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Following a challenging year for live music and events, Woodford Folk Festival is inviting festival goers to immerse themselves in six days and nights of music, art and culture presented by artists from more than 20 countries.

From today, Friday 27th December, thousands of patrons will be celebrating the event’s 30th anniversary at Woodfordia - 500 acres of regenerated farming lands, nestled in the scenic Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane.

Festival Director, Amanda Jackes advises “to mark 30 years of the festival at Woodfordia, this is one of our most exciting programmes to date.

“We are thrilled to reveal the vast array of artists and presenters who will bring people together to herald in the new year with creativity, music and culture from around the world.”

This year’s program of 450 artists and presenters promises a memorable celebration with musical pioneers Yothu Yindi alongside a line-up of local talent, with North-East Arnhem land’s Yolŋu surf-rockers, King Stingray, Aussie queen of country Beccy Cole, the alt’ rock storyteller Dan Sultan and five-piece much loved indie outfit Ball Park Music.

Beyond the music, the festival feature an extensive program of public sessions with speakers including Mad Max’s Quaden Bayles alongside activist Yarraka, diversity champions Like a Photon, Sea Shephard’s Jeff Hanson, Jinibara Traditional Custodians Uncle Noel Blair and Uncle Kenny Murphy along with SBS’s Elder in Residence, Rhoda Roberts.

Woodford is often described as multiple festivals inside a festival with an eclectic mix of workshops, where patrons can attend workshops in acrobatics, cabaret, dance - from Flamenco to hip hop, Persian or cowboy and even learn to play the spoon.

For those looking to recharge Woodford has a dedicated yoga and mindfulness program called ‘meditation in motion’, kicking off with sunrises on the hilltop each morning overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains, acroyoga and array of breathwork techniques from ancient to modern and meditation for all skill levels.

Future of Woodford Festival threatened by slow ticket pre-sales

A major Aussie music festival is pleading for help from fans as the industry suffers its toughest year amid dozens of cancellations.

Ticketing Challenges
In a year where a number of music festivals have struggled financially, Woodford has not been immune to challenges facing the sector.

As of late November, Woodford promoters revealed ticket pre-sales were down 15%, emailing its contact list to advise “if this trend continues over the next few weeks, the shortfall will threaten the festival’s future.”

The statement issued by Jackes, Woodfordia President Lachlan Brown and Festival founder Bill Hauritz said they had “worked hard” to minimise ticket price increases despite rising event costs.

It advised “we now turn to you, our community, on whose loyal support we have always relied to overcome tough situations such as this. In short, we hope you’ll return to the festival this year and purchase your tickets soon.

“We know interest rates and inflation are high, and the cost of living is affecting most of us.

“But we have a truly wonderful program this year and we believe the festival still offers the best value for families and individuals seeking a time to unwind, reconnect and prepare for the year ahead.”

The Woodford team said they have weathered “numerous” challenges over the past six years, including the pandemic cancelling the event for two years, adding “bringing the land back to host our community festival safely proved much harder and more expensive than we ever anticipated.

“After the pandemic, costs to stage the festival surged by up to 40%. We had to rebuild our team and nurture the organisation back to being a large-scale festival producer. We made it through then with your support. Just.”

A successful comeback in 2022/23 was heartbreakingly followed by the “financially devastating result” of the 2023/24 festival.

The event was hampered by extreme weather, another ongoing threat to Australian festivals as it has sent insurance premiums skyrocketing and dampened the confidence in music fans about buying tickets early.

In their late November email, the organisers added “despite strong planning and ticket sales, a nationwide crisis in the music industry started unfolding, with festivals - big and small - cancelling across the country.

“Then, in late November, a cyclone formed off the Queensland coast, bringing challenging weather through December. This severely impacted our attendance, leading to a financially devastating result.”

The Woodford team thanked their community of supporters and signed off with “asking for help is never easy, but we thank you for … considering our request.”

The Woodford Folk Festival runs from 27th December to 1st January 2025.

Click here for more information and the full event line-up.

Images: Lantern Parade at Woodford Folk Festival (top, credit: Joseph May), sunrise at the Festival (middle, credit: Woodford Folk Festival) and the event's main stage (below, credit: Woodford Folk Festival).

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