About The Illawarra Folk Festival

2027 is our 40 year ruby anniversary!

That’s 40 years of folk, music and community.

The Illawarra Folk Festival began in Jamberoo in 1985, and has grown into one of Australia’s largest volunteer-run folk festivals.

After its early years at Wilton and Jamberoo, the festival moved to Bulli Showground in 2006, where it has been held ever since.

Today, the Illawarra Folk Festival brings together more than 100 performers across three days, with music ranging from traditional and contemporary folk to roots, blues, world music and more.

the festival is about more than the music.

It’s about people coming together. The conversations, the dancing, the workshops, the late-night sessions, the shared meals, the camping and the friendships that happen along the way. Musicians, performers, volunteers and festival-goers all become part of the festival community.

Our RUBY Anniversary

In 2027, we are celebrating 40 years of the Illawarra Folk Festival with a weekend at Bulli Showground from 15th to 17th January 2027.

There will be a great mix of international, national and local performers, with the full 2027 line-up to be announced soon.

We’ve come a long way

The festival has come a long way since its beginnings in 1985. The Jamberoo years ran from 1986 to 2004, with artists including Eric Bogle and Ted Egan helping to put the festival on the map.

In 2005, the festival took a year off while organisers looked for a new home after outgrowing Jamberoo. In 2006, it moved to Bulli Showground, which has been its home ever since. The festival was also cancelled in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19.

Over the years, the festival has changed from an event focused mainly on Australian bush music to one that celebrates many different kinds of folk and musical traditions.

Forty years on, the festival is still being made by the people who turn up, play, volunteer, camp, dance, listen and come back year after year.