No matter what time of year you visit, chances are there will be an event or festival in or around Armidale.
Events not to be missed include the Autumn Festival, Big Chill Festival, The Bach Festival, The New England Garden Festival, Armidale International Film Festival and Guyra Lamb and Potato Festival. Other great annual events include New England Sings, The Armidale Cup, Guyra Trout Festival, Armidale Youth Orchestra Garden Party, Vintage Truck, Machinery and Heavy Horse Show and the NEGS Equestrian events. The calendar is full with premier sport events including the TAS Rugby Carnivals, Tour de Rocks and the 12hr Mountain Bike Enduro.
Have an event to add to the calendar?
Come, sit back, relax and be taken on a journey through baroque curiosities and gems. Works by Bach, Baron and Weiss; some you may find familiar arranged in new ways, and some rarely heard, all framed by pertinent narratives. Sarah Lawrence – Narration; Alana Blackburn – Recorders; Steve Thorneycroft – Guitar; Sofia Debus - Cello
Plague and the Moonflower An 80-voice adult choir, 44-voice children's choir, 56-piece orchestra with didgeridoo, 24 dancers, 3 jugglers, 3 actors, a narrator, 5 soloists (2 sopranos, boy soprano, violin and guitar). The Gypsy Hot Club 5-piece band, fire eater, 5 tonne tip truck, a crew of 35 and 100 extra family and friends, 40 microphones, 4 cameras, a gigantic mixer; 3 huge props including a 6m-high Plague Demon built from 3,00 plastic shopping bugs. Bill Hauritz: Armidale's Plague and […]
Come down, watch a movie and be part of changing a Syrian family’s life. A fundraiser for Armidale Sanctuary's ISSA Family appeal. Donations welcomed. Wine and snacks available from 5.30pm. A documentary about two Syrian refugees living in Jordan's Za'atari camp, who dream of becoming professional football players.
Immerse yourself in an evening of distinctive melodies and rhythms with The Vampires, an instrumental ensemble celebrated for what the Guardian UK calls their “genre-hopping creativity”. Having captivated audiences from the UK to Europe and their native Australia, The Vampires have received critical acclaim, an ARIA nomination, and stand out as the first instrumental act to be shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize, boasting a lineup of some of the most acclaimed and sought-after musicians of this generation. Nightjar, their […]
Black Comedy is a one-act farce by Peter Shaffer, first performed in 1965. The premise of the piece is that light and dark are transposed, so that when the stage is lit the cast are supposed to be in darkness and only when the stage is dark are they supposed to be able to see each other and their surroundings. A young sculptor and his fiancée have borrowed some expensive antique furniture from a neighbour's flat without his permission to […]
There is an oft-quoted saying about there being “nothing more beautiful than a guitar, save for perhaps two…” Purely subjective of course, but if you enjoy your strings plucked, you’re in luck as the New England’s premier guitar duo, EphenStephen, is returning with a special programme to mark their 35 years of guitar collaboration. Please book early, and don’t miss out otherwise everyone’s going to have something to be highly strung about and fret over. EphenStephen: “35 years and STILL […]
Colour Me Love - 1/10 VENUE: The Armidale Playhouse, 309 Beardy Street. TIME: 3.00-4.30pm. COST: $30 (adult), $25 (concession) – tickets available via www.trybooking.com (50₵ booking fee applies). For more information, visit www.adms.org.au/armidale-playhouse. Well-known, seasoned Australian jazz singer, pianist, composer and educator Sharny Russell, and her daughter Lauren Lucille, also a jazz and pop vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and pianist, are part of a rich musical family heritage, so music is in their DNA. Sharny is now resident in Armidale and […]
Breast Wishes is an original concept by well-known Australian actor and producer Anne Looby, written after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Come and see a very funny show that deals with a serious issue. A musical comedy about love, life, loss and silicone; Breast Wishes is a witty, heart-warming journey about courage and determination through laughter to triumph. Meet five women - sisters, mothers, daughters, cousins. Add a fumbling boyfriend, a well-meaning husband, a bra-fitter who’s seen it […]
2.30-4.00pm (Saturday), 6.30-8.00pm (Friday, Saturday). Gang Show has a long tradition in Scouting, dating back to 1932 in London. Armidale Gang Show is one of only a handful of regional Gang Shows in NSW & we are very excited to present it to you all.
Co-hosted by Progressive Cinema and the Armidale National Parks Association as part of the campaign to Save Our Styx River and Forest which is home to lyrebirds. Mark Pearce, the producer of this stunning and heartwarming film, will join us for a discussion. It is a film about the relationship between people and birds, set in a natural wonderland where an exquisite forest faery has been performing his astonishing song and dance routines for millions of years. It is a […]
A recital for cello and piano by well-known local musicians Robert Jackson (cello) and Keith Power (piano).
Get ready to experience an unforgettable musical journey with The Organismics as they bring their unique jazz-fusion sound to the iconic music of The Beatles. Featuring Warwick Dunham on Hammond Organ, Steve Thorneycroft on guitar, and Cary Bennett on drums and vocals. You love great music and can’t wait to "Get Back" to the magic of the '60s with some of The Beatles greatest songs, reimagined with passion and finesse by The Organismics! "With A Little Help From My Friends" […]
Eight fabulous international movies will show at the Armidale Playhouse over a 48 hour period. Movies from China, Israel, Germany/Norway, Argentina/Spain, India, Sweden and France will delight movie goers. Friday, 28 July - 7.00pm Margrete - Queen of the North (Denmark 2021) - Run time: 2 hrs Saturday, 29 July - 10.30am Rosalie Blum (France 2015) - Run time: 1 hr 35 mins; 1.30pm The Quiet Girl (Ireland 2022) - Run time: 1 hr 36 mins; 3.30pm Heroic Losers (Argentina 2019); 7.00pm Farewell Mr […]
A special treat for those who love fine music: Dorian Mode and his swinging trio presenting A Tribute to Nat King Cole! Since his early teens, Dorian Mode spent his pocket money on Nat King Cole records, imitating Nat’s dazzling piano and vocal stylings. A lifelong fan, Dorian has meticulously researched Nat’s catalogue in order to choose iconic original trio arrangements to transcribe and weave into his show about Nat Cole’s fascinating life. Since 2015, Dorian has performed his tribute to […]
A concert of song inspired by the composer Piazzolla and the influences of the tango and the music of Spain. The concert will be performed by soprano Ayse Göknur Shanal, accompanied by pianist Benjamin Martin. Armidale audiences will remember Göknur as Mimi in Opera New England's production of La Bohème.
TIME: 7.30pm (Friday, Saturday), 2.00pm (Sunday). Directed by Melanie Rumble; produced by Diana Helmrich. In the countdown to Christmas, the disappearance of a two year old boy rocks a small town community, instigating a chain of events that will alter the lives of everyone involved. Featuring: Dominick O’Shea, Rebecca Tafra, Julie Collins, Andrew “Duckie” Silcock, Jackey Turner. Adult themes and coarse language.
Co-hosted by the Armidale Tree Group and Progressive Cinema: Lyrebirds hold the history of the forest in their song…but are they now singing the sad story of human encroachment? Come on a magical journey through Australia’s native forests to understand the sophistication and complex artistry of the lyrebird, leading humanity to a deeper understanding of the natural world.
To this day, the Great Strike of 1917 is still Australia's largest industrial upheaval. The story of the Strike has long been dormant in archives, and is now re-told with original film footage from the era. The story explores three elements to the strike – the reasons behind it, the murder of a striker and an early and compelling case of film censorship. This is a film to remind audiences today that the confluence of new technology, power and politics […]
- 2/4 VENUE: The Playhouse, 309 Beardy Street (cnr Ohio Street). TIME: 7.00-10.00pm COST: $25pp - tickets available at www.events.humanitix.com ($2.17 booking fee applies). For more information, visit www.adms.org.au. The Three Seas - A musical marriage that sent the room into ecstasy (5 Stars) - Oz Asia Festival This international, cross-cultural ensemble fuses West Bengal and Himalayan folk song with contemporary sounds from Sydney and Kolkata. West Bengali meets Australian jazz - an exciting and unique cross-cultural musical experience. Drawn […]
Four housemates on the verge of eviction trawl Sydney's dire rental market in search of a new place to call home. How hard could it be? The award winning film is a fresh and topical Aussie comedy that follows four millennial housemates on the verge of eviction. It takes a satirical look at today’s housing and job market and the hilarious trials and tribulations that come along with it. It's a relatable film for so many, but specifically speaks to […]
