Armidale Events

What screams winter wonderland more than an ice-skating rink? The Armidale region will be able to experience the magic of skating on ice and gliding under festoon lighting for two weeks in May, with a 25m ice-skating rink being installed at Armidale’s Curtis Park from 13 - 29 May. Grab your family and friends to share the winter wonderland experience which also includes a snow machine!. All ages and abilities are catered for including ‘quiet’ sessions and disability access. Sessions […]

Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration. The Big Chill Festival is coming - celebrating all that is beautiful and unique to our region; sampling local craft beers, boutique wines as you enjoy a succulent gourmet steak burger made with locally sourced beef. Come and spend the weekend with family and friends from near and far, around glowing fire-pits, enjoying the aromas of slow cooked BBQ and being entertained by a range of national and local artists. If that […]

TIMES: 10.00am-4.00pm -  Wednesday, 18 May, Friday, 20 May and Sunday, 22 May. The Mary White Saumarez Collection is made up of a newly discovered array of stunning art deco travel posters and original documents collected by Mary White throughout her voyages from 1939-1947 which were found inside a set of attaché cases, now on show for the first time. Redeem your NSW Discover voucher when you purchase your ticket on arrival.

Formed in 1991, The Catholics are one of Australia’s most distinct contemporary ensembles. Over three decades, they have formed a unique body of beautifully crafted music that takes in various African, Caribbean, Latin, and Eastern influences. Band leader, composer and bassist, Lloyd Swanton, is well-known across Australia and internationally for his work with improvising legends, The Necks, as well as appearances on over 100 albums, many of them ARIA Award winners, for artists including Vince Jones, Wendy Matthews and Bernie […]

Come and enjoy jazz at one of Armidale's grooviest venues. Kez & Steve  - Kez Watson (all kinds of fiddles/strings) and Stephen Tafra (guitar/banjo/accordion) draw on their classical roots and diverse musical heritage to explore instrumental music traditions from around the world. Their performances are infused with idiomatic essences and techniques from the Celtic regions, Spain, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Appalachia and beyond. Music washes away the dust of everyday life - Art Blakey

TIME: 2.00pm (Sunday), 7.30pm (Friday, Saturday). We are never too old to fall in love. Roger & Julie is Armidale local, Benjamin Thorn’s rewrite of Shakespeare’s famous Romeo & Juliet. This much shorter and modernised play moves the age of the characters forward and into their lives in two nearby nursing homes. The play is suitable for teenage children. Producer: Diana Helmrich; Directors: Margaret Sims and Benjamin Thorn. Payment by NSW Government vouchers available by contacting the event organiser.

$70 (Festival pass). All films are presented in their original language with English subtitles. 3.40pm - A Tale of Love and Desire Ahmed (the remarkable Sami Outalbali, Sex Education) is a talented 18-year-old Algerian from the outer Parisian suburbs, who has received a grant to study literature at the prestigious Sorbonne. Though the same city, it’s a disorientingly-foreign world for the conservative Ahmed, and he is rattled by the discovery of a rich canon of ancient, erotic Arabic texts in […]

TIMES: 10.00am-4.00pm -  Wednesday, 25 May, Friday, 27 May and Sunday, 29 May. The Mary White Saumarez Collection is made up of a newly discovered array of stunning art deco travel posters and original documents collected by Mary White throughout her voyages from 1939-1947 which were found inside a set of attaché cases, now on show for the first time. Redeem your NSW Discover voucher when you purchase your ticket on arrival.

With his 7th album on the way and music featured in movies and documentaries such as The Emu Runner and John Pilger’s Utopia, Nhunggabarra, Kooma man and international touring singer-songwriter, Glenn Skuthorpe, is a powerful lyricist and composer who gives voice to those whose stories must be heard. A compelling performer whose playing style is captivating, engaging audiences in the stories behind his journeys. Prepare for an infusion of urban street blues to dusty plains and wide open skies.

Come and enjoy jazz at one of Armidale's grooviest venues. The Gravy  - One of the most nascent groove collectives in the High Country, The Gravy features Dave Brown on bone, John Corcoran on guitar, Emily (EJ) Jane on vocals, Brendan Passey on bass and vocals and Ian (Mitch) Mitchell on skins. This succulent sauce has a base of contemporary soul, notes of 80s funk and naughties groove, topped with a healthy dollop of home-cooked original flavour. Music washes away […]

TIME: 2.00pm (Sunday), 7.30pm (Friday, Saturday). We are never too old to fall in love. Roger & Julie is Armidale local, Benjamin Thorn’s rewrite of Shakespeare’s famous Romeo & Juliet. This much shorter and modernised play moves the age of the characters forward and into their lives in two nearby nursing homes. The play is suitable for teenage children. Producer: Diana Helmrich; Directors: Margaret Sims and Benjamin Thorn. Payment by NSW Government vouchers available by contacting the event organiser.

You never know what breed may be in attendance! You will see crowd favourites, 179 entries, such as the Persian, Ragdoll, Maine Coon, Siamese, Bengal, British Shorthair, Burmese and American Shorthair Cats. Discover the endless variety of cats. Stalls, all day BBQ, awesome raffles, vote for your favourite cat and best decorated show cage in The Teddy Bears' Picnic Theme. A great family day out.

The Bridge Walk is held every year during National Reconciliation Week – a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can join the national reconciliation effort. This year’s national theme for Reconciliation Week ‘Be Brave. Make Change’. The event starts with a smoking ceremony, then we walk across Stephen’s Bridge, followed by a circuit of the park. We then listen to a couple of short speeches and […]

TIMES: 10.00am-4.00pm -  Wednesday, 1 June, Friday, 3 June and Sunday, 5 June. The Mary White Saumarez Collection is made up of a newly discovered array of stunning art deco travel posters and original documents collected by Mary White throughout her voyages from 1939-1947 which were found inside a set of attaché cases, now on show for the first time. Redeem your NSW Discover voucher when you purchase your ticket on arrival.

After viewing the Travels with Mary exhibition, join our What we know about Mary tour set to delve into Mary White’s interests, works and deeds through various works and objects, especially in her room and her own cottage garden in the grounds of Saumarez Homestead, for an exclusive insider’s look into Mary’s life at home. A private person with a social conscience who gave herself to public works, possessing a strong sense of responsibility and social duty, Mary White was […]

For those of you yet to experience the delight of group singing - in harmony - with your mates - at a pub - here's the dealio. No experience needed, no commitment required - just you, some mates, some classic tunes and a cheeky bevie or three. Grab a meal if you are peckish and a bevie, pick up a lyric sheet and we will fill you up on solid gold classics and send you home before bedtime with a […]

Come and enjoy jazz at one of Armidale's grooviest venues. Herbie Gets Out - If you dig your blues on the edge of green, your jazz country-tinged, your country with a side of noir and your funk with a garnish of surf, we might be getting somewhere. Just call it music. I do. Mr Herbie engages the services of Steve Harris (drums), James Haselwood (bass) and Steve Thorneycroft (guitar). Music washes away the dust of everyday life - Art Blakey