The Lake Macquarie Eisteddfod is over, after many years of young performers
The Lake Macquarie Music Society has run its last eisteddfod. It will put its energy into concerts and community music instead, and points students to the Sydney Eisteddfod.
The Lake Macquarie Eisteddfod will not run again. In April the Lake Macquarie Music Society, which ran it for many years, said it had made "the difficult decision to discontinue running Eisteddfods in the future".
The society said the change "reflects our evolving focus as an organisation", and that it will put its energy into concerts, community music events and new opportunities for local musicians. It is also home to the Lake Macquarie Philharmonic Orchestra and runs the annual Festival of the Choirs, which this year brought together choirs from Maitland, Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie on 20 September.
Where students can compete now
The society encouraged its students to enter the Sydney Eisteddfod, "where they will find an enthusiastic community and a very warm welcome".
Closer to home, the Abermain Eisteddfod, which dates itself to about 1917, still runs every year in the Cessnock coalfields, with vocal, speech and dance sections. Its 2026 dance solos run at the Cessnock theatre on Vincent Street from 6 to 10 October; see our Abermain guide for its sections and how to enter next year.
The society thanked "all students, teachers, families, and volunteers" who supported the eisteddfod over the years.