Woodford Folk Festival

Woodford 2012One of Australia’s most iconic annual events, the Woodford Folk Festival, is back for its 28th year with their most ambitious programme ever.

This festival of festivals will feature over 500 acts in 28 venues with 1235 shows across six spectacular days and nights, offering the unique and rare combinations of entertainment and delight.

No other festival can connect you with Celtic dance rock, cabaret pop, salacious debates, or reggae soul to make you dance up a fight.

Learn the Woodfordian Waltz, whilst discovering Australia’s most famous unknown band, participate in the Monster Parades, and witness the finest expressions of Indigenous traditional and contemporary music and movement.

Groove to 70’s flavoured Bollywood surf fun or listen to a nourishing collection of intellects; sharing their experiences and wisdom, or hangout with an organ salesman or a grandmother of comedy.

“Woodford is amongst the most adored festival experiences in Australia, and indeed the world,” says Festival Director, Bill Hauritz.

“We aim to give our precious patrons a deeper cultural encounter. We offer the complete experience from great food, comfortable and stimulating surrounds with challenging presentations across a broad spectrum of spoken word, music, craft, dance, comedy and workshops.”

“We see our festival programme as a catalogue of offerings that might satiate the best audience a festival could hope for.”

Some of this years’ musical highlights include Australia’s most famous unknown band, The Basics, the dynamic Clare Bowditch, festival favourites Blue King Brown, Australian rock royalty The Break, Wes Carr’s Buffalo Tales and Triple J darlings Chance Waters, Phoebe Starr and Jordie Lane.

Rounding out the Australian acts is Woodford first timer, Matt Corby who is set to make his mark on the festival. The programme also includes New Zealand’s Tim Finn who will be making his Woodford debut.

Woodford’s First Nations programme, will see some the country’s best and brightest indigenous stars perform at the festival including Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen, Thelma Plum, the striking Leah Flanagan, newcomer Andrea Kirwin and APRA Award winning duo, Busby Marou.

The Folklines programme is a rich tapestry of traditional arts and ethnic cultures. From the Monks of Tibet, masters of chant, music and dance rituals to TaikOZ, who draw on Japanese tradition and contemporary sounds for their drumming spectaculars.

The Parlour and the Bazaar are a feast for the eyes and the imagination. With something for everyone, you can catch the extraordinary ladies of the Hot Brown Honey Burlesque, or The Birdmann’s comedic one-man murder mystery, the sideshow stunts of The Dirty Brothers or the Festival of Fortune – Woodford’s very own game show!

Not to be outdone, The Children’s Festival has a programme that children can jump into headfirst. With over 50 acts each day will provide a new adventure for the kids and they’ll never want to leave.

Everything from cooking workshops with Kids Kitchen Chaos, puppet theatre with The Ladybug Express and the wacky and wonderful songs of Gerry Paul & The Elephant Tree Band.

Woodford Folk Festival is a meeting of the minds and the Talks Programme has always been an important part of the festival.

Festival veteran and former PM Bob Hawke heads the list of key current affairs speakers. His wife, Blanche d’Alpuget will take the stage to talk about her novel, The Young Lion, at this, her unofficial launch, while comedian Denise Scott will have everyone in stitches.

For more information and full programme, visit: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com for details.

Image: courtesy of Woodford Folk Festival