Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham will perform at the Illawarra Folk Festival. Photo: Supplied.
Australian folk-country duo Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham will lead a star-studded line-up for the 39th Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli Showground from 16-18 January.
Outside the duo, Urquhart is a Golden Guitar and ARIA-winning country music star and media personality, while Cunningham is guitarist in leading Australian indie band The Waifs.
Having been partners in life and music since 2020, as accomplished songwriters the folk duo has produced two award-winning albums together, with a third due for release in March.
In between Cunningham touring and recording with The Waifs, the pair have performed their music widely during the past five years.
Festival artistic director Kay Proudlove said she was thrilled to have Urquhart and Cunningham at the Illawarra Folk Festival in January.
“They are a great live act, with their magnetic personalities, heartfelt songs and outstanding musicianship,” Kay said.
“I am sure our audiences are going to love them.”
Urquhart and Cunningham join a stellar line-up of about 80 international, national and Illawarra acts for the three-day festival presented by the Illawarra Folk Club, with early bird tickets on sale.
International acts include French Canadian-Irish trio Grosse Isle, Canadian Richard “Old Man” Luedecke, English clawhammer banjo virtuoso Dan Walsh and Josefina Paulson from Sweden, who plays the Swedish instrument the nyckelharpa.
National acts include long-time Illawarra Folk Festival favourites Cigany Weaver and The Handsome Young Strangers, one-man-band Alex Kosenko, Emmy Ryan and the Hard Times, the dynamic Rufous Whistler, Brisbane neo-trad band Amaidi, featuring Illawarra-raised Sam De Santi, and Melbourne-based Afro-fusion band One Spirit Africa.
Festival director Shane Moon said the festival was set to cater for a wide range of musical tastes this year.
“There are so many acts to be excited about,” Shane said.
“Josh and Felicity, One Spirit Africa, Stiff Gins, Ungus Ungus Ungus, The Inadequates, Whiskey Dram, Scott Cook, Patina, Old Man Luedecke, Alex Kosenko, Kyarna, Amaidi, Cigarney Weaver, Grosse Isle, Slippery John Sausage … the list goes on.
“The artistic team have put together a great line-up and it’s going to be a fantastic festival.”
Along with the music will be comedy, poetry and dance, with multiple stalls selling food, clothing and jewellery to add to the village atmosphere.
Some of Australia’s leading Indigenous musicians will be performing, including the legendary Pitjantjatjara singer-songwriter Uncle Frank Yamma and the Stiff Gins, the musical duo of Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta woman Kaleena Briggs and Yuwaalaraay woman Nardi Simpson.
The Stiff Gins’ fifth studio album Crossroads released this year marked the 25-year career point for Australia’s longest-performing all-female First Nations band, and reaffirmed Nardi and Kaleena’s status as matriarchal pioneers in the Australian Blak music scene.
They will be joined by Shellharbour Indigenous singer Kyarna, who impressed at her festival debut last January.
Other Illawarra acts include Kiama’s The Water Runners, musical comedy duo Rheinberger and Wilson, Americana duo Marco and Rusty, The Con Artists, Penelope Church and the Penny Hartgerink Trio, reuniting Penny with musical collaborators Tess Hathaway and Izaak Blomley after an 11-year break.
Annual festival feature, the Folk School, will once again involve sessions and workshops featuring festival performers.
Early bird festival tickets are now on sale for the Illawarra Folk Festival from 16-18 January at Bulli Showground.
