Eric Bogle will return to the Illawarra Folk Festival line-up for the first time since 2019. Photo: Supplied.
Music lovers will have a diverse range of almost 100 performers to catch at next year’s Illawarra Folk Festival.
Early bird tickets are now on sale for the 38th festival at Bulli Showground, from 17-19 January.
Festival-goers can go on a musical journey from Arnhem Land in Australia’s far north to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in the US and many points in between.
The line-up ranges from one of Australia’s greatest ever folk singers, Eric Bogle, to North East Arnhem Land reggae ragers the Andrew Gurriwiwi Band to Blue Ridge Mountains singer-songwriter Martha Spencer.
Festival director and performer Cody Munro-Moore is excited by the line-up, which he sees as a generational change in the musical offerings while making sure the festival still caters for traditional “folkies” with a mix of music, comedy and poetry.
“It’s going to be a fantastic festival of music curated by the growing team of young folk enthusiasts who are stretching the ideals of song, story and dance towards a new generation of attendees,” he said.
“We are very excited to have Andrew Gurriwiwi and his band come down from remote NE Arnhem Land to perform after his debut album “Sing Your Own Song” was released this year.
“Andrew and his band are complemented by a whole raft of national and international artists who will make the 2025 event one of the most dynamic and entertaining festivals in our long history.”
Scottish-born Eric Bogle has performed at five previous Illawarra Folk Festivals, stretching from his first in 1988 to his last appearance in 2019, and organisers are thrilled to have him back in 2025.
Bogle recently turned 80, but is still entertaining audiences with his vast catalogue of Australian classics, including And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda and Now I’m Easy.
Singer-songwriter, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist Martha Spencer brings her family’s Appalachian roots music to her performances, mixing traditional country, old-time and original music.
Martha previously performed as part of the Whitetop Mountaineers, including at the 2014 Illawarra Folk Festival, but on this Australian tour she will be accompanied by US-born, Australian-raised balladeer and musician Archer Broughton.
Since joining the Music Maker recording label in 2015, Martha has toured across the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand as a soloist and with her various bands. Her latest album, “Out in La La Land”, was released in May.
The Illawarra Folk Club and an army of volunteers stage the festival, which will also feature a strong contingent of Illawarra performers, including Kiama’s sensational Water Runners, returning from a six-month sabbatical, The Carefree Road Band, The Con Artists and comedy duo Rheinberger and Wilson.
The popular Folk School, where aspiring musicians can learn from some of the festival performers, will also be held in festival week.
For early bird tickets (until 22 December) and a full list of the 2025 performers, visit the festival’s new-look website.
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