2018/19 Woodford Folk Festival set to contribute more than $20 million to the Queensland economy

Continuing its reputation for blending tradition with discovery, Woodford Folk Festival will once again be bringing together music, art, circus, cabaret, yoga, dance, comedy and ceremony, in its 2018/19 festival program.

The largest gathering of artists and performers of its kind in Australia, Woodford Folk Festival showcases more than 2000 artists, musicians and presenters in over 400 acts, over 25 venues to an estimated aggregate audience of 125,000 people.

Running from 27th December to 1st January next year, the Festival is acknowledged for providing great outcomes for Queensland’s tourism economy.

Queensland Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones advised “the Woodford Folk Festival is a wonderful community event on a large scale, which has proved to be a major drawcard for Queensland.

“This event provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase our great state, while also promoting Australian arts and culture.

“Events are an important part of Queensland’s $25 billion tourism economy. This industry contributes $2.5 billion to the Sunshine Coast economy and supports 23,200 local jobs.

“Last year’s event contributed more than $20 million to the Queensland economy and attracted 10,500 visitors from interstate and overseas, generating 216,178 visitor nights.”

The 500-acre festival site known as Woodfordia will play host to Kimbra, Julia Jacklin, Electric Fields, Jen Cloher, Stella Donnelly, Alex the Astronaut and Remi. They join festival favourites The Cat Empire, The Waifs, Nattali Rize, and Xavier Rudd, already released as part of a talks program that includes Dr Karl and Costa Georgiadis.

The diversity in the lineup reflects the wide variety of patrons that attend Woodford Folk Festival each year. However, despite this variation in demographics, year after year studies at the Festival show that patrons feel a strong sense of belonging in the Woodfordia community.

Explaining that it is a place where everyone is welcomed, and connection is key, Festival Head of Programming Chloe Goodyear loves the sense of community that the festival possesses.

Goodyear explains “I hope we never take the word ‘folk’ out of our festival’s name. When I hear folk anywhere in the world - at a club night, or a festival, or a conference, I know there’s a place for me. I hope everyone feels that about Woodford.”

The theme We’re All Connected weaves throughout the festival, with the return of the Spooky Men’s Chorale marking its grand finale.

Woodford is a festival that champions more than just music, this year featuring two outstanding stage shows. Bukal is the imagining of social justice warrior, traditional owner, elder, mother and internationally recognised academic Henrietta Marrie’s extraordinary life, and The Spirit of Churaki tells the heroic, largely unknown story of an Aboriginal man heralded as the Gold Coast’s first surf lifesaver.

Organisers at Woodfordia have been busy this year with not only curating a remarkable program of artist and presenters, attention has also been turned to the infrastructure onsite with some major improvements underway.

Acknowledging funding support from the Queensland Government and Moreton Bay Regional Council that has made these works possible, Festival General Manager Amanda Jackes adds “while works are still underway on new bridges, amenity blocks and venue landscaping, we have completed the critical upgrades to our closed-loop water and sewage services that support what becomes the 67th largest town in Australia over the festival period.

“However, the most exciting works are still to come - over 5 kilometres of sealed roads will be completed in the season camping grounds delivering greater comfort to our resident campers and welcomed relief from previously dusty roads.

“Now that’s something to celebrate.”

For more information go to woodfordfolkfestival.com