Music
Over the years, the NCF has seen some incredible performances and this year is no different, with a diverse range of artists, from up-and-comers to veterans. The festival is headlined by Welsh five-piece Calan. Combining accordion, fiddle, welsh pipes, and harp, they’ve received acclaim for their vibrant and energetic stage presence. Even if you aren’t familiar with the bands on the bill, you can be sure that the music will be top notch.
Fiona Ross from Scotland is teaming up with Tony McManus to release a new album and this promises to be one of many highlights. Another key act is Irish folk band Ports. Guitarist Ryan Griffiths is excited to be a part of the festival. “I’m really looking forward to playing, I think that we will bring something slightly less traditional and it will be great to get out there and see how vibrant the scene is.”
Throughout the main arena and select venues around town, there is plenty of live music to feed your appetite. From Kevin Crawford and Colin Farrell, Daire Mulhern to Paul McKenna and Marc Clement, the international acts on this year’s billing are vying for the best in the festival’s history. The entertainment doesn’t stop there though. Representing the Australian side of programming are acts including folk legend Eric Bogle, The Bushwackers and Claymore.
The Feis Rois program is something special that continually astounds festival-goers year after year. The program promotes both the traditional and contemporary art of Scotland. 2017 sees four emerging artists take to the stages of Portarlington across the weekend.
Food
Everyone loves to eat at a festival, and you’ve got to keep the motor running while trekking between stages somehow. The main philosophy of the NCF is to keep it both fresh and local. Down on the Peninsula is some of the best seafood in the region, so why wouldn’t you get amongst it? Each year in January, Portarlington plays host to the Mussel festival which draws thousands of people to the one-day event.
You can’t go wrong with trying some of the local cuisines both in the festival precinct and in the restaurants located in town.
Culture
Music may be what everyone comes to the Celtic festival for, but there are plenty of other great activities and events running through the weekend to keep you hanging by the sea until Monday afternoon (it’s a long weekend after all). Amidst the Viking demonstrations at the bottom of the foreshore, there is also bagpiping and Scottish highland dancing competitions to check out.
On the Sunday night, an inaugural event called ‘The Gathering’ will be held. Alongside the ceremony, which comprises a torchlight procession and ceremonial bonfire, is community arts project Lantunda –a combination of shadow puppetry, stories and music. This ceremony will highlight the significance of place between both the Indigenous and Celtic communities.
Local community groups such as the Portarlington Harmonica band will also be playing around the festival as well as the Geelong Scottish Dance group.
Activities
Wrestling demonstrations, animal hide curing and iron mongering is just the tip of the excitement iceberg in 2017, with plenty of other things to see and do. Multiple clans and societies set up displays throughout the festival, showcasing the history of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Additionally there are experts there to trek back through your family history. Music workshops over the weekend in the Grand Hotel are sure to give you both an insight into the traditional instrumentation of Celtic music as well as the history of songs.
