Welcome,  My Lords and Ladies, Merchants and Peasants to the 19th Abbey Medieval Festival.

This year we had hoped to move to a new permanent festival site.  However due to heavy rain and other issues we will still be using the College grounds again this year.

A week of festivities commences with the famous Banquet on Saturday, 5th July, and concludes with two fabulous days of the Medieval Tournament held over the weekend of 12th and 13th July, in the Year of Our Lord 2008. 

The Abbey Museum holds the festival primarily for educational and cultural purposes and to raise funds to maintain its priceless collections. 

The festival is the largest authentic medieval event in Australia.  It spans a thousand years from Europe’s Dark Ages to the High Middle Ages, roughly AD 600 to 1600. 

In 2007 approximately 18,500 people participated in the week-long festival, while around 14,500 visitors enjoyed the weekend Tournament.

Photo: Lachlan Douglas   

There is something for all ages at the Tournament.  The breath-taking pageantry of the Joust; the courage and skill of knights in armed combats; the spectacular Grand Parade with over 500 re-enactors massed outside the castle; a Masque Ball, educational talks and exotic food.  There is music, dance, arts and crafts and rich photographic opportunities. 

Come and enjoy the magic of the Abbey Medieval Tournament in July 2008.