It's been three years, but it's finally time for music lovers to once again gather at Woodford Folk Festival for an end-of-year celebration of music, art, culture and community.
With a theme of 'The Best We Can Be', Woodford nestles down into the lush, scenic, gorgeous landscape of Woodfordia (500-acre parklands just north of Brisbane) from 27 December to 1 January offering one of the largest gathering of artists and performers of its kind in Australia for what Deputy Festival Director Amanda Jackes hopes will be "a deeply immersive experience that supports the very best of who we can be".The programme is huge, with 1,900 artists programmed in 400 acts across 27 venues, presenting 1,834 shows over the 6 days and nights of the event.
"The sheer joy of returning the festival after this challenging time, of reconnecting with our community and celebrating with inspiring artists and presenters can be felt through the whole of the organising team. We are so excited about being back," Jackes says.
Festival Programme Manager, Courtney Wild invites festival goers "to dive into a feast of music new and old, a flurry of dance, the rolling madness of comedy and the curious and often absurd world of the festival cabaret.
"People will find bizarre and brilliant interactive games, films, a vast array of opportunities for exploration and deepening understanding of new music and multi-genre cultural experiences and, we hope, will be constantly distracted by strange and colourful goings-on on the festival village streets."
The music line-up features a number of returning national acts like John Butler, Boy & Bear, Liz Stringer, Eric Bogle, Greg Sheehan, The Black Sorrows, Lior & Domini, and Urthboy.
"Twenty five years ago it was a dream come true to play Woodford," John Butler says. "Today nothing's changed other than I love it more! Woodford is one of the best music festivals in this solar system."
Other local and national acts joining the party are Neil Murray, William Barton, Tenzin Choegyal, Dya Singh, Fred Smith, Jaguar Jonze, Anna Smyrk, Mia Wray, Emily Lubitz, Spinifex Gum, Yirrmal, Hollow Coves, and Electric Fields.
Then there's a smattering of international arrivals including Coterie, The Black Seeds, Grace Petrie with Ben Moss, Jacob Jolliff Band, Rachel Bailman, Ashley Watkins, Andrew Small, the Monks of Tibet, Inn Echo, Alysha Brilla, The Jellyman's Daughter and The Paul McKenna Band.
"While Woodford Folk Festival is steeped in ceremony and celebrates our nation's folk heritage and the artists that have shaped the cultural landscape, the event has always aimed to be a place of discovery and a champion of the new and the unusual," Festival Director Bill Hauritz says.
"Our world changes every year, and our festival needs to change every year if we are to be current. For all of us, this event brings three years of change in one. We mustn't try to be what we were. Rather, have our artists and scholars gift us relevance in the here and the now."
A compelling Speakers Programme features Australia's 31st Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, passionate gardening guru Costa Georgiadis, prominent environmental scientist Ian Lowe, Climate Foundation's Dr Brian Von Herzen (USA), the Hon Linda Burney MP, founding director of the festival Fire Event Dr Neil Cameron, Noel Pearson and many more movers and shakers of our environmental, political and cultural landscape.
Woodford also presents a diverse programme of comedy, visual art, roaming performers, music and artisan workshops, and spoken word.
While The Children's Festival has been a place of play, learning and adventure for many young Woodfordians over the past 35 years. The Circus Lair, Stardust Theatre and the Puppet Joint are back, along with Adventure Playground at the Far-Out.
Organisers were quick to remind people planning on coming this year that ticket numbers will be capped. "We are determined to keep patrons comfort levels high; and not let the very strong ticket sales tempt us, so people need to book their tickets soon," Jackes says.
Tickets are available.
Woodford Folk Festival takes place 27 December through to 1 January, 2023.
Woodford Folk Festival 2022/2023 Programme
Alysha BrillaAndrew Small
Anna Smyrk
Ashley Watkins
The Black Seeds
The Black Sorrows
Boy & Bear
Coterie
Dya Singh
Electric Fields
Emily Lubitz
Eric Bogle
Fred Smith
Grace Petrie with Ben Moss
Greg Sheehan
Hollow Coves
Inn Echo
Jacob Jolliff Band
Jaguar Jonze
The Jellyman's Daughter
John Butler
Lior & Domini
Liz Stringer
Mia Wray
The Monks of Tibet
Neil Murray
The Paul McKenna Band
Rachel Bailman
Spinifex Gum
Tenzin Choegyal
William Barton
Urthboy
Yirrmal
Plus many, many more
