Festival News

One day to go!

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FINAL PRESS RELEASE Robert Burns Celtic Festival 2024 The 2024 Robert Burns Celtic Festival is here and Camperdown in winter time is a great opportunity to put your hat and coat on and join in this wonderful Winter Festival.  The ABC Back Roads crew will be in town filming the RBCF Festival and Camperdown. This opportunity is a wonderful way to showcase and celebrate our town and community. You can also come in to The Loaf and Lounge on Friday morning from 6.30-9am for his ABC live broadcast, with festival interviews… and help us to sing The Skye Boat Song! Festival Chairperson Dr John Menzies OAM said “The new look festival has something for everyone”.  The festival kicks off with a Movie at the Killara centre on Thursday night, with ‘Wild Mountain Thyme, an Irish Romantic comedy.   On Friday The Gala Dinner at the Theatre Royal has sold out this year but don’t worry there …

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Burns festival introduces new choir and choral events

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The Robert Burns Celtic Festival will be hosting a brand new event as part of this year’s festival, a friendly Celtic choir competition and concert. Patrons are invited to be in the audience and cast a vote for your favourite choir. The competition and concert will be held from 10.30am – 2.15pm Saturday 22 June 2024 at Theatre Royal. $10 Tickets are available online, at Laffs or at the door. Children under 18 – free. Our panel of judges will be voting on the “Most Celtic” choir and presenting winners of all categories with trophies” A newly formed Camperdown based choir, known as the Corangamite Celtic Choir, will also be performing.  Angela Preiss is delighted with the newly formed Choir who are meeting weekly to learn new songs. Over 120 choristers will join in with our own Choir said Jennifer Bromeley said who is co-ordinating the competition.  Visiting Choirs are Ein cioil from Geelong, the …

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Burns Birthday Sun 28 Jan 2024, Program Released

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Burns birthday celebrations to be held at the Camperdown Botanic Gardens on Sunday the 28th of January, from 4pm. A free event, with gold coin donation appreciated. BYO picnic and chairs. What a beautiful way to celebrate our local connection to the Bard, in the sheltered canopy of Linden trees, near where the Robert Burns statue used to be seated. From 3.45 Dr John Menzies will be playing the bagpipes inviting guests to make their way to the performance space. Simon Buccheri will MC the event which will begin with a welcome, followed by the piping in of the haggis. This is a grand sight with a kilted parade that features honoured guests and a sword bearer. Norm Macdonald will then perform the ‘Address to the Haggis’, and while the haggis is prepared for tasting (which is optional) Geelong Scottish Dance, led by Christine Shields, will dance to a pipe tune. This is followed by …

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2024 Robert Burns Camperdown Celtic Festival

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From 2024 Camperdown’s Iconic Robert Burns Scottish Festival will be re-branded as the Robert Burns Celtic Festival and held on 21st – 23rd of June, 2024. Enjoyment of Robert Burns artistry, and appreciation of his independent philosophy saw enthusiastic embracement amongst his Celtic neighbours, especially the Irish in the 18th and 19th Centuries.  Given the substantial Scottish and Irish migration to South West Victoria in the 19th century  the Festival committee has chosen to adjust describing its festival to reflect this, hence we now have a new name that captures Burns Beyond Scotland ‘The 2024 Camperdown Robert Burns Celtic Festival’. This change to a Celtic festival expands our ability to include performers from Ireland, Wales and England while retaining connections to regular Scottish performers. The Robert Burns Celtic Festival is a winter literary and music festival, celebrating Scotland’s national Poet and the Celtic culture in poetry, song, music and dance, in and around the historic buildings of Camperdown. Dr John Menzies OAM, Chair …

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Press Release – Robert Burns Scottish Festival 2023 Wrap

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Dr John Menzies, OAM said “the Festival was a great success this year with a full festival program including free events and ticketed events on offer proved to be a great combination for patrons and visitors to Camperdown, lots of people took advantage of the festival events, venues were well full and well patronised. The hard work in planning and putting the festival has meet all of our expectations”. The 2023 Robert Burns Scottish Festival committee presented a successful weekend. The festival kicked off with the Movie ‘Falling for Figaro’ on Thursday night. On Friday evening 100 guests came to the Gala Dinner featuring a sumptuous Scottish meal including the Address to the Haggis given by festival performer Fiona Ross, who later performed a wonderful selection of Traditional Scottish song, Merran Moir played the small pipes and son Kyle Moir played the bag pipes. Hugh and Janet Gordon also entertained the patrons. Strip the Willow …

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BURNS FESTIVAL LECTURE PROGRAM PRESS RELEASE

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A full and interesting program of lectures will be presented as part of the Robert Burns Scottish Festival on Saturday 1st July at the Killara Centre. Tickets Available Now: https://www.trybooking.com/CICVY Scottish born Fiona Ross will start the program at 10:30 am with a lecture exploring Burns’ approach to songwriting and discuss some of his better and lesser-known compositions. Fiona is a very accomplished singer with a strong interest in the history of traditional Scottish music and song. Stewart McArthur will be the second presenter at 11:30 am. He will talk about his family and local Scottish connections to the composition of Australia’s best loved folk song, Waltzing Matilda. Stewart is a well-known 4th generation descendant of a founding Scot of Camperdown district, Peter McArthur. He is a farmer, businessman and former politician. After the lunch break, at 1:30 pm, Dr Rosalie Triolo will present her findings about Scottish born teacher-enlistees from Camperdown district schools in World War …

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29 JUNE – 2 JULY 2023 ROBERT BURNS SCOTTISH FESTIVAL WEEKEND

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29 JUNE – 2 JULY 2023 ROBERT BURNS SCOTTISH FESTIVAL WEEKEND IS PROMISING TO BE A GREAT FESTIVAL WITH A FULL PROGRAM OF EVENTS. Tickets Available Now: https://www.trybooking.com/CICVY $60 Weekend Ticket (excludes Gala Dinner & Lectures – includes entry to 4 concerts – 3 Saturday, and Finale on Sunday, value $100)$35 Saturday Day Ticket (includes entry to 3 concerts – morning, afternoon and evening, value $75)$25 Single Entry$25 Saturday – Lecture Series$80 Friday – Night Gala Dinner$5 Thursday – Movie Night ‘ Falling for Figaro’Suggested Donation $15 – Saturday Ploughman’s Lunch with Unicorn Tapestry, limited spaces.FREE – Festival Choir FREE – Sunday Morning Concert – Gathering @ The BardFREE – Family Show with Eric ReadFREE – Kid’s Activities, Highland Dancing demonstrations & more… read on for full program details, including the school’s program, cooking classes, golf tournament and shortbread baking competition. For further information please contact Catherine O’Flynn RBSF Co-ordinator on 0407 056 126Connect: camperdownburnsfestival.com and facebook.com/robertburnsfestival Festival Chairperson, Dr …

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Press Release Sunday Jan 29 first event for 2023

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The 2023 Camperdown Robert Burns Scottish Festival is Celebrating Scotland’s famous Bard in the Camperdown Botanic Gardens on Sunday January 29th.   The Gardens once home to our Statue of Robbie Burns will be hosting a Family friendly event marking his birthdate.  Dr John Menzies OAM said, “It is a happy coincidence that James Dawson’s son- in-law William Taylor gifted the 1831 Greenshields statue of Robert Burns to the Camperdown Community which has been the inspiration for the present Robert Burns Scottish Festival. This event is kick- starting our 2023 festival and has been hosted in the Gardens for a number of years with folk coming along to enjoy our beautiful gardens in Camperdown”. Live music in the gardens and entertainment from 4.00 pm including musicians Merran and Pete Moir, Tuniversal Music Group, the Lakes and Craters Concert Band, The Twa Bards, Guest Dancers, Pipers and Drummers from the Warrnambool Pipes and Drums. The event will also have Piping …

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RBSF 2022 PROGRAM OF EVENTS

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Book Tickets Here – from 10am May 4 2022 ROBERT BURNS SCOTTISH FESTIVAL IS PROMISING TO BE GREAT FESTIVAL WITH A FULL PROGRAM OF EVENTS  The 2022 Robert Burns Scottish Festival is set to return to Camperdown 1-2-3 July this year. The Festivals Chairperson, Dr John Menzies OAM is pleased to announce that festival is going ahead and promises to be a great festival.  After two years of Covid restrictions and limited festival events last year due to the Covid restrictions the committee are working hard to ensure that Patrons and the local community are able to enjoy a full festival in 2022. The committee have invited back the musicians who were to perform at last years cancelled festival. These include The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, Fiona Ross and Shane O’Mara, Claire Patti,  Austral, and Cornerhouse. A line-up of talented local bands and musicians including Pete Daffy and his band, The Twa Bards, Tuniversal Music …

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Sunday 23 January 2022 Burns Birthday Event

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The 2022 Camperdown Robert Burns Scottish Festival is Celebrating Scotland’s famous Bard in the Camperdown Botanic Gardens on Sunday January 23rd.  The Gardens once home to our Statue of Robbie Burns will be hosting a Family friendly event marking his birthdate.  Dr John Menzies OAM said, “It is a happy coincidence that James Dawson’s son- in-law William Taylor gifted the 1831 Greenshields statue of Robert Burns to the Camperdown Community which has been the inspiration for the present Robert Burns Scottish Festival. This event is kick starting our 2022 festival and has been hosted in the Gardens for a number of years with folk coming along to enjoy our beautiful gardens in Camperdown”. Dr John Menzies OAM said “the RBSF committee is hosting the event and will be held with the current Covid guidelines including QR Codes on entry and proof of double vaccination” Live music in the gardens and entertainment from 4.00 pm including musicians Luke Plumb and …

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