Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival

The Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival is the oldest continuously running Highland Games in North America, first held in 1864, and the largest two-day Games in British Columbia. Its 164th edition is set for May 15 to 23, 2027, with a week of lead-up events culminating in the main Games weekend at Topaz Park in Victoria. The festival is a full immersion in Scottish and Celtic culture: kilted athletes compete in traditional heavy events such as the caber toss and hammer throw, while Highland dancers, solo pipers and massed pipe-and-drum bands fill the field with sound and colour. Clan tents trace family histories, vendors sell tartans and Celtic crafts, and beer gardens, food and family activities round out the grounds. Related downtown events, including a tartan parade and pub festivities, extend the celebration across the city in the days beforehand. Organized by the Victoria Highland Games Association, it is a proud, long-standing tradition that draws competitors and spectators from across the region and beyond. Admission is charged for the main Games at Topaz Park, with full details posted closer to the date. Whether you have Scottish roots or simply enjoy spectacle, music and athletics, it is a memorable late-spring weekend in Victoria.