Celtic Music

celtic-music-tent-featured

2025 Schedule

Saturday

Sunday

2025 MC

MC Nash Park

Nash Park is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and  born in a small town in northern BC. Now based out of Western Canada Nash regularly performs his high-energy, hard-hitting stand-up, and crowdwork to audiences all across BC. Nash has taken part in the Just For Laughs Vancouver Comedy Festival, Rifflandia, Winnipeg Comedy Festival as well as opened for the likes of Jon Dore, Ivan Decker, Malik Elassal, and Dino Archie.

Nash is also the founder of OK, DOPE, a comedy collective that produces live shows, podcasts, and other comedic content. Since its founding Nash has produced hundreds of comedy shows through BC and has quickly become one of Western Canada’s biggest bookers. Nash has traveled all throughout BC with the OK, DOPE Stand-up Comedy Tour and is the host of OK, DOPE’s flagship production is The Late Night Show with Nash Park, a live show that combines stand-up, improv, and sketch all within the structure of a classic late night talk show. When not on stage you can hear him as one half of the OK, DOPE Podcast.

Instagram ( @nash.park @ok_dope_ )
Tik Tok ( @ok_dope )

2025 Line Up

Castle Ceilidh

Castle Ceilidh started with members of Victoria’s Castle Cary Pipes and Drums, coming together to share their love of Celtic music with a bit of a modern edge. Featuring bagpipes, fiddle, djembe, bodhrán, guitars, and bass, they mix traditional sounds with contemporary rhythms in a way that feels familiar and fresh. Their sets are easygoing, welcoming, and made for toe-tapping, pint-raising good times. Celtic roots, modern rhythm.

Clanna Morna

Hailing from the occupied territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ nations (Victoria, BC in Canada), Clanna Morna breathes life into their unique take on the Celtic Folk genre. Their sound is rooted in the traditional Irish, Scottish and English music that many love, and features carefully crafted arrangements, rhythmic spirited energy and captivating storytelling. Clanna Morna focuses on telling the stories of those less fortunate throughout history; the rebels, underdogs, women, and queer people whose voices were silenced. Comprised of an ensemble of multi-instrumentalists, their collective musicianship and attention to detail contribute to a unique audience experience  featuring both familiar and lesser known folk ballads and tunes.

Cookeilidh

Cookeilidh has been delighting audiences for years with their high energy traditional, and modernized Celtic tunes. Comprised of 12 string guitar, fiddle, Irish flute, electric bass, bodhran and vocals, they define their music as “Trad with Attitude” “Celtic Craic” and “Pot O’ Gold Folk”.

While being predominantly Celtic, they have an eclectic set of tunes that includes, Irish, Scottish, Folk, Canadian Maritime, and even a few contemporary covers. A timeless blend of music and vocal numbers that caters to all ages and all audiences.
www.cookeilidh.com

The Hounds of Cuchulain

The Hounds of Cuchulain are a high-energy celtic folk band from Victoria BC who perform a wide selection of Irish, Scottish, English, and original songs in the Celtic tradition, dating from the 1600’s all the way up to the 1980’s. Stylistically inspired by such folk giants as the Dubliners, Pogues, and the Corries, the group’s performances feature rowdy pub songs, historical ballads, haunting airs, and ripping reels – all woven together with engaging storytelling of the music’s history.

Combining powerful vocals, driving guitar, inventive harmonies on the fiddle, hard-hitting Irish banjo, sprightly leads on the whistle and mandolin, the powerful heartbeat of the bodhran, and the ancient ambience of the Irish lever harp, the Hounds’ textured and energetic arrangements invite listeners to be swept up in the stories, to sing along and stamp their feet – true to the tradition of folk!

The group is led by seasoned performer and composer Wolf Edwards on lead vocal and guitar, and joined by Madeleine Townley on vocals, Irish harp, and tin whistle, Briana Kennedy on fiddle, Dexter Simpson on Irish tenor banjo, Ben Garrison on mandolin, and Jeff Feltmate on bodhran and second fiddle.

The Hounds of Cuchulain have reached their two year anniversary! Since their inception they have performed over 200 shows at major folk festivals, theaters, pubs, community events, private functions and more. The band has released two full length albums, and head back to the studio this upcoming year to record an album of original songs.
www.hounds-of-cuchulain.com

Tom Morrissey

Tom Morrissey

Tom Morrissey, lives on Vancouver island. Playing pubs, clubs and festivals all over Canada bringing high energy east coast music and pub favorites to every show. Born in Mount Pearl Newfoundland Tom has been entertaining audiences for over 40 years

A Newfoundland kitchen party is sure to break out when he plays.

Ian Todd is a bassist whose passion for music shines through in every note he plays. Over four decades of playing professionally, and his work as a live sound engineer has honed his playing and his ear, giving him an ability to effortlessly weave rock, folk, Celtic and blues influences into his distinctive style of playing.

Joe Higgins

Joe Higgins is a Scottish singer/songwriter from the Glasgow area of Scotland who also thoroughly enjoys playing the old Scottish songs from his childhood.

Joe immigrated to Canada over 25 years ago and has had the pleasure of playing his tunes in and around Victoria, B.C. pubs and local events ever since. Joe has been performing at The Victoria Highland Games/Celtic Festival for over 15 years and you may even have heard his CDs being played on CFUV and occassionally on CBC.

Joe was also no stranger to playing around the Scottish pubs including the oldest pub in Glasgow, The Scotia Bar, and the Wee Man’s Pub which is now The Cleutha Vaults.

As well as busking around Bavaria and Austria, in the late 1980’s Joe also played a solo concert in Brno University, Moravia, and performed, by invitation, in PORTA Folk Festival, Bohemia, both in the former Czechoslovakia.

Currently, Joe mostly enjoys performing in the wee pubs in and around Sidney, B.C..

Terry Boyle & Ceilidh Briscoe

Terry Boyle, from Dublin, is a much-travelled musician and songwriter known for his unique blend of acoustic melodies and heartfelt lyrics. He has immersed himself in the rich traditions of his native Ireland where many of his songs originate and whose influences can be found in some of his original compositions. Performing at intimate venues and larger festivals, Terry continues to build his following through his carefully crafted songs, his humour and his ability to connect with audiences on a personal level.

Ceilidh Briscoe, from Victoria, is a five-time All Ireland fiddle champion and violinist with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. With a deep passion for traditional music, she has toured internationally with the world famous Riverdance. Ceilidh’s musical versatility and commitment to her craft have earned her recognition as one of the best players of her generation. Whether performing with an orchestra or in intimate concerts, Ceilidh’s playing captivates audiences with its richness and depth.

Together, Terry and Ceilidh present a wide range of songs and tunes in the style of an intimate kitchen concert. Usually exhilarating and free flowing, sometimes mellow and thoughtful, this hugely entertaining and engaging duo is not to be missed.

The Slieves

The Slieves are a West Coast Celtic band hailing from Victoria and Duncan B.C., the traditional territories of the Lekwungen, WSÁNEĆ and Quw’utsun peoples. Brought together by their love of traditional Irish Music, this group has brought Celtic folk and Celtic-inspired original music to the coast of B.C. for well over a decade. The trio draws inspiration from such groups as Dervish, The Bothy Band, The Pogues, The Chieftains, Great Big Sea, The Irish Rovers, and others. The talented members include the magical Tasia MacKay (Irish flute and whistles, 5 string banjo, vocals), the accomplished Jeremy Walsh (guitar, vocals) and the foot-stomping Andrew Morris MacKay (bodhran, spoons, vocals).

Victoria Scottish Gaelic Choir

Guth Nan Eilean – Voices of the Island, aka Victoria Scottish Gaelic Choir, has been promoting and preserving the Gaelic language, music and culture since 1997.

We are an a capella SATB choir of around 30 members, singing in Gaelic, Scots and English.

We perform at many local Scottish events such as Burns celebrations, the Victoria Highland Games, our own concerts, and have competed further afield in Vancouver, Seattle and Scotland, sometimes even winning!

There are further photos and information on our website at www.victoriagaelicchoir.com

We are also on Facebook and instagram (@victoriagaelicchoir)

The McGullicuddy’s

Under the influence of old school punk rock and traditional Celtic tunes, the McGillicuddys are a psycho ceilidh mixed up with power chords. Electric guitar, bass and drums provide a thumping background, for the lashings of mandolin, tin whistle and accordion that complete the glorious din. This heady mixture is topped off with gritty real-life lyrics and catchy, boot-stomping songs that complete the full bodied McGillicuddys experience.

May 21st, 22nd & 23rd 2016