Next year's Fairbridge Festival will welcome some of the country's finest roots, world and acoustic music acts as well as some returning old friends.
Staged in an idyllic bushland setting one hour south of Perth at Fairbridge Village in Pinjarra, Fairbridge Festival will take place 22-24 April.With the re-opening of WA's border to those near and far currently underway, in 2022 Fairbridge Festival will host a number of international guests.
From New Zealand arrives the foot-stomping hoedowns, soul-stirring ballads and soaring three-part harmonies of Albi & The Wolves as well as Jenny Mitchell whose music echoes of Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss.
Acclaimed arts British performers The Chipolatas will make a welcome return after 5 years and some 26 years since their festival debut.
A couple of festival favourites return with Mal Webb & Kylie Morrigan and Lucy Wise & Stephen Taberner, while the gypsy-jazz feels will be strong when the spontaneity of Cigany Weaver takes to the stage.
While you can expect to laugh and cry when Ami Williamson (daughter of the legendary John) captives audiences with her songwriting prowess.
Then there's Fijian-born, Queensland-based Andrea Kirwin bringing her 13-piece Yama-Nui Social Club featuring artists from around the South Pacific presenting their soulful music backed by strings, horns, and gorgeous backing vocals.
With another 60 acts to be revealed in 2022, scroll down for the complete list of first round artists.
Artistic Director, Rod Vervest says the festival programme is full of uplifting and inspirational events. "Our team are a wonderful group of passionate arts workers who are all professionals in their fields. They live and breathe Fairbridge with a deep understanding of what makes it tick; what keeps its big heart beating," he says.
"Despite the challenges of the past few years operating in a pandemic, Fairbridge Festival has instigated new operational systems, organisational structure, and a reconfiguration of the festival layout.
"COVID has given us a window to reimagine and activate a fresh approach to how we deliver the event. I'm immensely proud of how our team has achieved this."
Regular attendees will be delighted to see the return of the ever-popular Ruby's venue, the return of the Dining Hall offering a mix of experiences, and the amazing new Amphitheatre.
"The financial pressures of cancelling the festival in 2020 and a restricted ticket sale in 2021, meant we couldn't afford the usual suite of venues.
"While it remains a challenge to bring back the Djindalux venue, we are nevertheless back with some real scale and diversity of experiences. I can't wait to see the new Amphitheatre in action," Rod says.
"There is an incredible energy building to the 2022 programme. More than ever, you sense that the community is now urgently in need of the type of social interaction and creative engagement that festivals bring.
"We need to feel connected to each other, to share experiences that stimulate and inspire us, the things that build collective memories and become part of our shared lives and our sense of humanity into the future.
"This is what festivals can do, and this is what we are hard at work thinking about and creating."
After selling out the 2021 event, early bird tickets are on sale. More information.
Fairbridge Festival takes place at Fairbridge Village (Pinjarra, WA) 22-24 April, 2022.
Fairbridge Festival 2022 Line-up
Albi & The WolvesAmi Williamson
Andrea Kirwin & Yama-Nui Social Club
Anesu
Bango Werm
Boox Kid
Cigany Weaver
Fat Picnic
Fleour Alder's 'Djilba'
Gia Como
Ghost Care
Jenny Mitchell
Little Hoo Haa
Lois Olney
Lucy Wise & Stephen Taberner
Mal Webb & Kylie Morrigan
The Chipolatas
Xani
Woody's World
Plus 60 more acts to be announced in 2022
