YFCU members excel at Arts Festival Gala

‘The Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster, in association with NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, entertained a sell-out audience at their annual Arts Festival Gala’.

The Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) held their much-anticipated Arts Festival Gala at the Millennium Forum in Londonderry on Saturday 21^st March 2026. The event drew a sellout audience of over one thousand guests and is considered one of the highlights within the YFCU calendar.

This annual competition, generously supported by long-standing sponsor NFU Mutual through the Charitable Trust, showcased five acts from Curragh YFC, Kilraughts YFC, Glarryford YFC, Holestone YFC and Moneymore YFC. Each cast delivered vibrant, engaging and clever self-written dramas, demonstrating their originality and creativity through song, dance, wit and enthusiasm.

Lauren Finlay, NFU Mutual Regional Manager commented, “NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is delighted to continue its support of Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster Arts Gala Festival, it is always such a special celebration of talent, creativity and community and Saturday was no exception. The quality, originality and passion on display highlights just how strong the arts are within our rural communities. Events like this give young people a voice, an opportunity to develop confidence, creativity , communication skills and teamwork, which are skills which will carry them through whichever path they choose to take. May I congratulate all involved, whether it be on the stage or behind the scenes, and I look forward to next year already.”

The evening commenced with a VIP reception, sponsored by Chestnutt Animal Feeds, which welcomed YFCU supporters and sponsors, past Presidents and office bearers, as well as competition producers. Northern Irish comedian, actress and member of the well-known Girl’s Groupchat Podcast, Diona Doherty, carried the evening, engaging and entertaining the audience between performances as the compere for the night’s competition, while expert adjudicators Tina McVeigh and Linda Olsten had the challenging task of selecting the ‘Outstanding Performance of the Night’.

Guest Speaker for the event was Vicki Byers, a social media sensation and dairy Farmer from Ballinamallard, County Fermanagh. Vicki farms in partnership with her husband Dale and milks over two hundred pedigree Holesteins. Passionate about sharing the realities of a busy Mum to three young children whilst also farming full-time, Vicki has developed a growing online following by documenting her day-to-day experiences as a Woman in agriculture. Her content combines honesty, education, and humour to connect farming with a wider audience. 

To close the evening, President Richard Beattie unveiled the 2026 Arts Festival Gala Awards, which were kindly presented by Lauren Finlay from NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. Kilraughts YFC were awarded ‘Most Amusing Moment’ with their act titled “Eileen Dover I Leaned Over”, Moneymore YFC were awarded ‘Most Innovative Musical Moment with their act titled “Tell Me It’s Not True”, Glarryford YFC were awarded ‘Best Choral’ piece with the song “Homeward Bound”, Curragh YFC were awarded ‘Best Choreography’ and the ‘Best Newcomer’ award went to Dungiven YFC. The overall prize for ‘Outstanding Performance on the Night' award went to Moneymore YFC. All five acts received a plaque for their participation, presented by Vicki Byers.

YFCU President Richard Beattie thanked the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust for their continued generosity and support of the Arts Festival Gala, commenting, “there was a high standard of talent displayed on stage, and it was a testament to the months of commitment, effort and preparation that went into making the event a tremendous evening of entertainment. Saturday night’s event was another example of how YFCU provide members with fantastic opportunities that they may not experience elsewhere”. He thanked Vicki Byers (Legendairy Holesteins) for being a fantastic guest speaker, as well as the Millennium Forum for hosting the evening and Chestnutt Animal Feeds for their kind sponsorship of the VIP reception.