Greetings from the Fringe Festival
Hello everyone! We’re getting excited as we draw nearer to the 2021 Australian Celtic Fringe Festival (ACFF) celebrating the Year of Ireland & Isle of Man.
Last month the new-look website was launched, and the feedback we’ve received on social media has been positive. We are very pleased to have been able to organise a Festival full of entertainment and culture, with markets and events true to our tradition yet fit and safe for our time.
Autumn has arrived in Glen Innes Highlands and the scenery in and around town is showing the first hues of red and yellow as the season settles in and the trees of our gardens and parklands respond – ever a reminder that Festival time approaches.
We’ve developed the ACFF website to provide the information you need to explore the Program and plan for the weekend’s activities and purchase tickets for Concert Sessions.
There’s certainly a lot to choose from.
In this month’s Newsletter, as a handy reference guide, we’ll have a look at the ACFF activities and concerts being held at the Australian Standing Stones venue on the weekend of 1st and 2nd May, plus ACFF events in Glen Innes in the lead up and during the weekend.
We hope to see you there!
From the ACFF team
Have you got your Concert Session Tickets?
Tickets are selling fast, with premium seating for our Saturday Concerts already sold out. Get 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 session. You can book multiple sessions and there are premium and general seating options available. General seating may not be under cover, and will be allocated on a first come basis during arrival.
The Friday Night at the Chapel Theatre Concert will be held indoors at the Chapel Theatre in Glen Innes, food & drinks will be available at the Bar and in the Foyer. All tickets need to be purchased online, so please take the time to review the program and book your tickets to avoid disappointment.
Book Tickets Now!
Introducing our 2021 performers
Last month we featured some of our talented artists performing in this year’s Concert Sessions in the Entertainment Precinct. And the talent just keeps on coming with a variety of beautiful traditional Gaelic songs and balladry to toe tapping, high energy, craicin’ and rock! You can view our Program on the Australian Celtic Festival website where you’ll find details about the Concert Sessions and who will be performing.
Murphy's Pigs
Murphy’s Pigs, always a crowd pleaser, will capture your rocking Celtic spirit and take you along on a musical adventure through the lands of the Celts that’s all things craggy mountains, turbulent oceans, wild battles, unrequited love and a bit of whisky. Get ready for spirited jigs, reels and hornpipes!
Limerick (Modern Celtic Band)
A high-energy group that plays a lively Celtic mix. The group won for ‘New Celtic Talent of the Year’ at the 2019 Australian Celtic Music Awards and features Tim Cody on guitar and vocals, Melinda Coles on fiddle and accordion, Belle Hendrik on bass and vocals, and Craig Tobin on drums and vocals.
The Gypsy Clovers
This dynamic Celtic rock quintet features the powerful voice of Tanya Powell, three-time Golden Fiddle Award winner Rabbit Robinson, great guitar licks from Ollie Twohill, bass by Bill Jacobi, and energetic drum battering from Peter Read. The band is lively and vibrant and will have you stomping and singing along.
The Boatmen
These five folk rockers from Newcastle, NSW have stunned many punters at festivals and gigs throughout the nation. Get set to twirl away to all sorts of stringed things, including fiddle, plus a drummer that the band released from a cage fairly recently. Energy ahoy!
Kinsale
The band have been working on new material that’s a combination of traditional pieces and originals that the band is looking forward to share with you. This is the full quartet with harp, hand drum, guitars and haunting Irish balladry featuring in the band’s Celtic fare.
Voyage Of Irish Dance/Scotia Highland Dancers
A performance group featuring highly skilled jiggers and shakers, not to being something of a high watermark for all things Irish dancing education. Their show will be hugely colourful and energetic, and feature absolutely dazzling traditional costumes. Do feel free to toe-tap along..
Discover our Celtic Kids Fairy Marquee in the Celtic Cultural Markets
In the free entry Celtic Cultural Market area surrounding the Australian Standing Stones, we will have a Fairy Marquee celebrating traditions about the ‘little people’ from our celebrated Celtic Nations, Ireland and the Isle of Man for all the younger visitors to this year’s festival.
This will be a fun place with lots of activities, including fairy door painting, shield painting, fairy mushroom painting, storytelling, and other arts and crafts. We think this will make for a delightful break during an exploration of the many traders and society stalls at the Markets. It’s bound to be entertaining for parents just as much as a treat for the children!
Cross the fairy bridge into the Celtic Kids Fairy Marquee. Say good day in Manx to the little people, ‘Laa mie, mooinjer veggey!’ or spy a pooka or leprechaun out of the edge of your eye – Good day to you, too, Lá maith duit!
Join us for the 2021 Australian Celtic Fringe Festival as we celebrate the Celtic nations
of Ireland and the Isle of Man.
