This St Patrick’s Day, ditch the crowded bars—the Melbourne Celtic Festival is where the real action is. Set at the iconic Mission to Seafarers in Flinders Street, this festival is your gateway to an invigorating world of Celtic music, culture, and good vibes. Whether you’re into high-energy tunes or just want to experience something fresh, this is the event for you.
And it doesn’t stop there, in March, the festival hits the road for a national tour, bringing a dynamic lineup to venues across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland. Presented by individual arts venues and Promac Productions Australia, the tour is spreading Celtic music far and wide.
A lineup you can’t miss
The Melbourne Celtic Festival lineup is stacked with talent. Here’s a glimpse of who’s taking the stage:
- Skerryvore – These guys are legends. Three-time winners of Scotland’s ‘Live Act of the Year’ award, they’re bringing their high-octane sound straight to Melbourne.
- Austral – Melbourne’s own folk powerhouse. AFMA ‘Folk Band of the Year’ blend genres and deliver high-energy performances that get everyone on their feet.
- Chloe Matharu – Think ethereal vibes with a touch of storytelling genius. A harpist and singer-songwriter, Chloe’s music is inspired by her time as a Merchant Navy officer. Her newly released second album, Sailors and Rolling Stones has just won Celtic Music Radio’s Album of the Year 2024!
- Apolline – Representing the next generation of Celtic music, this female trio adds a modern twist to traditional sounds. They’ve already snagged AFMA’s ‘Youth Artist of the Year.’
Can’t make it to Melbourne? No stress. The festival’s national tour is hitting regional hubs, so you can catch the buzz in your own backyard. Whether you’re a die-hard Celtic fan or just looking for something new, these shows will blow your mind.
Tickets are on sale now, and they’re going fast. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action. Head to www.melbournecelticfestival.com.au and lock in your plans now.
Main photo: Chloe Matharu.
Scotland’s Live Act of the Year – Skerryvore Australian Tour 2025
Three-time winners of Scotland’s “Live Act of the Year” award, Skerryvore, will embark on an Australian tour in February and March 2025, presented by Port Fairy Folk Festival. In addition to their eagerly anticipated performances at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, Skerryvore will bring their high-energy live show to fans across Australia, making this tour a must-see event.
The best in contemporary Scottish traditional music
This exclusive partnership with Port Fairy Folk Festival marks a unique opportunity for audiences to experience Skerryvore in both festival and standalone concert settings. Skerryvore are one of their country’s leading forces in a thriving live music scene, having reinvented and reignited Scottish roots music with a modern alt-pop flavour that has connected with an ever-expanding multicultural global audience. They’re like no-one else. Epic of melody, intimate of feeling and plugged into the roots of Scotland but blasting out to the world.
Folk Radio UK described the band claimed: “Skerryvore have crafted a world beating fusion, which takes pride in their heritage and above all else is a pure joy to listen to.” At the forefront of a movement that has reinvented and reignited a traditional Scottish scene for a modern, multicultural audience, the band have brought their high energy performances to audiences across the globe. With a mix of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by driving bass, drums and keys, Skerryvore represent the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music.
For full Australian dates and venues see: https://skerryvore.com/tour