Sydney Folk Festival

by Pam Merrigan

TN 156 July 23

Sydney’s coolest little urban winter festival returns to the Surry Hills precinct in the heart of Sydney this August 18^th-20^th.

At least that’s how we like to think of Sydney Folk Festival, an intimate and up-close urban folk gathering showcasing the diversity of folk music through an especially curated suite of bespoke concerts.

Forget winter camping and cold frosty mornings!

We can’t think of a better way to warm the heart and nourish the soul than settling into one of our cosy venues to enjoy some truly wonderful live music.

In 2023, Sydney Folk Festival will feature some 30 acts presenting folk in its broadest sense.

You’ll experience some brilliant contemporary and traditional folk, roots and acoustic music across our three venues.

From Tom Mann Theatre, with its intimate atmosphere, and the lively Gaelic Club to our up-close acoustic space in the Quakers’ Hall, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

All SydFolkFest23 venues are just a stone’s throw from Central Rail and within a short walk of each other, making it easy to move between concerts, catch up with friends or just hang around taking in the atmosphere.

We’re also delighted that Molly Malone’s, right next door to the Gaelic Club, has come on board where you’ll be able to experience participatory workshops, sessions and jams on the upstairs mezzanine level.

Artist announcements keep rolling off the press and include The Weeping Willows, 3 x CMAA ‘Golden Guitar’, FAA and Music Victoria award winners, iconic Sydney duo, The Stiff Gins, WA’s renowned ragtime men, The Paper Collar Pickers, popular Sydney sextet Chaika with their Balkan infused melding of folk, jazz and classical and, Felicity Dowd, a rising young talent whose acoustic performances tell stories that intertwine the experiences of the world around her, portrayed through a youthful, contemporary lens.

Our first Sydney Folk Festival was held in 2019 but since then we’ve had three years of COVID cancelled or interrupted events.

So, in 2023, our festival will be a small and intimate affair with the intention to grow steadily over the next few years.

Festivals, whether big, small or in between, are the lynch pins of our folk sector providing the stages for our artists to share their craft and the places where we all gather to celebrate and immerse ourselves in all things folk.

SydFolkFest23 invites you to join us for two nights and two days of folk in our inner-city urban setting.

There’s no better way to find your folk.

Whether you like it a little bit trad, a little bit revival, or spiced up with modern grooves and catchy hooks, you’ll find plenty to engage your senses.

Get your folk on this August when Sydney Folk Festival comes to town.

Early Bird Season Tickets are on sale until 16 July unless sold out prior to that date with general ticket sales to follow. Experience the music, the culture, the community – Sydney Folk Festival 2023.

For more visit sydneyfolkfestival.com.au

Sydney Folk Festival in Review

Published in T&N153 December 2022

The success of SydFolkFest22 can be measured from two key perspectives.

The first and most important is the creative, cultural and community impact it had.

Feedback from attendees both at the festival and through our survey has been overwhelmingly positive regarding this and there is no doubt that the program and range of activities offered was top drawer.

From Fred Smith to the Raduga Trio, Equus to the Young Folk Artist Awards, and shows such as Sydney: The Folk Musical and Speewah, there was a lot on offer.

Festival audiences, volunteers and performers were genuinely pleased to be connecting, mixing and enjoying the festival atmosphere and the general feeling was, it’s good to be back!

Unfortunately, this didn’t quite transfer into a break even outcome and the festival took a small financial hit.

By the time the Government started announcing a predicted third wave of COVID for August and generally frightening people off, we were past the point of no return as far as cancelling and in fact we wouldn’t have done that in any case.

After two years of lockdowns and cancellations, we saw 2022 as a time to rebuild.

We lost a few acts due to COVID, some people purchased tickets and then chose not to attend, some didn’t purchase tickets at all and while that was disappointing, a wonderful spirit of community and coming together prevailed, and that’s something money can’t buy.

Pure magic!