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Get ready for a weekend packed with Celtic music, dancing, stories and plenty of good times at the Keeping the Celtic Spirit Alive festivities at the Nic.

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With old favourites, new faces and an incredible line-up including Claymore, Bushwahzee, TWA Corbies, The Whole Shebang, The Rough Enoughs, The Folksters, Rich Davies and the Low Road, O’Shea Ryan Dancers, special appearance by Bhantre and more.

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Plus Barry vs Kelly, a musical play taking over the historic Beechworth Courthouse.

Don’t Forget to Book Your Meals

With Celtic music and dancing filling the Nic throughout the day, there’ll be plenty to enjoy from the first note to the last.

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Lunch | 12pm–2pm
Dinner | 6pm–8:30pm

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Bookings are essential, so book your table in advance and enjoy great food alongside the music, dancing and Celtic atmosphere.

Phone 03 5728 1051 to secure your table

Friday

Meet & Greet

From 7pm, Bushwahzee, The Whole Shebang, TWA Corbies, The Folksters and O’Shea Ryan Irish Dancers will be joining us for a casual Meet & Greet at the Hotel Nicholas.

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Enjoy dinner and drinks as you meet the artists, have a chat and soak up the Celtic atmosphere.

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Book your table and settle in for the evening.

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No tickets required

Saturday Afternoon - $45

Get Tickets

12:00 pm

Bushwahzee and the O'Shea Ryan Dancers
Bushwahzee is an entertainment company based around the Bushwahzee Bush band which has been performing bush dances, concerts and gigs in and around Melbourne since 1981. As well as performing band gigs and functions Bushwahzee has produced a number of theatre pieces including Barry Versus Kelly, to be performed at the Beechworth Courthouse on Sunday November 8 at 4pm. Members of Bushwahzee, who are also performers in Barry Versus Kelly on the weekend of November 6-8 in Beechworth are Felix Meagher (fiddle) Cora Browne (vocals), Pat Evans (guitar) and Louey Hesterman (bass).  Joined by the O'Shea Ryan Irish Dancers.

Hotel Nicholas

1:00 pm

The Whole Shebang
Motivated by a love of music The Whole Shebang formed in Bendigo in 2026. Whilst the band is new to the Celtic genre there is no lack of musical expertise between the members. Sue Foley (Vocalist and Bodhran) has played Celtic music for over 35 years with all female trio “Bhan Tre” who have been performing at Beechworth Celtic Festival for the same amount of time.  Having moved back to Bendigo and continuing her connection with Bhan Tre, Sue met Col and Steve and together are exploring the lore and music of the Celtic genre among others. Col and Steve have had a musical partnership spanning three decades. Steve Lawrence is a well-respected musician and sound engineer in Central Victoria.  A keyboard player with a beautiful touch, Steve’s love of melody and music has found its way into a new era of Irish song. Col Brady commenced his musical journey in country halls and pubs as a teenager.  His love of music has found many expressions over the years, and he continues to be a keen student of music history and the acoustic guitar.

Hotel Nicholas

2:00 pm

The Twa Corbies
Brodie Mcmullan-Jones is a singer/raconteur with a passion for collecting songs and stories that make you laugh, cry, dance, and drink. James Brown has enjoyed playing Celtic fiddle since he was a teenager. Exploring culture and mythology has always been a keen interest of his and folk music is a natural extension of this passion. Around 2020 when they shared an apartment in St. Kilda, Brodie and James formed the Australian Celtic folk duo The Twa Corbies.

Hotel Nicholas

3:00 pm

The Folksters
The Folksters are husband-and-wife duo Bernadette and Anthony O’Neill, bringing together decades of musical experience, Celtic roots, storytelling, rich harmonies and original songwriting. Anthony O’Neill is a highly versatile multi-instrumentalist, equally at home on guitar, fiddle, mandolin and bouzouki. His distinctive musicianship has been shaped through years of performing with some of Australia’s much-loved folk and Celtic acts, including The Bushwackers, The Ploughboys and Saoirse. His ability to move effortlessly between instruments gives The Folksters a wonderfully textured and dynamic sound, from driving traditional tunes and lively folk numbers to intimate ballads and contemporary songs. Bernadette brings her own long-standing career as a singer, performer and songwriter, with a deep connection to Celtic music and storytelling. Together, the pair combine their experience and passion to create performances that are energetic, heartfelt and highly engaging. The Folksters’ repertoire embraces Irish and Celtic favourites, traditional folk, contemporary songs and their own original compositions, with stories and humour woven throughout. Their songwriting reflects a shared love of people, place, community, life and the enduring power of a good song. Whether performing on a major festival stage, in a folk club or in an intimate acoustic setting, The Folksters offer audiences an authentic and entertaining musical experience — rich in tradition, alive with musicianship, and delivered with warmth, humour and heart

Hotel Nicholas

4:00 pm

The Rough Enoughs
The Rough Enoughs – a partnering with the Twa Corbies Tom Kendall & Lloyd O'Hanlon started working together as sidemen in Craig Woodward's Cajun project ‘The New Johnny Can't Dance Cajun Band' but quickly found they share a common interest in various and disparate forms of folk music from lesser travailed corners of the globe. As two fine strumsmen they have continued their collaborative efforts backing up singer songwriter Ellen James, working in duo format and absorbing and re-interpreting the great music of their forebears. Their musical interests include Irish Traditional, Cajun, Greek, Georgian and more. Together these two great acts have united to form the Rough Enoughs. The Rough Enoughs interpret Celtic folk music through an Australian lens.  Half of the band hails from central Victoria and the other half from Melbournes inner west, a variety of musical influences can be heard. From Brodies original ballads, the skilled fiddle playing James or Tom & Lloyds Americana influenced rhythm section, this band promises to make you to dance, drink, laugh and cry all in the course of an evening.

Hotel Nicholas

Saturday Evening - $50

Get Tickets

8:00 pm

Rich Davies & The Low Road
Rich Davies brings a trio version of The Low Road to Beechworth with the raucousness and big-hearted storytelling that have made them one of Australia’s most exciting folk-roots acts and saw them nominated for Artist of the Year at the Australian Folk Music Awards. Combining trad-roots instrumentation with soaring 3-part harmonies, Davies’ narrative-driven songs are steeped in Celtic and Appalachian folk traditions and informed by the storytelling spirit of the ‘60s Folk Revival. His ode to multicultural Australia ‘Dirt Under My Nails’ was covered by The Bushwackers, earned a place in their Big Australian Songbook, and was nominated for a Golden Guitar Award. Expect wit and banter, heart-on-sleeve storytelling, and glorious folk’n’roll.

Hotel Nicholas

9:00 pm

Claymore and the Glenbrae Highland Dancers
Claymore, Australia's leading Celtic Folk Rock band, is set to ignite stages across thecountry on their upcoming tour. Known for their high-energy performances and unique fusion oftraditional Celtic melodies with the raw power of rock, Claymore delivers an unforgettable musicalexperience. With powerful vocals, intricate guitar work, and the haunting sounds of bagpipes andfiddle, their dynamic stage presence captivates audiences. From heartfelt ballads to foot-stompinganthems, Claymore's diverse repertoire showcases their versatility and passion. Join them on thisexhilarating tour and experience the magic of Claymore live!  Joined by the Glenbrae Highland Dancers!

Hotel Nicholas

10:00 pm

Rich Davies & The Low Road
Rich Davies brings a trio version of The Low Road to Beechworth with the raucousness and big-hearted storytelling that have made them one of Australia’s most exciting folk-roots acts and saw them nominated for Artist of the Year at the Australian Folk Music Awards. Combining trad-roots instrumentation with soaring 3-part harmonies, Davies’ narrative-driven songs are steeped in Celtic and Appalachian folk traditions and informed by the storytelling spirit of the ‘60s Folk Revival. His ode to multicultural Australia ‘Dirt Under My Nails’ was covered by The Bushwackers, earned a place in their Big Australian Songbook, and was nominated for a Golden Guitar Award. Expect wit and banter, heart-on-sleeve storytelling, and glorious folk’n’roll.

Hotel Nicholas

11:00 pm

Claymore and the Glenbrae Highland Dancers
Claymore, Australia's leading Celtic Folk Rock band, is set to ignite stages across thecountry on their upcoming tour. Known for their high-energy performances and unique fusion oftraditional Celtic melodies with the raw power of rock, Claymore delivers an unforgettable musicalexperience. With powerful vocals, intricate guitar work, and the haunting sounds of bagpipes andfiddle, their dynamic stage presence captivates audiences. From heartfelt ballads to foot-stompinganthems, Claymore's diverse repertoire showcases their versatility and passion. Join them on thisexhilarating tour and experience the magic of Claymore live!  Joined by the Glenbrae Highland Dancers!

Hotel Nicholas

Sunday Afternoon - $45

Get Tickets

12:00 pm

The Whole Shebang
Motivated by a love of music The Whole Shebang formed in Bendigo in 2026. Whilst the band is new to the Celtic genre there is no lack of musical expertise between the members. Sue Foley (Vocalist and Bodhran) has played Celtic music for over 35 years with all female trio “Bhan Tre” who have been performing at Beechworth Celtic Festival for the same amount of time.  Having moved back to Bendigo and continuing her connection with Bhan Tre, Sue met Col and Steve and together are exploring the lore and music of the Celtic genre among others. Col and Steve have had a musical partnership spanning three decades. Steve Lawrence is a well-respected musician and sound engineer in Central Victoria.  A keyboard player with a beautiful touch, Steve’s love of melody and music has found its way into a new era of Irish song. Col Brady commenced his musical journey in country halls and pubs as a teenager.  His love of music has found many expressions over the years, and he continues to be a keen student of music history and the acoustic guitar.

Hotel Nicholas

1:00 pm

Bushwahzee and the O'Shea Ryan Dancers
Bushwahzee is an entertainment company based around the Bushwahzee Bush band which has been performing bush dances, concerts and gigs in and around Melbourne since 1981. As well as performing band gigs and functions Bushwahzee has produced a number of theatre pieces including Barry Versus Kelly, to be performed at the Beechworth Courthouse on Sunday November 8 at 4pm. Members of Bushwahzee, who are also performers in Barry Versus Kelly on the weekend of November 6-8 in Beechworth are Felix Meagher (fiddle) Cora Browne (vocals), Pat Evans (guitar) and Louey Hesterman (bass).  Joined by the O'Shea Ryan Irish Dancers.

Hotel Nicholas

2:00 pm

The Folksters
The Folksters are husband-and-wife duo Bernadette and Anthony O’Neill, bringing together decades of musical experience, Celtic roots, storytelling, rich harmonies and original songwriting. Anthony O’Neill is a highly versatile multi-instrumentalist, equally at home on guitar, fiddle, mandolin and bouzouki. His distinctive musicianship has been shaped through years of performing with some of Australia’s much-loved folk and Celtic acts, including The Bushwackers, The Ploughboys and Saoirse. His ability to move effortlessly between instruments gives The Folksters a wonderfully textured and dynamic sound, from driving traditional tunes and lively folk numbers to intimate ballads and contemporary songs. Bernadette brings her own long-standing career as a singer, performer and songwriter, with a deep connection to Celtic music and storytelling. Together, the pair combine their experience and passion to create performances that are energetic, heartfelt and highly engaging. The Folksters’ repertoire embraces Irish and Celtic favourites, traditional folk, contemporary songs and their own original compositions, with stories and humour woven throughout. Their songwriting reflects a shared love of people, place, community, life and the enduring power of a good song. Whether performing on a major festival stage, in a folk club or in an intimate acoustic setting, The Folksters offer audiences an authentic and entertaining musical experience — rich in tradition, alive with musicianship, and delivered with warmth, humour and heart

Hotel Nicholas

3:00 pm

The Rough Enoughs
The Rough Enoughs – a partnering with the Twa Corbies Tom Kendall & Lloyd O'Hanlon started working together as sidemen in Craig Woodward's Cajun project ‘The New Johnny Can't Dance Cajun Band' but quickly found they share a common interest in various and disparate forms of folk music from lesser travailed corners of the globe. As two fine strumsmen they have continued their collaborative efforts backing up singer songwriter Ellen James, working in duo format and absorbing and re-interpreting the great music of their forebears. Their musical interests include Irish Traditional, Cajun, Greek, Georgian and more. Together these two great acts have united to form the Rough Enoughs. The Rough Enoughs interpret Celtic folk music through an Australian lens.  Half of the band hails from central Victoria and the other half from Melbournes inner west, a variety of musical influences can be heard. From Brodies original ballads, the skilled fiddle playing James or Tom & Lloyds Americana influenced rhythm section, this band promises to make you to dance, drink, laugh and cry all in the course of an evening.

Hotel Nicholas

4:00 pm

Bhan Tre
Three women of undoubted musical and vocal prowess formed in 1997 to create the celebrated Celtic trio "Bhan Tre".  Geraldine Davis (Vocals, Guitar, Bodhran), Sue Foley (Vocals & Bodhran), Rebecca Humphreys (Vocals and Fiddle), have become a regular at all the major festivals in Victoria and interstate and on a number of occasions have taken their particular style of Celtic music to Ireland and England. The girls have released three successful albums "Bhan Tre", "Ballinagh" and "Bhanshee on your Heel".  All albums are a testament to the trio's songwriting skills and their ability to create sublime three-part harmonies as well as raising the roof with rollicking tunes and well-known traditional songs.  Bhan Tre have also become a sought-after guest artist for visiting International Artists such as Finbar Furey and Lunasa as well as appearances on variety television and radio programs.  More recently they were guest performers with the Australian Welsh Choir at the Hamer Hall in Melbourne

Hotel Nicholas

Barry Versus Kelly - $59.50

A musical drama by Felix Meagher (with additional music by Lou Hesterman and Cyril Moran) about the trial and execution of Ned Kelly in November 1880. Barry Versus Kelly focuses on the confrontation between Ned and the Judge, Sir Redmond Barry.

Historic Courthouse

4:15 pm

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