More than 450 acts are set to feature at a long-running festival that celebrates music, art, culture and community.
Performers from around the world will be on show at the 39th edition of the Woodford Folk Festival at Woodfordia village, Woodford, from December 27 to January 1.
Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Dreggs, Sons of the East, DZ Deathrays, The Herd and Reuben Kaye are among those set to entertain.
More than 100,000 attendees are expected during the six-day event.
Festival director Amanda Jackes said the festival will be a hive of activity.
“Woodford is a town you come to live in and create daily rituals, exploring our village and all its creative offerings,” she said.
“For six days, it becomes a world of music and art, and everyone who walks through the gate helps to make it special.”
Head of programming Chloe Goodyear looked forward to welcoming thousands of artists and presenters.
“Our whole team works hard to create something that feels fresh, celebratory and immersive with 65 per cent new content each year while still having it recognisably Woodfordian. This year’s programme is a roaring torrent of talent,” she said.
Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the “iconic” festival continued to grow in scale and impact.
“The Woodford Folk Festival is a cultural calendar highlight of our subtropical summer, with almost 108,000 attendances across six days of the festival last year,” he said.
“Each year, the festival engages thousands of Queensland creatives and arts workers, while providing significant, seasonal opportunities for small businesses, including more than 160 Queensland vendors in 2025-26.
“The festival is continuing to grow the state’s experience economy, delivering dynamic programming and attracting new audiences while championing emerging artists.”
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This year’s snapshot of the best of contemporary Australia includes Sunshine Coast duo The Dreggs, who have had a meteoric rise since they first played the festival in 2019.
“We can’t wait to play Woodford – such an amazing festival and just down the road from where we grew up. What a way to round out the year – bring it on,” they stated.
A new addition to the programme will include Stardust Songwriters, a nightly folk club in an alcohol free precinct.
Meanwhile, patrons will be invited to battle it out when Brisbane hip hop group The Elements Collective host an Open Style Dance Battle over two days.
There will also be a Festival Filmmakers Fast Film Comp, in which patrons aged 10 and up will be invited to use their phones to make a 45 to 60 second film during the first two days of the festival, with help on hand for shooting and editing.
Audiences will also be treated to an array of comedy, circus and cabaret, while the Tinlids Children’s Festival will return with a programme of delights.
An arts and crafts programme will offer everything from life drawing to weaving masterclasses, slow stitching and embroidery, and wheel pottery.
Dance workshops will include K-pop, Scandinavian dance, English Morris, hip hop, bush dancing, Hungarian, Amazonian and dances from the Luo regions of East Africa. The festival’s music camp will enable people to learn fiddle, mandolin, banjo or singing.
There will also be a Meditation in Motion programme, with various yoga styles, movement and breathwork, meditations, environmental walks, forest-bathing, hilltop sunrises and time swimming.
The state government has contributed $1m to the event.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism and local Member for Glass House Andrew Powell said the festival was a drawcard for Queensland.
“With this year’s festival expected to generate $29.8 million for Queensland’s economy, the benefits flow well beyond the festival grounds to local accommodation providers, cafes, restaurants and small businesses,” he said.
See the full list of acts and access tickets at woodfordfolkfestival.com.
