More than 60 members of the Governor Macquarie Memorial Pipe Band will perform at the Regent Theatre in Richmond on Sunday, 19 July, in a single farewell concert before departing for the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Road To Scotland concert marks the culmination of more than 18 months of preparation. Musicians have travelled from New Zealand, Adelaide, Cairns, the Sunshine Coast, Victoria, Mudgee, Newcastle and across NSW to join the band ahead of the trip.
The band will depart Australia just 10 days after the concert to begin a 16-day tour, competing in Grade 3B and Grade 4B at the World Championships, regarded as the pinnacle of the international pipe band calendar. Members have spent the past 12 months rehearsing for the event.
Sunday's performance will give local audiences the chance to hear the 2026 Scotland Team play live before they leave. The band will be joined by Douglas McFarland's "Down Under The Kilt" Highland Dancers and Scottish singer Mary Kiani, for an afternoon of music, dance and song.
While band members have funded their own airfares and accommodation, GMM is continuing to raise funds to cover the cost of transporting close to 90 people around Scotland, including buses, contest expenses and drum freight. Those costs are expected to exceed $55,000.
Pipe bands have been part of Australian community life for more than 200 years, playing at ANZAC Day services, weddings, funerals and local celebrations. GMM says it is committed to continuing that tradition while training the next generation of pipers and drummers through its teaching program.
The concert is a single, one-off performance ahead of the band's departure for Scotland.
Road To Scotland
Sunday, 19 July
The Regent Theatre, Richmond
Tickets: theregentrichmond.com.au/community/road-to-scotland
