The Woodford Folk Festival is held annually over six days and six nights from Dec 27th through to January 1st. More than 2,000 local, national and international, artists, musicians and presenters put on over 438 acts to an audience of an estimated 132,000 people. The festival begins each year with the iconic Opening Ceremony and closes with the spectacular showcase, the Fire Event on New Year’s Day. This year will be the 33rd Woodford Folk Festival and the 24th held at Woodfordia. It is the largest gathering of artists and musicians in Australia.
The Woodford festival experience is deep, rich and colourful. It is based on a vision of inclusive and creative community, culture and tradition passed through generations, expressed through story and ceremony. The site, a former barren dairy farm, has been lovingly regenerated with over 120,000 subtropical rain forest trees, orchids, ferns and sedges planted to create habitat for butterflies and wildlife.
Woodfordia is transformed into a village that hosts over 25,000 daily patrons, performers, stallholders, volunteers and organisers. As many as 2,680 volunteers across 162 departments are at the heart of the organisation and contribute to the setup and day-to-day running of the festival. During the event the festival is actually the 67th largest town in Australia.
Each year construction begins in early December and continues up until Christmas Day. Over 450 contractors and volunteers build the village. Many come from around the world to be part of the festival build and then stay for a week after to pull the event down.
The festival build includes:
- Installation of over 20,000 square metres of canvas for 35 venues, 15 bars and over 200 food, craft and merchandise stalls
- Erection of over 5,500 signs
- Installation of over 13ks of fencing
- Placement of over 60 temporary offices and hired amenity blocks
- Filtration of 14 million litres of water
- Cleaning of over 500 toilets and 341 showers
- Distribution of 15ks electrical and communication cabling
- Construction of 25 stages
- Placement of 16,000 chairs
- Installation of 600 lanterns
The team are powered by over 24,000 meals and unlimited goodwill.
The festival programme features concerts, dances, street theatre, writers’ panels, film festival, comedy sessions, acoustic jams, social dialogue and debate, folk medicine, an entire children’s festival, an environmental programme featuring talks, debates and films, art and craft workshops, circus performances and workshops, late night cabarets, parades and special events including the spectacular fire event.
The festival streets are lined with restaurants, cafes, stalls, bars, street theatre and parades. Tree-filled campgrounds, butterfly walks, ponds and wildlife complete the picturesque site. The festival appeals to a diverse audience with all ages and many nationalities attracted each year. It’s a magical experience and one not to be missed.
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Archie Roach – The Power of Song
History will show that Archie Roach ’s contribution to Australia was profound.
Archie performed many times at our events, with his beloved wife Ruby Hunter often joining him. We could all hear the cry in his voice as he shared his songs and stories and the experiences of his life. His songs carried universal themes delivered with a powerful humility and the dignity that only very special people exude. Archie moved us to the point of tears and because of him we’re now armed with the knowledge and truth of the treatment of Australian Indigenous people since colonisation.
Archie Roach unintentionally became a spokesman for Indigenous Australians but it seems that this was his destiny. He was a musician, a powerful poet, a writer whose expressions captured, for me and for so many of us, a knowing that everything has to change for our Indigenous brothers and sisters, and that we all hold a responsibility to work for this change. Such was his power, and such is the power of song.
We live in gratitude for knowing him and are honoured that Archie chose to keep coming back to our festivals. We loved him.
Bill Hauritz AM
Founder and Director, Woodfordia
Photo: Flint Duxfield
There are so many ways you can get involved at Woodfordia. We have a range of volunteer roles available from Woodford Folk Festival to Lake Gkula Lookerafterers, please check the link in our bio for more details.
Share with friends and family who might like to get more involved with our community.
#woodfordians #volunteers #WoodfordFolkFestival #LakeGkulaLookafterers
We don't mean to boast, but not only is Lake Gkula, chemical-free and has a natural wetland filtration system that delivers a safe habitat for wildlife and people alike. It ALSO just happens to be amazing for swimming, lounging around on the shore under a shady tree, and for splashing around in our rock pools or under our little waterfall. Ticket holders for Woodford Folk Festival will be able to access the lake during this year's event, so pack ya togs!
#Woodfordfolkfestival2022 #wff2022 #woodfordia #ThisIsQueensland #lakeGkula #holidaycamping
We are overflowing with gratitude and our hearts are warmed by all the wonderful Woodfordians that came out to the Winter Warmer this past weekend. So much laughter, joy and celebration was had while folks worked away at the various projects on site. Woodfordia is starting to feel that special festival-ready feeling, even though we know there is still much to be done in the next 5 months to welcome everyone ‘home’. Thank you from all of us for giving us that lift and reminding us all why we do this crazy thing. It’s for you fine folks.
If you’d like to get in on the fun and join us for our monthly working bees on the last weekend of the month, contact either the Treehuggers on treehuggers@woodfordia.com or the Woodford Warriors on woodfordwarriors@woodfordia.com. There’s also the Woodford Folk Club – email woodfordfolkclub@woodfordia.com to get on their mailing list and learn about all the great music that happens on the Saturday night of the working bee weekends.
#woodfordians #winterwarmer2022 #treehuggers #woodfordfolkclub #woodfordia #ThisIsQueensland
It's been a long time and we've missed you all. Will you be coming to Woodford Folk Festival 2022/23? What are you most looking forward to? Pitching the perfect camping palace? Catching up with friends and family? Taking a dip in Lake Gkula? Stumbling across great new music, or rediscovering a performer you saw years ago? Sound off in the comments below!
Photos by Martin Ollman , Mark Knappe, Jen Quodling and Raychel Kay Kimberley
#Woodfordfolkfestival2022 #wff2022 #woodfordia #ThisIsQueensland #festivals #australia
Wanna get down to Woodfordia and help make this place even more beautiful? Jump in on a crew for our Winter Warmer Working Bee on the 30th and 31st of July.
We have exciting positions like:
Amenities Aesthetics Association – brush cutting and cleaning up around the outside of the amenities blocks.
Amenities Attack – tackling the blue tac and sticky tape on the inside of the blocks.
Emu Parade – family fun picking up rocks and dead branches to save our mower blades.
Magical Mystery Mission – lots of little jobs here and there, great for handy folk who like variety and can do anything.
MegaShed Makeover – sorting and organising our main storage shed – great for Virgos and Mari Kondos!
Moperoos – cleaning some tent walls to make them sparkle and look new again.
Silviculture Superheroes – trimming trees in the campgrounds and along service roads.
And of course, last but not least, Weedfordia – Fireweed, Brazilian Nightshade Bashers, and Glycine Getters.
Join in on the fun and pick a crew to join via the link in the bio! Let us know which crew you want to join below!
Photo: Jody Gilchrist
#woodfordia #woodfordians #winterwarmer2022 #ThisIsQueensland
Woodford Folk Festival welcomes all families!
Tag your crew for this year's event.
#thisisqueensland #woodfordia #wff2022 #woodfordfolkfestival
We are excited to announce that we will be open again this coming Spring school holidays with Lake Gkula Camping.
After the recent cold period in Qld, it is lovely to imagine some warmer spring days enjoyed around our beautiful lake, bushwalking in surrounding national parks, exploring the local towns or just relaxing with a good book at camp.
Bookings are now open for the Spring holiday - Friday 16th September – Monday 3rd October. A 3-night minimum booking is required.
Book via the link in our bio.
As word of mouth is the number one reason why people attend, we thank you for help to get the message out and encourage family and friends to visit and stay at Woodfordia. We hope you might keep talking it up. You can follow our new FB page for Lake Gkula Camping, or invite people to the event indicated in the page.
Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope to see you here at Woodfordia sometime in the future.
#woodfordia #woodfordfolkfestival #thisisqueensland #lakegkula
Payment Plans are available now, to make it easier to secure your tickets for Woodford Folk Festival. For many folks, paying off a little bit each week is a lot easier than buying tickets outright.
More information about payment plans and how you can grab your tickets can be found via the link in our bio.
#thisisqueensland #woodfordia #wff2022 #woodfordfolkfestival
Come swim in our lake! This year, those attending Woodford Folk Festival 2022/23 will be able to access our beautiful conservation and recreation lake.
Lake Gkula is chemical free and uses all-natural water filtration systems that deliver a safe habitat for wildlife and people alike. The lake is abundant with fish and plant life with more than 16 species of native fish and crustaceans and over 8,000 plants, including native water lilies.
Find out more and book your tickets for Woodford Folk Festival 2022/23
via the links in our bio.
#woodfordfolkfestival2022 #wff2022 #thisisQueensland #woodfordia #lakeGkula #lakegkulacamping
What’s your favourite food stall in your area? Know someone who makes incredible things with their hands? Tag them in the comments to let them know you’d love to see them at the Woodford Folk Festival 2022-23.
Stallholder Expressions of interest are open!
Apply via the link in bio. #thisisqueensland #woodfordia #wff2022 #woodfordfolkfestival