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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“Today, let’s dance with the universe.” ~ Hanns-Oskar Porr
Photo: Leanne McKnoughtly
#woodfordia #woodfordians
Our feet were up and dancing all night to the music of @ccthecatmusic , whose upbeat performance left us wanting more.
photo: Jen Quodling
#ccthecat #woodfordia #woodfordbushtime
Who else misses Lake Gkula’s cool waters? Dreaming of days of lounging under the shade and swimming amongst the prolific life that shares its refreshing depths!
Photo: Jen Quodling
#lakegkula #woodfordia #refreshingwaters #takemeback #woodfordstateofmind
“There isn’t enough darkness in all the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.” - Anon
#woodfordia #imagineabeautifulfuture #lightinthedark #light #hope
“Love is the seed of all hope. It is the enticement to trust, to risk, to try, to go on.” — Gloria Gaither
Photo: Katie Bennett
#findyourtribe #woodfordians #imagineabeautifulfuture
Woodford Folk Festival has always been a celebration of music, art and best of all, food! Whether it’s something you’re trying to the first time, or you’ve been looking forward to every time you’re at Woodford, the variety of good food is always a feast for the senses. What delicious feeds do you miss having?
📷: Flint Duxfield
#woodfordia #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #food #WFFfood #healthysnacks #vegan #biopak #servicewithasmile #fresh
Little Woodfordians at play.
Photo: Jody Gilchrist
#littlewoodfordians #woodfordia #kidsatplay
“With our thoughts we make the world.”-Buddha
📷: Eliah Walton
#woodfordia #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #postinghouse #maketheworldyouwanttosee #positivevibes
The @hussyhicks ’ beautifully crafted music with effortless strings and flowing lyrics kept everybody up and dancing during Bushtime’s Camp 2.
📷: @knappe.photography
#woodfordia #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #bushtime #hussyhicks
We’re dreaming of once again lounging among kindred spirits, dreaming and relishing moments with nature.
📷: Josephine Cubis
#woodfordia #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #nature #outdoorliving #relax
“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn
📷: Rachel Kaye Kimbereley
#woodfordia #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #yoga #relax #familyyoga #yogaforall
