Berry Celtic Festival in New South Wales, which is featured in the May edition of Anglo&Celtic, has been cancelled by organisers due the “current drenched state of Berry Showground and the additional forecast rain in the lead up to the event”. New South Wales is facing severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and flooding.

Organisers, the Rotary Club of Berry, shared: “Due to the inclement weather and the current forecast, the Berry Celtic Festival has been cancelled for the 24th of May 2025.

“It was not an easy decision to make when considering the months of effort towards the preparation for the event and the commitment by our dedicated Rotary Club members.

“We would like to thank the various stakeholders including our valued sponsors, exhibitors, food vendors, trade sites, entertainers and the general public for their support of the event and apologise for any inconvenience this decision may have caused. We trust that we will have your support for the festival in 2026 which will be scheduled for the 23rd of May.”

The festival promised a full day of vibrant entertainment, with knights, bands, clans, medieval villagers, singing, and dancing set to delight attendees.

One of the festival’s biggest crowd-pleasers in recent years has been the jousting tournament, where heavily armoured noble knights put on thrilling shows of skill and bravery for the cheering audience.

The day was to begin with a Grand Street Parade, featuring pipe bands marching in their distinctive kilts, representatives of all the clans, medieval knights, and even Scottish Terrier dogs adding charm and character.

Festival-goers would have experienced a castle-keep atmosphere, with stalls, a Scottish soldiers’ camp, Celtic musicians, spinners and weavers, and artisans lining the parade ground. The entertainment program was packed with pipes and drum bands, knights on steeds, dancers, and Scottish soldiers.

Attendees could have enjoyed games, tea, coffee and scones, crafts, fiddles, kilts, long socks, sashes, and feathers, all set at the beautiful Berry Showground in New South Wales.

Berry itself has strong Celtic roots, founded by Alexander Berry, born in Cupar, Fife, Scotland, in 1781. Alexander Berry was a surgeon, merchant, and explorer who was granted land in 1822 to establish the first European settlement on the south coast of NSW.

The festival is staged by the Rotary Club of Berry to raise funds for disaster relief projects, education, and community development.

The knights, bands, clans, and all the medieval merriment will return bigger and better for the Berry Celtic Festival 2026.

For more information, go to www.berryrotary.org.au/celtic-festival.