Greetings from the Fringe Festival
Hello everyone! Amazingly, we are less than a week away from the 2021 Australian Celtic Fringe Festival (ACFF) celebrating the Year of Ireland & Isle of Man.
It has been quite a journey over the past year and more to get to this exciting point, and we look forward with excitement to the return of our signature Festival, as ever full of entertainment and culture, with markets and events true to our tradition yet fit and safe for our time.
Organising an event of the scale of the Australian Celtic Festival amid the health and safety precautions in the pandemic has relied on so many people, for which we are immensely thankful. The enthusiasm to participate in this year’s events expressed by musicians and traders, clans and societies has been heartwarming. Our town has also responded with anticipation, with venues getting into the Celtic spirit and local accommodation of all kinds filling up.
The weather looks good for the Festival weekend, with the Bureau suggesting typical conditions over late April to early May, our driest period of the year and with temperatures cooling off. With typical minimums of 5 degrees, and mid afternoon temperatures around 15 degrees, come to Glen Innes ready for a beautiful cool autumn. Already the parklands are rich with golds and reds of autumn leaves as our distinct seasons turn.
Keep up to date with this year’s Australian Celtic Fringe Festival by following us on Facebook, and when there check the events listed – hit ‘going’ to keep in touch over the short time until the Festival starts.
There are individual events to follow for the Australian Celtic Fashion Awards that start on Thursday 29th April, the Friday 30th April Celtic Symposium and Friday Night at the Chapel Theatre, and then the events at the Australian Standing Stones venue on May 1st and 2nd – the free entry Celtic Cultural Markets and the five ticketed Australian Celtic Fringe Festival Concert Sessions.
In this month’s Newsletter, we say thankyou to our Sponsors whose support has been of such enormous help. So we bid you welcome to the 2021 Australian Celtic Fringe Festival (ACFF) celebrating the Year of Ireland & Isle of Man!
We hope to see you soon!
From the ACFF team
The Concert Sessions - Ticketed Events for 2021
Over the February and March Newsletters we have featured many of the talented artists performing in this year’s Concert sessions in the entertainment precinct. Here we complete our introductions, and looking over them all, we know you’ll find a great variety of styles, offering beautiful traditional Gaelic songs and balladry to toe tapping, high energy craicin’ and rock! Be sure to view our Program on the Australian Celtic Festival website and find details about the Concert Sessions and who will be performing.
Have you got your Concert Session Tickets?
The five Concert Sessions at the Australian Standing Stones on May 1 and 2 and the Friday Night at the Chapel Theatre Concert on April 30 are all ticketed events.
Book your tickets now – remember each Concert Session has its own ticket.
Please be aware that tickets are selling fast, with a lot of the premium seating tickets already sold out. General Seating may or may not be undercover, and seating will be allocated as you arrive for your session for Covid registration. All seating allows great viewing of the performers, and there’s currently no restrictions on dancing making for a great craic!
A Concert Session ticket gives you exclusive access to the bands and dancers, along with the Boar N Drum bar and food stalls within the separate entertainment precinct for the duration of your ticketed session.
At the Friday Night at the Chapel Theatre Concert, held indoors at the Chapel Theatre in Glen Innes, food & drinks will be available at the Bar and in the Foyer – doors open from 6pm for the performances at 7pm.
All tickets need to be purchased online, so please take the time to review the program and book your tickets to avoid disappointment. Tickets are available to purchase here.
Introducing our 2021 performers
Saturday Night Concert MC - Peter Berner
Hosting the Saturday Night Concert running from 5pm to 10pm, Peter Berner is one of Australia’s most popular and respected comedians, broadcasters and authors. He's entertained Australia for nearly three decades and hosted TV and radio shows including Backberner, The Einstein Factor and You Have Been Watching. You may even see him around and about the Festival - his engaging way with wit is not to be missed.
Northern Celts
Northern Celts is a professional Irish dance group from Lismore and the Northern Rivers, featuring a vibrant mix of traditional and contemporary Irish dance. We are looking forward to them perform at the opening of the Australian Celtic Festival Fashion Awards on Saturday morning at 10 am at Glen Innes Town Hall - A gold coin entry to the exhibition!
Moreton Celtic Fiddle Club
A group of energetic and talented Celtic musicians who are passionate about learning and playing Celtic and Bluegrass tunes. The group ranges in age from the young to the young at heart. They are known for being one of most entertaining groups in the Celtic Fiddle Group scene.
Pipe Bands at the ACFF
There'll be pipers at this year's Fringe Festival. Pipes will feature in the entertainment precinct during the Concert Session changeovers, to help you get your Celt on! We're pleased to announce that over the course of the Festival this year, we'll enjoy the company of Armidale Pipe Band, Glen Innes Pipe Band, Moree Caledonian Pipes and Drums, Murrumba Pipes and Drums, and (pictured here) Queensland Irish Association Pipe Band.
In the Celtic Cultural Markets
On Sunday morning in the free entry Celtic Cultural Market area surrounding the Australian Standing Stones, the Clans and Celtic Societies will hold their traditional ceremonies acknowledging the people and places that make the tapestry of Celtic culture in Australia. These ceremonies will be held on and by Tynwald Hill to the south of the
Australian Standing Stones circle:
Wales at 9.30am at the Gorsedd Stone
Ireland at 10.00am at the Ogham Stone
Isle of Man at 10.30am on Tynwald Hil;
Cornwall at 11.00am at the Gorsedd Stone
The Clans of Scotland ceremony will gather on Tynwald Hill at 11.30am
Followed at 12.00pm with the Kirking of the Tartan proceeding into the Stone Circle.
As always there will be colour and spectacle on display!
Thank you to our 2021 Sponsors
Join us for the 2021 Australian Celtic Fringe Festival as we celebrate the Celtic nations
of Ireland and the Isle of Man.
