Woodford Folk Festival set to host more than 120,000 fans

Opening today (27th December) and running until Monday 1st January, the 36th Woodford Folk Festival is set to host 25,000 people daily and more than 120,000 visitors in total across the next six days.

Held on a 200-hectare rural property 90 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, the annual music and cultural festival will this year feature more than 1800 unique events with 2000 or so performers - backed by a 2500-strong team of volunteers.

Cancelled due to COVID in 2020 and 2021, but returning last year, planning for the 2023 Festival has been unaffected by pandemic concerns, with Festival Director Amanda Jackes explaining that “it (has been) great to be able to plan ahead this year with more certainty and more creativity.”

With tickets having first gone on sale in June, Jackes noted that for this year’s Festival “we worked through the many areas which we want to improve - it was a luxury to have the time this year to make changes which will improve the experience for our patrons.”

Improvements have seen venues including Luna, Bob’s Bar, Coopers Bar, Evergreen, Parlour, The Craic and Bazaar increased in size and seating for patrons’ comfort while many parts of the campgrounds that were overgrown have been reclaimed.

Roads have been improved in the overnight campgrounds, the shuttle to the precinct runs 24 hours and the overnight ticketing office is open each morning for re-wristbanding for those who want to stay a few days.

Festival streets have also been improved to better cope with all kinds of weather.

Jackes advised “we have been able to upgrade many of our pathways so that they are neither dusty nor muddy with the different weather that we sometimes experience at Woodfordia.

“We are trialling new technology on one of our pathways which we believe will deliver amazing results that will improve everyone’s experience now and into the future.

“It has been so wonderful doing these improvements, knowing the real impact they are going to have on everyone.”

Commenting on the diversity of the program on offer for patrons, Jackes stated “you might move from a concert to a comedy show to a visual arts workshop, passing children playing in trees, street artists and people enjoying a glass of wine or a beer as they share and learn tunes that have been passed on for literally hundreds of years or people sharing their culture through ceremonial practices that have been passed on for thousands.

“We don’t have to look for a good time, or to work to be changed by the artists we encounter. They are working on us every moment that we are here.

“Each day, we are surrounded by a community that shares Woodfordia’s common interests and values. We think village living is in our DNA. For many of us, the Woodford Folk Festival is our village, even if it lasts only six days.

“It is both familiar and ever-changing. We meet old friends, we meet new friends and we are everywhere bathed in an absolute celebration of the most beautiful arts and artists. We live according to our lore.

With festivals and cultural events boosting the economy with spending having emerged from the darker days of the pandemic, Jackes went on to say “the festival is an economic powerhouse for the region.”

The Festival is one of Queensland’s major events and last year delivered a record economic impact of $21.25 million, generating more than 260 full time jobs across Queensland

Conservatree and the Festival’s environmental footprint
Woodfordia has also launched its latest environmental project: Conservatree. Modelled on the successful community engagement framework of the Woodford Folk Festival, Conservatree is an ambitious project to regenerate the 500 acres of land on which Woodfordia stands.

Festival Founder, Bill Hauritz, who since stepping down, has been able to dedicate his time to the development of the project, explained “we’re very conscious about our role not just in minimising our impact on the environment, but setting targets that really challenge our resources and ability.”

Jackes commented “the organisation is looking to see what more we can do to address our environmental footprint.

“Woodfordia has been looking at itself critically, across the whole organisation, to see what more we can do, and while it has been wonderful to plant over 100,000 trees on this land, develop our own water and sewage treatment plants, compost large volumes of organic waste during events, and limit packaging to reuseable or biodegradeable, there’s a lot more we can and should be doing.” Extending the organisation’s solar harvesting is another project on the horizon.

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Images: Woodford Folk Festival archives.