Woodford Folk Festival: What’s new this time?

WATCH: The iconic Woodford Folk Festival returns on Thursday and boy have they delivered once more, with a monster 1214 events on offer.

THE iconic Woodford Folk Festival returns on Thursday and boy have they delivered once more, with a monster 1,214 events on offer.

THE iconic Woodford Folk Festival returns on Thursday and boy have they delivered once more, with a monster 1214 events on offer.

With a heavily-promoted "This is the year" catchphrase for its 25th year, it's a milestone year and a milestone line-up.

Thousands of revellers are ready for Australia's largest annual not-for-profit arts and music festival.

Some of the country's biggest names in folk, blues, roots - no less than The Waifs, Ziggy McNeil, Alex the Astronaut, Xavier Rudd and Stella Donnelly - are on board for the six-day festival.

Festival organisers say gentle rain has made for perfect weather leading up to the festival and an ideal forecast is on the way.

 

But aside from what they're calling their "best-ever" line-up, what is new?

A whole lot apparently.

See the difference this year with:

• Sealed roads in season camping - no dust.
• 50m bamboo shade walkway designed by international designer Jorg Stamm and Sydney architect collective Cave Urban.
• Shaded amphitheatre at Blues venue.
• Dedicated circus performance venue - Cirque.
• Shaded seating at the new Cirque venue.
• Theatre show: Bukal and The Spirit of Churaki.
• Laid back and chilled out Halcyon venue (it's the 2018 love child of the old Chai tent and the Pineapple Lounge).
• Majority of new pathways in the festival village.
• Spectacular art installation The Portal.
• Handcrafted new bridge.
• More permanent amenities (Volunteers, Overnight Camping, Day Parking).
• Best programme ever - seriously.

Who is performing? Check out the full line-up by this link.

 

Woodford Folk Festival

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What can you come home to at Woodford this year?

• 1214 events - six days and magical nights.
• An abundance of collaborative creations which have been dreamed, pummelled, re-imagined and brought into reality.
• A place where we can all be ourselves.
• A commitment to living as the best environmental citizens that we can by:
• 1/ Composting of all food waste/packaging and recycling all organic waste to soil.
• 2/ Reuseable bar cups.
• 3/ A step closer to elimination of single use water bottles.
• 4/ Ongoing tree planting programme.
• 5/ On-site potable water treatment.
• 6/ State of the art waste-water treatment (including 100% irrigation on bamboo forest)
• A deep acknowledgement of our capacity to be the best we can.
• Unicorns! Well actually a trojan seahorse unicorn but a unicorn none the less.

Happy campers are expected over the coming days with thousands predicted to flock to the iconic celebration.

Woodford Folk Festival Founder Bill Hauritz said: "We have worked hard this year on refining the day long and overnight camping experience for day trippers.

"We urge day trippers to come before lunch and stay until the evening. This is not a drop-in festival, it's an entire experience, especially at night when the lanterns come on, it's just so beautiful."

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