It’s that time of the year when we go medieval at the Abbey Medieval Festival, where thousands of ‘pilgrims’ will get a taste of what life was like in the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East from 600 to 1600AD. Jousting, food vendors, merchants, re-enactors and performers will all be in action over the three-day festival, with Day One (Friday July 2) being the Medieval Family Fun Day, especially for kids and families.
There’ll be plenty to do and see every day, with dancing, music, lectures, animals, crafts, games, markets, encampments, weapons of war, archery, skills-at-arms, jesters, juggling, and of course, Turkish oil wrestling! Why not dress up in your favourite medieval costume and get the full experience?
It isn’t everyday that you can tell friends that you saw a World Champion Jouster, but that’s exactly what you will see at this year’s festival. The roster includes current world champion Phil Leitch and his 19-year-old daughter Mieka from Victoria, who will go head to head with jousters from Queensland and New South Wales for the 2021 Joust title. As one of the world’s youngest professional jousters, Mieka is sustaining the legacy of her world champion father. She has keenly followed in his footsteps, and from a young age she has been travelling for tournaments, learning as a squire and gaining insider knowledge about life and the tactics of a world champion jouster.
Edith Cuffe, Director of the Abbey Museum and the Medieval Festival, is excited about this year's joust.
“There is so much to do and see at Festival, but the joust is certainly a crowd favourite. It's an honour to host some of the best jousters in Australia. It adds incredible energy to the immersive feeling the Festival creates for our visitors," said Edith. "It's all part of taking a step back in time. It’s a fascinating experience to wander through the encampments of 800 re-enactors, learn about different foods, crafts, and trades of the Middle Ages,” she added. The joust will begin during the Medieval Family Fun Day on Friday and continue into Tournament Weekend as jousters accumulate points in a round-robin format. The highest-scoring three jousters will then battle for the title in the final match on the Sunday.
Tickets are limited and are only available online at:
Tickets for the jousting events are sold separately.
In addition to the medieval festival you can also visit the Abbey Museum of Art and Archeology, Monday to Saturday 10am - 4pm.