Auckland's Sky Tower was lit in the colours of Ireland during the Rugby World Cup. (File pic)

Some of the world’s most famous landmarks – including Auckland’s Sky Tower – will go green next month to mark St Patrick’s Day.

Niagara Falls, the TV tower in Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, the London Eye and Table Mountain in South Africa are among some of the well-known sites that will be lit up on March 17.

However, as reported last week by the Echo, Sydney’s Opera House will not be lit up.

Tourism Ireland said the celebrations were part of a promotional drive to grow overseas tourism.

Niall Gibbons, the body’s chief executive, said more than 70 million people around the world claim links with the island of Ireland.

“St Patrick’s Day is a truly unique opportunity to reconnect them with their heritage and to showcase our wonderful tourism offering to a huge global audience,” he said.

“People across the world instantly identify St Patrick’s Day with Ireland and that heightened profile allows us to put the Ireland holiday experience in the spotlight – from London to Sydney and Stockholm to New York.”

The Sky Tower in Auckland will be the first building to turn green when it reaches midnight, followed by the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai and landmarks across Europe and the US, including the Empire State Building and White House fountain.

The Sky Tower turned green last September as Rugby World Cup organisers illuminated the landmark in the colours of participating nations.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations will span Great Britain, mainland Europe, North America, Australia, as well as developing markets such as China, India and South Africa – with an advert for Ireland shown on Times Square, which could be seen by up to 1.5 million New Yorkers.

Ireland’s Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said St Patrick’s Day provides a unique shop window for Ireland around the world, for Irish tourism and for trade and investment.

A four-day festival will also be staged in Dublin, featuring an outdoor ceili, traditional music concerns, and a St Patrick’s Day parade through the capital.

The annual Harbour2Harbour Walk in aid of mental health charity Aware will also be held on the day.

Last year more than 700 walkers turned out for the 16.2 mile route around Dublin Bay, between Dun Laoghaire and Howth.