About

FESTIVAL HISTORY

The Koroit Irish Festival began in 1997 as a way of celebrating the Irish heritage of the town and district.

For the first two years, the festival was held in High Street, before changing location in 1999 to its current home in the heart of the town, Commercial Road. The move proved a winner showcasing the towns centre with the Village Green and the Koroit Theatre the main music venues.

In 1998 the festival hosted the Australian Danny Boy Championships for the first time, an event which has become a signature of the festival. The festival prides itself on providing great Irish music and putting Koroit and its proud Irish heritage on show for all to see.

For the only time in its history, the festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the world-wide COVID pandemic.

But this event is too beloved to be down for too long, with the festival bouncing back to put on a COVID-Safe festival to remember in 2021.

For the first time in the festival’s history, all tickets were sold online with the event selling out, with 4000 lucky people getting to be part of a beautiful celebration, a time of joy in days of great uncertainty. 

And the festival continues to flourish happy crowds flocking to enjoy the best fun weekend of the year.

ABOUT KOROIT

Koroit’s claim as the Irish heartland of Australia is not made lightly. Koroit’s current population of 2000 people is still dominated by families of Irish descent, with Irish names common throughout the township. The town, which is located at the foot of the dormant Tower Hill volcano 10 minutes either side of Warrnambool and Port Fairy, was first settled in 1857. The rich volcanic farmland of the area drew Irish potato farmers to Koroit who had fled the famine and couldn’t believe their luck to find a piece of Ireland in their new country.The Koroit township has close neighbours in the farming hamlets of Crossley and Killarney, whose back lanes and green fields are as Irish as anything the Emerald Isle can offer. Potatoes, carrots and dairy cows still grow under and on top of the rich soil around Koroit.

Come to Koroit and enjoy a slice of Ireland in our Green and Pleasant Land! Koroit is located three hours from Melbourne and Vline runs daily services to and from Melbourne.