With early-bird tickets to this year's Woodford Folk Festival on sale tomorrow (17 May), event organisers have announced – for the first time in the festival’s long history – ticket sales will be capped in an effort to 'ensure the comfort, enjoyment and safety of festival patrons and to help preserve the Woodfordia site'.
Festival Director Bill Hauritz said that after years of unprecedented growth, the decision to limit the number of tickets available – in particular to the festival on New Year's Eve to the attendance of the 2016/17 event – was necessary. “Last year was, dare we say it, our ‘best’ festival,” Bill says.
“The festival was the cleanest, most respectful, most energetic and beautiful that we’ve seen. Because of our growing popularity, we’ve had to make big changes. A lot of work is going into creating a deeper festival experience for our beloved patrons.”
The festival has also announced that tickets will be more expensive to buy than in previous years in the hope the not-for-profit can secure a better financial position for the years to come. In another big change for the festival this year, ticket sales will only be available online.
Another major change to the festival is that all vehicles will require a car pass for the 2017/18 event. While this is inline with other major Australian festivals, organisers have previously been reluctant to introduce something that may be perceived as ‘just another tax’.
Now in its 33rd year, the Woodford Folk Festival has become known around Australia as a place of discovery, connection and entertainment. Held in the last week of the year between Boxing Day and New Year's Day, the 200-hectare site an hour north of Brisbane features a large and varied programme of sensory delights for all age groups.