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In July each year, the Abbey Museum welcomes thousands of visitors to our Medieval Festival to experience life in the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East, from 600 to 1600AD. The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, together with re-enactors, jousters, performers, food vendors and merchants, deliver one of Australia’s premier living history events.

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A small team of dedicated coordinators manage the Abbey Medieval Festival, most are volunteers. Together they engage with our stakeholders and manage all elements of this event. There are several opportunities for you to get involved in this unique event, from volunteering to becoming a sponsor.

The Abbey Medieval Festival is the largest event hosted by the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology. The event funds the Museum’s operational costs and supports the maintenance and care of its remarkable collection of fine arts and antiquities. It also fulfils the Museum’s mission to provide quality educational and public programs.

The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology holds many unexpected treasures, objects from around the world, dating from prehistory to the end of the 19th century. The Museum’s medieval and renaissance collection boasts over 200 works of art and artefacts.

The Abbey Museum is free to Festival patrons over the Tournament Weekend, or you can use your wristband to gain free access to the Museum until the end of the calendar year.

Re-enactment is a fun and challenging endeavour involving research, combat training, and learning arts, crafts and skills of a bygone era.

Medieval re-enactors at the Abbey Medieval Festival display combat, arts, crafts, and skills from 1,000 years of history. Making siege weaponry, armour, displays of swordsmanship, chivalry, jousting, costuming, weaving, pottery, illumination, and music to list a few.

Hundreds of re-enactors from across the country participate at the Abbey Medieval Festival, showcasing their passion for this period of history. Thanks to these groups, Festival-goers can see and experience history come to life in encampments and at the Festival’s many performing venues.