Illawarra Folk Festival

Illawarra Folk Festival will celebrate its 39th anniversary in January 2026, demonstrating remarkable longevity and sustainability in a field sadly dotted with festival failures across the country. The festival is beloved by people of all ages with a broad range of music and other activities to cater for everyone from families with young children, young music fans looking to rage to hard-core folkies. From January 16-18 Bulli Showground will be transformed into a vibrant festival and camping site, with 90 acts and hundreds of concerts and other musical performances, poetry recitals and dances, as well as food outlets and other stalls. Every year the festival incorporates a Folk School, where young musicians can learn their craft from seasoned performers. The event attracts thousands of people and is one of the region's main annual cultural and tourism events, attracting people from across the Illawarra community, from Sydney and across NSW and even other states. It is also an integral part of a well-worn international folk trail, that sees high-profile overseas artists performing at a string of strategically-timed festivals starting with Woodford in Queensland at Christmas/New Year, followed by Cygnet in Tasmania, Illawarra in NSW and Port Fairy in Victoria. Through this association, the festival attracts international performers to Wollongong (and NSW) for our audiences to enjoy in a cost-effective and family-friendly atmosphere.