Known simply as The National, Australia's longest running major folk festival, National Folk Festival now in its 53rd year, have been busy slaving away at a massive 2019 line-up.
After revealing their first major artist announce in October, The National today unveil another 116 acts to play the 2019 event in Canberra across the Easter long weekend bringing the total number of bands/ artists to a staggering 180+.
Performers from 14 countries including Canada, Japan, Portugal and Italy will take to a swag of spaces in and around Canberra's Exhibition Park 18-22 April (750 shows throughout 20 venues to be exact, Mr. Dylan).
"The 2019 line-up is so diverse with acts spanning the full gamut of folk, from contemporary and trad to bluegrass, Celtic, country, blues, dance and more - we have it all," National Folk Festival director, Pam Merrigan says.
"Today's international additions see an exclusive debut from Scottish duo Ross Couper and Tom Oakes, USA's award-winning Kittel and Co. for their only east-coast show and Japanese folk trio, John John Festival returning to Australia after a very successful debut in 2017.
"We're equally excited about the incredible quality of Australian artists on offer too. "Whether you're a die-hard folkie or trying it out for the first time, you will love getting your folk on at the National this year," Pam enthuses.
Other notable additions today include award-winning country singer Fanny Lumsden, bottleneck slide guitarist Anna Scionti, and Lloyd Spiegel (recently named one of our top guitarists of all time by Australian Guitar Magazine).
Shortis and Simpson will be premiering 'Happy Little Copyrights', a thought-provoking show about the art of song borrowing.
Contemporary folk-pop trio Little Quirks, who are already establishing themselves as 'ones to watch' with a support slot for The Preatures next month, join the list alongside a couple of dead-set Aussie music legends: Redgum's John Schumann and Goanna Band's Shane Howard with The Red Rockin' Dirt Band who will draw on the politically-charged folk roots of the '70s and '80s.
"[Folk festivals are] so important for young people to experience," says 18-year-old guitarist and singer Abbey Toole, of Little Quirks.
"Folk is for all ages. It's one of the rawest and most real styles of music where you can hear very personal stories you can relate to in songs. There's just something different about folk that we know other young people will love if they give it a chance.”
2019 National Folk Festival Facts
• 21 internationals from 14 countries, such as Irish Mythen (Can), John John Festival (Jap) and Kittel & Co. (USA)• 40 Canberran acts like East Row Rabble and Black Mountain String Band
• 32 Victorian acts such as Freya Josephine Hollick, Glenn Skuthorpe and The Age Victoria 2018 Blues Album of the Year Nominee, Lloyd Spiegel
• 46 acts from NSW including 19-Twenty, Fanny Lumsden, Little Quirks and The Fagans
• 11 acts from WA, such as Dorsal Fins and The Ballpoint Penguins
• The Mouldy Lovers, Penny Davies & Roger Ilott and 7 more from Queensland
• 5 acts from Tasmania and 3 from NT, like Gawurra, The Dead Maggies, Luke Plumb & Kate Burke
• 13 artists for the KidzFest including The Amazing Drumming Monkeys and Brothers on Fire
National Folk Festival will also see Canada's The Once and Australian John Flanagan wrap up the ever popular Festival Of Small Halls autumn regional tour.
National Folk Festival is held over the Easter long weekend, 18-22 April 2019, in Exhibition Park (Canberra). Click here for more information.
2019 National Folk Festival Line-up
19-Twenty40 Degrees South
ABRASKA
Afro Moses
Ali and Tom's Musical Wheelbarrow
Andy Nelson
Anna Scionti
The April Verch Band
Australian Morris Ring
Ballpoint Penguins
Banat Amar
Bella Donna Gorgonzola
Belswagger Morris Dancers
Big Tops & Tiny Tots Circus Show
Black Joak MorrisBlack Mountain String Band
Bluegrass Parkway
Bob Fox
Bonniedoon
The Bottlers
The Britannia Morris
Brothers On Fire
Bruce Cameron
Bush Capital Band
Bush Traditions Concert
Bush Traditions Settler Music Sessions
Canberra Scottish Country Dancers
Candice Mcleod
Charlie & Jensen
Chris Matthews
Ciaran O'Grady & Aifric Boylan with Graeme Newell
The Cope Street Parade
Cue and Do
Dances of the North
Darol Anger And The Republic Of Strings
Den Hanrahan and the Rum Runners
Dividing Range Dancers
Dru Yoga Australia
Drummers Not Plumbers
East Row Rabble
Easter Sunday Church Service
Edgelarks
Electric Tommy Johnston
Ella Belfanti
Enda Kenny
Evergreen Ensemble
The Fagans
Fair Maids of Perth & Sons
Fanny Lumsden
Fascisimo
Festival Bush Orchestra
Festival Choir
Fiona Ross
Flamenco Centre Canberra
Freya Josephine Hollick
Friends Among Friends
Gawurra
Girl On The Hill
Green Mohair Suits
Greshka
Gudrun Walther & Juergen Treyz
Guyy & The Fox
Irish Joe Lynch
Irish Mythen
Jacob Diamond
Jan 'Yarn' Wistzky
Jan and Bruce Clark of the Canberra
Scottish Country Dancers Strathmannan
JigJam
Jimmy Bay
Jodi Martin
John John Festival
Johnn Schumann + Shane Howard and The Red Rockin’ Dirt Band
Jumptown Swing
Kate Fagan
Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble
Kim Yang
Kimberley Wheeler & Roadside Holiday
Kittel & Co.
KUD Razigrana Makedonka
Lily and King
Little Quirks
Lloyd Spiegel
Loosely Woven
Lucy Wise
Luke Plumb & Kate Burke
Mad Tatters Morris
Malumba
Manran
Margaret and Bob Fagan
The Martins
Matthew Lykos
Melbourne Colonial Dancers and Coral Eden
Melbourne Comhaltas
Melisande
Mission Songs Project
The Mouldy Lovers
Nancy Kerr & James Fagan
NFF Percussion Experience
Nicola Hayes & Hélène Brunet
Noel Gardner & Alex Bridge
Nuala Kennedy, Gerry O'Connor & Eamon O'Leary
O'Neill's Folly
Ordinary Elephant
Paverty Bush Band
Penny Davies & Roger Ilott
Perth International Dance
Phil Bates
Praashekh Quartet
Quaker Meeting for Worship
Raduga Trio
Raio De Sol Canberra Community Samba Band
Rhubarb
Riccardo Tesi & Banditaliana
Richard Perso
Roger Holmes and His Beautiful Assistants
Roguery And Brooke Friendly
Ross Couper & Tom Oakes
Roving Unicycles
Salmiakki Pelimannit
Saplings Sessions Bush Music Club
Sarah Humphreys & Loren Kate
Señor Cabrales
Session Experience
Short Dented Potts
Shortis and Simpson
Songs From the Australian Tradition
Sparrow Folks
The Spooky Men's Chorale
The Squeezebox Trio
Strange Weather Gospel Choir
The String Contingent
Stu Tyrrell
Surly Griffin Morris
Sweet Mona's Choir
Sydney English Country Dance
Taylor Pfeiffer
Telenn Tri
The Amazing Drumming Monkeys
The Dead Maggies
The Dorsal Finns
The Exciting McGillicuddies
The Homelands Tour Ft Glenn Skuthorpe
The Marios Papadeas Ensemble
The OnceThe Tango Social Club of Canberra
The Vegetable Plot
Tiffany Eckhardt
Trioc
Truman Smith Band
TSDAV Dance Composers' Competition
Ukestral Voices
Ukulele Republic of Canberra
Uptown Brown!
The Verandah Band
Vila Navio
Worldly Goods Choir
Zackerbilks
