}, and I'm delighted to host this St George's Day celebration for {Organisation}. Today we celebrate England's patron saint, along with the music, dance, food and traditions that communities across the country share. - THE SAINT AND THE DRAGON2 / 4
Few facts about St George's life are certain. He is believed to have been a soldier who died for his faith in the early fourth century. His story travelled far, and in the best-known legend he rescues a town from a dragon. Over the centuries he became a symbol of courage, and England's patron saint. - ON WITH THE DANCING3 / 4
Now for a much-loved English folk tradition, complete with bells, sticks and handkerchiefs. Please give a warm welcome to {Morris side or performers}.
[MORRIS DANCING – APPLAUSE]
Thank you! If that has inspired you, the dancers will be happy to chat and show you a step or two afterwards. - A ROSE FOR ENGLAND4 / 4
Before you go, please pick up a red rose from the table by the door, the traditional flower of the day. Thank you to everyone who helped put this afternoon together, and to all of you for coming. Enjoy the rest of the celebrations, and happy St George's Day.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- St George's Day is not a bank holiday, so many events take place in the evening or at the weekend nearest 23 April. Change the word today in the cards if you are not celebrating on the date.
- The flag of St George is a red cross on a white background. Make sure flags and bunting are clean and in good condition, and that any Union Flag is flown the right way up.
- The flag and the day can mean different things to different people. Keep the script focused on shared traditions, local history and community so that everyone in the room feels included.
- 23 April is also traditionally marked as Shakespeare's birthday and is the anniversary of his death. A short reading from one of his plays can be a fitting addition to the programme.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Flag Flying Days 2026 - College of Arms. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
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