Golden Guitar winner Darren Coggan will headline this year’s Folk By The Sea. Photo: Supplied.
From the Sydney Opera House to Scotland’s Royal Concert Hall, Illawarra’s own Darren Coggan has played some of the world’s most prestigious stages but is bringing his music home as headliner of Kiama’s Folk By The Sea next month.
A Golden Guitar-winning singer-songwriter, Coggan is excited to showcase beloved classics, alongside debuting songs from his upcoming album – including some inspired by the region he calls home.
Originally hailing from Wagga Wagga, Coggan said his 21 years living in the Illawarra – first at Helensburgh and now in Corrimal – had influenced the songs on album “Another Breaking Wave”, due for release in early 2026.
“There are songs about the Dharawal Nation and the beautiful Illawarra coastline – lots of water and ocean references – and songs about my family,” he said.
“There’s even a song called 2508 – Helensburgh’s postcode – which is a homage to that town.
“There is no question that the Illawarra has played a huge role in our lives.
“We had 20 great years in Helensburgh, then the chance came to move to Corrimal last year. We love it here.”
Coggan’s daughter Olivia, 21, is an emerging singer-songwriter who is forging a successful path of her own, taking to the stage in her own show at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the first time in January.
Meanwhile, his son Gabriel, 24, is a professional videographer who, not surprisingly, produces the videos for his father’s and sister’s songs.
“It’s a very handy skill to have in the family,” Coggan joked.
As one of Australia’s premier performers, Coggan is a regular at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and has done everything from playing Richie Cunningham in Happy Days – The Arena Mega Musical to being a presenter on Network Seven’s lifestyle TV program Sydney Weekender.
He has toured shows honouring the life and works of iconic 20th century singer-songwriters, including James Taylor, Glen Campbell, John Lennon and Paul McCartney with fellow Illawarra artist and Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, and his latest being John Denver.
He also performed his critically acclaimed Peace Train, a portrait of Cat Stevens, on some of the world’s grandest stages, from the Sydney Opera House to Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall in Scotland and Liverpool Philharmonic in England.
Stevens, also known as Yusuf Islam, paid Coggan the ultimate compliment when he invited the Australian to London to meet him in 2008.
While Coggan promises to bring a selection of his favourite songs from Peace Train and his other celebration shows to Folk by The Sea, it’s also a chance to showcase his original music.
“I am so thrilled to be part of Folk By The Sea,” Coggan said.
“It’s a great community event, and I don’t often get the chance to showcase my own songs, because I am usually so busy doing the celebratory shows honouring other artists.
“And as a bonus, I’ll be able to drive home after the show.”
He said “Another Breaking Wave” would feature songs he had been accumulating for the past few years.
“At Kiama I’ll be performing some of those songs for the first time, so I will be very interested to see how the audience reacts to them,” he said.
“Of course, I will also be performing a smattering of songs from my celebratory shows, because I love those artists and I love to honour them and their songs.
“For example, I always play Cat Stevens’ Father And Son, so you definitely expect that in my show at Folk By The Sea.”
Coggan will be performing on the main stage at Kiama Pavilion at 9 pm on 13 September, as part of a festival line-up of 40 acts and about 100 shows throughout the weekend.
Presented by the Illawarra Folk Club, Folk By The Sea will launch with a charity preview concert at Kiama Leagues Club on 11 September, with all proceeds going to Lifeline South Coast.
It will wrap up with a free concert at Kiama Bowling Club on 14 September.
Hear Coggan’s music and video clips produced by his son on his website and book tickets to preview his upcoming album during Folk By The Sea from 12 to 14 September. See the full program and ticket information.
