Press Release

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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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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September RBSF Weekend Events Cancelled

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Camperdown’s Robert Burns Scottish Festival [RBSF] September event cancelled for a 2nd Year due to Covid-19 Delta Strain and current state of affairs. The Camperdown 2021 Robert Burns Scottish Festival has been cancelled.  Chairperson Dr John Menzies OAM said “due to continuing uncertainty and extended lockdown with restrictions, the festival committee has cancelled the remaining events of the RBSF for 2021.”   The organising committee delivered components of the festival, known as` Burns Bites’, in July, these ‘bites’  proved to be very successful and were well patronised. It was planned to move the main event to September.  It is now evident with that we cannot do this now because of the current outbreak in Victoria, “This pandemic has been fast moving, impacting many communities such that most Events and Festivals have had to be cancelled.  The Communities’ Public Safety, health and wellbeing will improve in the coming months once folk have been immunised and we obtain a high level of immunity.” Dr Menzies said. …

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RBSF July 2021 Weekend Cancelled

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Continuing uncertainty over Covid-19 restrictions and the unavailability of Camperdown’s Theatre Royal complex for performances has led the organisers of Camperdown’s Robert Burns  Scottish Festival to reconsider the structure of this year’s program and they have come up with an innovative solution which hopefully will have the support of patrons. The events of the 2-3-4th of July will be spread out to safe times in Spring, and the pre-existing performance commitments at Darlington’s Public Hall -19thJune, and Terang’s Commercial Hotel – 1stJuly – will go ahead as planned. Paid-up ticket holders will be offered the option of a refund or may opt to use their ticket to attend the deferred events. So the 2021 Robert Burns Scottish Festival will be a novel series of “Burns’ Bites” and it is hoped that supporters will be sympathetic and supportive of these changes which the organisers have been reluctant to make. The golf will go ahead as planned on …

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RBSF2021 Press Release #3 Early Bird Tickets

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Early Bird Tickets for the Camperdown Robert Burns Scottish Festival offers great discounts for patrons. The Camperdown Robert Burns Scottish Festival Committee is pleased to announce that the festival Program is nearing completion and promises to be a festival for the community with new elements adding to a number of favourites returning.   The Festival Chairperson, Dr. John Menzies OAM said “the committee is pleased to announce that Early Bird tickets will be available until May 30th and the Early Bird ticket is $80.00 which allows patrons to go to all performances at the designated venues including the two Satellite Events in Darlington on June 19th with live music and the Movie Whisky Galore and at Terang’s Commercial Hotel on Thursday 2nd of July featuring the Sugar Loaf Band: Luke Plumb, Pete Daffy, Maree Daffy, and James Green.   Friday the 3rd, Saturday 4th, and Sunday the 5th Concerts and performances and the Popular Lecture …

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RBSF Press Release #1 2021

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The 2021 Camperdown Robert Burns Scottish Festival is moving with the times – and leading from the front! Festival Chairperson Dr John Menzies OAM said, “Skills acquired through Covid necessities saw the virtual 2020 festival launched on line.  This received national and international praise so now a virtual component with international contributions will be an integral part of this years `in person’ festival.” In responding to this interest from afar the organising committee has set up a dialogue with festivals in Scotland  -Ayr`s Tamfest-New Zealand- Dunedin`s Robbie Rocks festival, America- the American Scottish  Foundation which organises New York`s Tartan Festival, and the Robert Burns World Federation. There have been valuable exchanges of ideas which will benefit our festival. One key feature of this international collaboration is that Robert Burns’ legacy is relevant worldwide. A fundamental belief of the Camperdown committee is that while we are contributing to our local Australian culture that has imported/colonial features it is most important that we respect the culture of the first …

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Press Release Program & Ticketing Updates

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The Camperdown Robert Burns Festival committee are pleased to announce that the festival program is nearing completion and promises our 2nd festival as a community operated festival will see new elements adding to a number of favourite events returning. Festival Chairperson Dr John Menzies AOM said “the committee are pleased to announce that Early Bird tickets are now available via the festival website via Trybooking.com until May 25 . Visit: https://camperdownburnsfestival.com.au/tickets/ Early Bird tickets are $80 which allow patrons to go to all the performances at designated venues over the weekend”. This price excludes the Burns Festival Gala dinner which is $70 / person, bookings are essential”. Dr Menzies said, “ a number of festival musicians have now been booked and the performers coming include The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, returning as our headline act in 2020. A great combination of Australia’s best known Scottish performers are now confirmed to appear at the festival include …

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2020 Lecture Series

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Guest Speakers Announced. Saturday 4th July, 10.30 am – 3.30 pmKillara Centre, Camperdown $20 per Lecture Series for Adults (Saturday 4 Lectures). Under 18’s: Free(under 13’s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.) Dr Andrew Lemon has chosen to speak on “The legacy of Camperdown district Scots and the Manifolds to Australian horse racing.” Dr Ruth Pullin will speak on “Vision and patronage: von Guérard and the Scots of the Western District.” Dr Ian D. Clark will take us on “A Scottish Ramble through the Western District.” David Jellie will discuss “The legacy of Scottish Engineers, Telford and McAdam, to Australia’s roads.” For further details and updates visit our Lecture Series page. Tickets now available!

2020 RBSF Press Release

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Camperdown’s Robert Burns Scottish Festival 2020 After the relaunch of the Robert Burns Scottish Festival this year the Community Festival Committee is pleased to announce that the Festival was a great success with an increased patronage. A revamp of the festival saw new elements implemented into the event. Chairperson Dr John Menzies OAM said the committee are busy now planning the 2020 festival program. The popular Schools program is returning and visits to local schools will include an Art, poetry and a story writing competition. The popular shortbread baking competition saw an increase of entries with many mums and dads participating. The committee made the decision for entry to the festival performances for children under the age of 18 years to be free this year, and the same offer will be offered in 2020. It is our way of offering opportunities to families to come along and experience cultural events. The RBSF starts on June …

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