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MUSIC PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The musical artists featured at the 2025 National Folk Festival are many and varied, featuring top Australian musicians, special international guests, and music custodians drawn from the rich traditions that make up the folk fabric of Australia. Concerts at the Festival offer experiences that enable audiences to connect to artists through seated listening venues with space to dance if desired, or as required! Read on for an overview of some of this years music highlights, and then delve into the full program grid by clicking here.

  • Don’t miss hearing incredible voices such as Australia’s Josh Pyke, First Nation artist Stuart Joel Nuggett, and Canada’s Ruth Moody, a founding member of The Wailin’ Jennys.

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  • The First Nations duo the Stiff Gins will bring their stunning harmonies and wicked senses of humour to transport listeners to a world of joy, spirit and song as they celebrate the band’s 25th Anniversary. Whilst closer to the start of her career, Charlie Needs Braces, a proud GuriNgai woman, blends loops with brass, percussion, and soulful vocals. 

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  • Festival favourite Irish Mythen returns Armed with her voice and guitar, to share her live performances which are a thing of raw power and emotion. Canadian folk legend David Francey will also return to share his songs and stories, and we’re excited to have celebrated Irish singer-songwriter Daoirí Farrell back again.

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  • Tradition bearers come from across the seas, with one of the world’s top harmonica players Will Pound joins forces with acclaimed guitarist Jenn Butterworth, weaving English and Scottish folk traditions with blues and gypsy jazz. Guitar and accordion duo Tim and Jonnic combine to bring depth to Scandinavian and Austrian traditions, plus we welcome the iconic Scottish fiddle and harp duo Chris Stout and Catriona McKay.

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  • The 2025 Festival will have a special focus on pipes, with Elias Alexander (USA) blending the sounds of bagpipes and whistles with EDM (electronic dance music), and Kadinelia (Greece) delivering a fusion of traditional Greek instruments like the Cycladic bagpipe and Pontian lyra with beatboxing and guitars. Australia’s Trioc will also feature bringing Irish uilleann pipes to the party.

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  • Established national artists like John Flanagan bring new offerings, alongside emerging voices such as Victorian singer-songwriter Daisy Kilbourne.

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  • The Tuck Shop Ladies bring their ukuleles and humorously harmonious songs to charm audiences with fresh material, following on from their hit show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. 

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  • Resonant Heart Collective all-female ensemble blends traditional music, movement, shadow puppetry, and poetry from Balkan, Indian, South Sudanese, and Persian traditions. 

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  • There’s plenty of time to party also with The Seduceaphones bringing infectious Balkan brass and hip-hop styles, whilst Fifth of Nisan adds klezmer grooves blended with jazz and pop. Join Afro-Latin Funk explorers Headphones Jones for great concerts plus get involved with their music gameshow!

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