Winter will arrive in full colour and celebration at Newbridge Winter Solstice Festival this June, with locals and visitors invited to gather beneath the glow of candlelight, music and medieval revelry for the annual Newbridge Mediaeval Banquet.
Set to be held on Friday June 19 from 6pm to 10pm at the Brian Bennett Pavilion at the Newbridge Showground, the banquet has become one of the region’s most anticipated winter traditions, blending old-world atmosphere with community spirit in the heart of the village.
Guests will be treated to a three-course medieval feast, complete with beverages provided by the Gladstone Hotel, while a lineup of roaming performers, musicians and storytellers transform the evening into an immersive celebration of winter solstice.
Leading the entertainment are the wildly unpredictable Octave & Knott, a bardic duo known for mixing music, circus antics and blade juggling into a performance packed with chaos, comedy and audience interaction. Equal parts whimsical and dangerous, their act promises plenty of laughs and more than a few surprises throughout the night.
Adding a more traditional flavour to the evening will be Furphy’s Lore, featuring Chloe, Jason and Roweth, whose rich acoustic performances weave together folk songs, yarns and evocative ballads. Armed with guitar, mandolin, concertina and tenor banjo, the trio are known for warm, homegrown performances that celebrate storytelling and the spirit of the bush.
Guiding the evening will be MC Marlena Dali, whose background in circus sideshow, theatre, music and performance has made her a familiar face at festivals and events across the country. From medieval fairs to major city stages, Marlena brings charisma, humour and theatrical flair to every crowd she commands.
The banquet is coordinated annually by the Newbridge Progress Association Inc. and continues to play an important role in supporting tourism and community development throughout the region. Funds raised through the association’s events are reinvested directly back into village projects that improve local facilities and infrastructure, including initiatives such as the Covered Walkway project and Memorial Garden paving works.
This year’s event has again drawn strong support from across the region, with major sponsorship from Blayney Shire Council, Newmont and Orange 360. Local businesses and organisations backing the event include Bernardi Group, Newmans Fuels & Buses, Odd Sock Gallery, Railway Meats, Hill & Crofts, Hutchisons Bakehouse, The Gladstone Hotel, Newbridge RFS, Bunnings, Miskells Bi-Rite, Goldrush Collective, Central West Village Voice and 2BS.
Tickets for the Newbridge Mediaeval Banquet are available now through Humanitix.
