Multiple performances mean no need to miss main acts at folk fest
Organisers have finalised the program for the 39th Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli Showground on January 15-18, with most of the 88 performers doing multiple shows over the four days
By festival publicity officer Nick Hartgerink
Organisers have finalised the program for the 39th Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli Showground on January 15-18, with most of the 88 performers doing multiple shows over the four days.
The performances start on Thursday, January 15 with the traditional charity concert, featuring some of the festival’s most exciting acts including Brisbane-based Celtic powerhouse Cigani Weaver, Emmy Ryan and the Hard Times and Whiskey Dram.
The festival itself, presented by the Illawarra Folk Club, starts on Friday, January 16 at 3pm with a packed program on seven stages that continues through to 11.30pm.
Friday highlights include Cigány Weaver at 4.15pm at the Tivoli stage, Canadian-Irish trio Grosse Isle at 4.45pm at the Horse Shoe stage, Rufous Whistler at the Slacky Flat Bar at 5.50pm, legendary Indigenous singer Uncle Frank Yamma at 7.30pm at the Slacky Flat Bar and Irish singer Maggie Carty at 7.30pm at the Tivoli.
The Friday night program will end with a bang with One Spirit Africa (10.30pm at the Slacky Flat Bar) and Handsome Young Strangers (10.30pm at the Tivoli) both playing through to 11.30pm.
The Saturday program will utilise all nine stages, with an early morning yoga session at the Tivoli at 7.45am, Morning Poets from 8am-9.45am at the Grandstand Bar and Ken Hoot’s Hoot Band at 9am in the Black Diamond Marquee.
Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham are sure to attract a big audience to their Saturday show at 1pm at the Black Diamond Marquee. Country Music star Urquhart and Cunningham, guitarist in the acclaimed Indi band The Waifs, have been partners in music and life since 2020. Anyone who misses their Saturday show can catch them 1.30pm on Sunday at the Slacky Flat Bar.
“The festival program has been designed so that no-one should miss out on an act they really want to see because of a scheduling clash,” Festival Director Shane Moon said. “We are really excited that the majority of performers will be on stage at least twice and sometimes more than that, so audiences will have a chance to really plan their festival and see as many different performers as possible.
“I really recommend that people have a look at the full festival program on our website and have a look at the amazing variety of artists who will be performing at the festival.”
Highlights include performances by Cigany Weaver, One Spirit Africa and Stiff Gins. Photos supplied
Another Saturday feature is the Koori Voices show from 10.30am-12.30pm at the Black Diamond Marquee, featuring Indigenous singers Alara Livingstone, Nicole Smede and the Mudjingaal Yangamba choir from the South Coast, which performs in the local Dhurga language.
Shellharbour-based Indigenous singer Kyarna, who impressed in the Koori Voices show at the last festival, has her own stand-alone spots this year at 6.20pm on Saturday at the Grandstand Bar.
Alice Springs singer and acclaimed photographer Barry Skipsey will present his Red Centre Show at 8.20pm on Saturday at the Grandstand Bar. The multimedia show features songs and over 400 projected images of the Northern Territory spanning Barry’s four decades of taking photographs of life in the Red Centre.
Other Saturday highlights include Canadian Old Man Luedecke at 2.30pm at the Black Diamond, Kiama Bluegrass band The Water Runners at 5.15pm at the Folk Grand, legendary Indigenous duo The Stiff Gins at 7.30pm at the Slacky Flat Bar and one-man band Alex Kosenko at 8.15pm at the Folk Grand.
Two up-tempo bands, Brisbane’s Amaidi, featuring Illawarra’s own Sam De Santi, and circus party Ungus Ungus Ungus , will end the night program with the 10.30pm-11.30pm performances at the Slacky Flat Bar and the Tivoli respectively.
Sunday’s program again starts with early yoga at 7.45am and the Morning Poets at 8am, while popular festival tradition Folkin’ Funny Songs, hosted by Russell Hannah and featuring various artists, is on from 9am-10am in the Grandstand Bar.
At 12.20pm on the Horse Show stage, long-time festival Artistic Director David De Santi will mark his 40-year career as a musician with the Ruby Song Session, revisiting favourite songs with a host of guests singers.
Lovers of the grand traditions of American folk music will enjoy When Woody Met Pete – a feature show by Maurie Mulheron and Peter Hicks that explores the music of folk icons Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger at 2.30pm at the Grandstand Bar (if they haven’t already seen the Saturday show at 8pm at the Bush Tipi).
The Bush Tipi will also be the place to be at 4pm on Sunday for Slippery John Sausage and the Swamper Domper Bayou Boys.
The packed Sunday afternoon program winds up with the Finale Concert from 6.15pm at the Slacky Flat Bar, hosted by Nick Rheinberger, while Ungas Ungas Ungas have the honour of performing the final fling concert from 8-9pm to wind up the Sunday program and end the 39th Illawarra Folk Festival.
Tickets are available through the website.
Note: Entry for the Charity Concert on Thursday January 15 will be by $15 donation (or more if you like), with proceeds going to Community Outreach Illawarra, which focuses on helping survivors of domestic violence, and Cocky Guides, which provides sensory adventure experiences for people who are blind or have low vision.
