Melbourne Celtic Festival is serving up the ultimate craic for this St Patrick’s Day with a lineup of some of your favourite Celtic musicians.
Your St Paddy’s Day plans are sorted as the Melbourne Celtic Festival takes over The Mission To Seafarers on Monday, March 17. With an entire day of music, laughs, dancing and culture, the festival will be bringing Celtic communities from all over the world to the heart of Naarm’s CBD.
Headlining the festival will be Scottish favourites Skerryvore, alongside Aussie favourites Austral and Apolline. With a collection of incredible bands, musicians and performers also all on the lineup, the Melbourne Celtic Festival is all about bridging the treasured traditions of a beloved history of music with exciting new sounds from an emerging cohort of incredible Celtic artists.
Melbourne Celtic Festival
- St Patrick’s Day
- Monday, March 17, 12pm to 11pm
- The Mission To Seafarers, Melbourne
- Tickets here
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Situated in the centre of the city, The Mission To Seafarers provides the perfect backdrop for this non-stop day of music and connection. There will be three intimate indoor stages across Seafarers’ hall, chapel and dome, as well as a fully licensed bar, a Spanish-style courtyard, a beer garden and catering by The Wee Kitchen.
Expect bucketloads of community spirit and non-stop craic as these performers take over Seafarers in a celebration of culture, arts and the Celtic community. Read on to discover some of the electrifying acts hitting the stage for the Melbourne Celtic Festival this St Patrick’s Day.
Those outside of Melbourne are in luck as well, as the cream of the crop of the event are headed out on a regional tour throughout the month of March – more information herehttps://www.facebook.com/melbournecelticfestival/.
Skerryvore
The Melbourne Celtic Festival has pulled out the big guns for their headline act with none other than the Scottish outfit Skerryvore. As three-time winners of Scotland’s Live Act of the Year Award, this vibrant collection of bagpipes, whistles, fiddles, accordions, vocals and guitars – seamlessly guided by an underpinning of driving bass, drums and keys – knows how to put on one craic of a show.
Skerryvore are on track to becoming a household name when it comes to exploring traditional Scottish with contemporary flair. They bring a live show that is as explosive in performance as it is in sound. If you need just one reason to head along to the Melbourne Celtic Festival, Skerryvore are it.
Austral
For Austral, countries are without borders and cultures are intertwined. Winners of Australian Folk Band of the Year at the Australian Folk Music Awards, this four-piece band blends musical motifs of Australian and Irish influences together effortlessly.
Reshaping the idea of what Celtic music sounds like in Australia, you can expect all the classic signatures of Celtic music in their set, but not in the way you might expect. Word on the street is that there’s even been some crowd-surfing at Austral gigs, so come ready to rock.
Apolline
The sonic spectrum of genre is being stretched to its limits when it comes to Apolline. This Australian folk trio explores both complementing and unexpected styles of music in a sound that is as creative as it is masterful and have recently been named the Australian Youth Artist of the Year at the Australian Folk Music Awards.
One moment they might be traversing the silky soundscapes of jazz, and the next you’ll find them in the lush weeds of Scandinavian folk. Plus, there might even be a dash of Eurovision here and there to get you on your feet.
Chloe Matharu
There are few other musicians on the lineup with a background as interesting as Chloe Matharu’s. This Scottish-Indian singer-songwriter and harpist explores the expansiveness of the natural world that is the ocean.
Informed by her time spent as a Navigational Officer in the Merchant Navy, Chloe brings a fresh perspective to folk traditions of maritime music. As if Chloe couldn’t get any more epic, her latest album also just won Celtic Music Radio’s Album of the Year 2024.
Claymore
Claymore is the kind of Celtic rock band that you need to see to believe. Their iconic live performances feel like festivals in themselves, beckoning anyone and everyone who witnesses the spectacle on stage to join in on the contagious fun they emit.
Naarm locals – and Naarm legends, too – Claymore is nothing short of the perfect addition to Melbourne Celtic Festival’s lineup.
Bhan Tre
The legends of the game that are Bhan Tre are making a stop by Melbourne Celtic Festival this St Pat’s Day for a performance that will stay with you long after the curtains close.
Having been playing music for over 25 years in both Ireland and Australia, their heavenly vocal harmonies are known the world over. Their lineup consists of Sue Foley, Geraldine Davis and Rebecca Humphreys.
Saoirse
Named after the Gaelic word for freedom, Saoirse aren’t ones to miss at Melbourne Celtic Festival. A Naarm-based vocal and dance group, Saoirse will get you up and dancing in no time at all once they take over the stage with their infectious prowess.
If you’re looking for a reason to have a jig at the festival, make sure to check these guys out.
Nightingales
View this post on Instagram
Consisting of Tracey Roberts, Claire Patti and Maria Forde, this trio of angelic musicians are nothing short of heavenly. Get ready to be transported to the skies above as these singer-songwriters and instrumentalists take the stage.
This collection of talented folks have plenty of years of experience playing as both solo artists and in groups. Watch the magic happen right in front of your eyes with Nightingales.
Tim Scanlan and Mana Okubo
With Tim Scanlan and Mana Okubo, you just know you’ll be in safe hands. These guys have made a name for themselves by performing at festivals, shows and events all across the country.
The pairing of this dynamic duo comes from Tim’s one-man band teaming up with Japanese violinist Mana for the Melbourne Celtic Festival. Together they create a set that swings between Quebecois, Scottish, Irish, Breton and original songs.
Shane Lestideau
There’s no underestimating Shane Lestideau and her violin. Shane’s masterful playing of this treasured instrument will have you transported through space and time. Through her virtuosic performance with the violin, Shane explores centuries of time’s past through her own artistic practices.
Currently undertaking PhD studies in 19th-century Scottish Australian violin performance techniques, it’s no surprise to listeners that Shane knows her way around this delicate instrument.
Victoria Welsh Male Choir
Another incredible addition to Melbourne Celtic Festival’s lineup, the Victoria Welsh Male Choir is gearing up to take over Seafarers. These guys will bring vibrancy and a good old-fashioned dash of hwyl (a stirring feeling of emotional energy).
With over a quarter of their performance sung in Welsh, this will be a celebration of a treasured language that has stood the test of time.
For tickets to the Melbourne Celtic Festival on March 17, head here.
This article was made in partnership with the Melbourne Celtic Festival.
