2025 - Entertainment in and around Oberon

2025 Fish River Festival
December 25, 2025 in Entertainment and Community

Another perfect day for the Fish River Festival (with just a small worry a few minutes before the start). Great music, great weather, great to get together and see what "community" means.
Lots of photos here

National Trust Heritage award for the restoration of the Malachi Gilmore Hall
December 4, 2025 in Entertainment, Community and Business

Another award for the Malachi Gilmore Hall.
Read what the National Trust had to say here

Shakespeare is coming back to Oberon
November 27, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

If you loved the 2025 Oberon Shakespeare Festival (and who would admit to not loving it?) it's on again bigger and better in March 2026. A feast with entertainment at the Malachi, workshops and shows at the markets and "Romeo and Juliet" in the Common. What more could you want?

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Get more of the story here

Oberon gets a good laugh
November 13, 2025 in Entertainment

One of the lines repeated so often in that timeless comedy show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, was "And now for something completely different". What was different this time was that a comedy show came to the Malachi Gilmore Hall on November 8. Featuring Natalie May (and puppets)), Sean Woodland from the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Martin Curtis and Lithgow's own Marty Bright, ...
See the fun of the night here

And now for something completely different
October 23, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

The words above come from one of the greatest comedy shows in history. Look it up in Google if you don't (or are too young to) remember. What is different this time is that a comedy show is coming to the Malachi Gilmore Hall on November 8. Featuring Carolyn Swindell from the Sydney Comedy Festival, Sean Woodland from the Melbourne version and Lithgow's own Marty Bright, the evening promises to have you rolling in the aisles, splitting your sides with laughter, having tears running down your cheeks and any other clichés you can think of.

The event is supported by Arts On Tour and is part of the Backroads Touring Initiative which aims to bring entertainment to the sort of places that sometimes get overlooked when acts are on tour.

Culture comes to Oberon
October 9, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

People who live in the country often complain that it's too far to go to the big city for some fine drama and music. Two events in Oberon bring the drama and music to us.

The first is the Oberon Chamber Music Festival which runs this year from November 21-23. Most of the concerts are at the Malachi Gilmore Hall and you can find out all you need to know at the festival's web site.

The other event is the Oberon Shakespeare Festival on March 5-7, 2026, organised by Oberon Rotary. You can see the fun of the 2025 festival here.

Keep your eye on the What's On page here for more news about coming events.

Congratulations to Oberon Rotary
October 2, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

Oberon Rotary has received a District Governor's Award for Oberon's first Shakespeare Festival.

Here's a couple of paragraphs from the award announcement:
"The Rotary Club of Oberon, though small in number with just seven dedicated members, has demonstrated the true spirit of Rotary service through their remarkable community initiative - the inaugural Oberon Shakespeare Festival. This inspiring event brought culture, creativity, and community connection to life. The club coordinated with a theatre group from Sydney to run engaging workshops - one at the local aged care facility and another at the high school - ensuring all generations could share in the joy of performance and storytelling.

"The festival opened with a Friday night dinner event, drawing a full house and building anticipation. But it was Saturday that truly became the highlight. Under the light of a full moon, with fairy lights twinkling and the sounds of laughter and wonder in the air, the community was treated to a magical free performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the town common. Fairies from the local high school danced among the trees, and over 250 locals arrived with their chairs to enjoy the spectacle. A free barbecue and drinks rounded out the evening, reflecting Rotary's generous and welcoming spirit.

"This extraordinary event has already earned its place in the town's calendar, with dates set for next year (March 5-7) - testament to its success and the impact it had on the Oberon community."

The Finsbury Park Trio
October 2, 2025 in Entertainment

There's no better way to spend a perfect spring afternoon than to settle down in a pub with a schooner of BX lager to listen to some music, and this is what happened on Sunday, September 28, when The Finsbury Park Trio performed at the Tarana Hotel. The trio consists of Bob on guitar, Ross hitting the drums and Adrian blowing the electric saxophone. The group doesn't appear to have a web site or social media presence, but keep your eye out at the local venues. (There seems to be a lineup match with the Mervin Wipple Trio, so look out for them too.)

Apology - two of their songs were recorded on the day to give an indication of the different styles of music being offered, but in both the band was drowned out by audience chatter. This wasn't noticeable to human ears which picked up the musicians very well but shows why I usually use a proper recording microphone rather than my phone. I'll put the mic in the camera bag for next time.

More marvellous music at the Malachi
September 18, 2025 in Entertainment

The audience at the Malachi Gilmore Hall on Saturday, September 13, were treated to a real treat - a return performance by saxophonist Nick Russoniello performing a show built around his composition "Air Mass".
See and hear about it here

Of Stars and Birds at the Malachi
July 24, 2025 in Entertainment

Ensemble Offspring returned to the Malachi Gilmore Hall on Saturday, July 19, for a concert in the foyer. While this might seem a strange location it was actually perfect for this concert as it provided an intimacy between performers and audience that added to the effect.
Get the details here

The Allegri Singers are back in town
July 10, 2025 in Entertainment

Saturday, July 5, saw a welcome return of the Allegri Singers to Oberon.
See the story here

The Allegri Singers come back to Oberon
June 12, 2025 in Entertainment

Bathurst's Allegri Singers will be back in Oberon on July 5, with a performance at the Uniting Church. If they are only half as good as they were at a concert at the Malachi last year (and nobody expects they will be) they will still put on a fantastic show.
See the details here

Media release: Oberon's Heritage Hall Recognised at State Awards
May 22, 2025 in Community, Business and Entertainment

The Oberon area figured greatly in the 2025 NSW Heritage Awards, with the Malachi Gilmore Hall being a finalist. To add to the local content, architect (and bass player) Lian Wong from O'Connell was the lead architect on the winning entry, the Old Bega Hospital restoration. Congratulations to Lucy and Johnny East at the Malachi and Lian Wong on their success at the awards.
See the Malachi's media release here

"See You Later Mum" - a play playing on your heartstrings
May 15, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

Mother's Day would be the perfect time to sit down and watch a play about the relationships between mothers, their children and grandchildren. This Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, gave everyone in Oberon an opportunity to see a performance of "See You Later Mum"
See more about the play here

Teaching the town to sing
May 15, 2025 in Entertainment

The New Seekers and the Hilltop Singers wanted to teach the world to sing, but a slightly less ambitious project was to take some of Oberon's residents and teach them to sing.
You can see and hear the story here

The Mervin Wipple Trio are back
April 24, 2025 in Entertainment

There's no better way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon than listening to good music in a pub beer garden with a suitable beverage in hand. Sunday, April 20, was just such a day and the Mervin Wipple Trio provided the music in the beer garden of the Tarana Hotel.
See some more about this here

Latin Music and Drumming
April 10, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

On Friday, March 28, local drummers and a group of students from St Joseph's Catholic School had a chance try out their drumming skills at a workshop conducted by members of Sydney bands Caribé and ALLY at the Malachi Gilmore Hall.
See some photos from the day here

Media release - Louder Inside, Quieter Outside - The Malachi's Soundproofing Upgrade
March 27, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

Things are going to get even better at the Malachi Gilmore Hall with changes to the acoustics and soundproofing.
See the story here

2025 Oberon Shakespeare Festival
March 20, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

Something wonderful came to Oberon over the period of March 13-15, 2025 with the inaugural Oberon Shakespeare Festival, organised and promoted by the members of Oberon Rotary and featuring the acting skills of Come You Spirits.
See the pictures and stories here

So Much Myself
March 6, 2025 in Entertainment
Updated March 9, 2025

On Sunday, March 2, the audience at the Malachi Gilmore Hall were treated to an amazing and totally different musical performance. Performed by pianist Sonya Lifschitz with music composed by Robert Davidson, the show "Creative Women/So Much Myself: Piano Portraits" featured stories, comments and words by women ...
See the rest of the story here

Echoes of the Picture Palace
February 13, 2025 in Community and Entertainment

Sunday, February 9, saw a return to the very olden days in the history of the Malachi Gilmore Hall when one of its functions was as a movie theatre. The show consisted of some silent films from back in the day, with musical accompaniment by the Golden Age Quartet.
Find the music and movies here

"In The A.M." in the PM
February 6, 2025 in Entertainment

If you weren't at the Oberon Golf club during the afternoon of Sunday, January 19, you missed a great musical show by the duo In The A.M. The duo consists of locals Adrian Perry and Mal Voerman. They have known each other since high school but the group has only been officially together for a couple of months.
See some more here

On for young and old at the Malachi. And by them, too.
January 30, 2025 in Entertainment

It was an interesting concert at the Malachi Gilmore Hall on Saturday, January 25. The main act was the ever excellent The Safety of Life at Sea, but what made the show special was the three performances by some very young musicians.
See the story here