Bundanoon Folk Festival 2026
20–22 November 2026
The Bundanoon Folk Festival returns to the charming Southern Highlands this November 20-22, bringing three days of live music, storytelling, dance, singing and community connection to one of Australia’s most picturesque villages.
STA have been supporting the festival since the start and we love the amazing way the festival lights up the local music scene every November.
50 acts across eight intimate venues, from historic halls to garden stages in Bundanoon in New South Wales’ beautiful Southern Highlands.
Get set for an eclectic mix of folk, roots, First Nations, jazz, blues and country, performed by nearly 240 musicians from across Australia and around the world.
Now in its fourth year, the Co-Artistic Directors Chloe and Jason Roweth have announced an impressive and very inticing line up of featured performers….STIFF GINS, APOLLINE, CIGáNY WEAVER, FRED SMITH, ANDREW HULL & MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED.
CHECK OUT THE FESTIVAL WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
“With folk festivals, we’re looking for the sausage and the sizzle,’ says Jason. “The sausage is the act — the sizzle is everything around it, the vibe, the atmosphere. This year’s festival has so much sizzle. We’re bringing regional and remote Australian voices that people don’t get to hear very often. We want punters to see that folk is a broad church.”
STIFF GINS
Featuring Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta woman Kaleena Briggs andYuwaalaraay woman Nardi Simpson, are Australia’s longest-performing allIndigenous female group. With over two decades of music, they share their culture and language, inspire emerging First Nations artists, and blend cultural depth with connection and creative evolution.
With a rich history of music spanning over two decades, Stiff Gins share their love for music, culture, and language with audiences worldwide. Recognised for their outstanding
contributions, they continue to Stiff Gin Members: Kaleena Briggs and Nardi Simpson evolve creatively, with Kaleena and Nardi actively involved in nurturing upcoming First Nations musicians. Their musical journey reflects a blend of cultural depth and artistic growth, paving the way for impactful connections in the music industry globally.
APOLLINE
AFMA Youth Artists of the Year 2024, Apolline is a lively trio of young folkies combining fiddle, cello, double bass and an extensive collection of colourful socks. The group views folk music through fresh eyes with footstomping sets and original songs to bring a unique experience of genrebending folk.
In 2024, Apolline won Youth Artist of the Year at the AFMAs, where their debut EP Home. Home was also nominated for Traditional Album of the Year and Debut Album of the Year. They have performed at over
20 folk festivals across Australia Apolline Members (pictured from left to right) including Woodford, Fairbridge, the Luisa Hickey, Laura Heaney and Tess Hickey
National and Dorrigo. They have also performed overseas in Canada, after they won the Emerging Artist award at Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, and opened for the acclaimed Canadian contemporary trad band The East Pointers.
CIGÁNY WEAVER
Cigány Weaver create a rich and vibrant atmosphere for both the heart and mind. Front woman, Jo Davie’s soaring vocals and enchanting gentle demeanour combine with the fiery violin, dynamic guitars and driving rhythm section to create a purely acoustic group that effortlessly navigates the musical nexus between intimacy and raucousness.
Five members, acoustic guitar, double bass, violin, snare and vocals, think Stephane Grapelli & Django Reinhardt with a modern influence as well, some Radiohead, Bjork covers and lots of classic Gypsy Jazz tunes.
FRED SMITH
Recently awarded an Order of Australia for services to music and foreign affairs, Fred Smith has been described as an Australian national treasure. “…simply the best folk/ country musician working in this country…he has created a repertoire that is wry, literate, witty, powerfully emotional and insightful.” (Bruce Elder, SMH).
With whip-smart lyrics, wry humour, some lovely melodies, a brain and a heart, Fred and band consistently offer performances rich in thought and feeling.
Jacquie Bradley – female vox, violin
Maryanne Voyazis – Powerpoint Hayden Kinsmen – keyboard
ANDREW HULL
Andrew is most widely recognised for his poetry which typically takes the form of rhyming verse with a uniquely Australian flavour.
Described by The Australian as a ‘modern day Lawson’,
Something of a contemporary Renaissance man, or a polymath, Andrew Hull works across several arts disciplines, performs and exhibits, generates public art projects, speaks at conferences public engagements, and combines this with project management work.
Winsome Hall, Festival Director, says, “More than ever, people crave the magic of live music. The kind of experience you can feel and that lifts your heart. At Bundanoon we present compelling artists across contemporary and trad folk, roots, blues, jazz, First Nations, acoustic and world music artists performing in an intimate bush village setting, alongside singalongs, workshops, dances and storytelling sessions. There’s nothing quite like it.”
Bundanoon Folk Festival Association Inc is a not for profit organisation bringing folk music to the highlands – bundanoonfolkfestival.com.au
We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the lands where we create, live & work.
© 2026 Southern Tablelands Arts. All Rights Reserved