Playlunch are among the acts making their Woodford Folk Festival debut. Photo: Supplied.

Playlunch, DZ Deathrays and Sons of the East will make their Woodford debuts, while Sunshine Coast duo The Dreggs return among more than 450 acts announced for the festival’s 39th edition.

The Woodford Folk Festival 2026–27 programme, unveiled on Saturday, October 17, also features Elsy Wameyo, Reuben Kaye and The Herd, with music sharing the festival village with comedy, theatre, dance, talks and workshops.

Held at Woodfordia on Jinibara Country in the City of Moreton Bay, the festival runs from December 27, 2026, to January 1, 2027. Organisers say its 39th edition features more than 1,500 performances, workshops and presentations, with artists and presenters representing 42 Indigenous Nations and 14 countries.

The Dreggs return as Woodford welcomes a new wave

The Dreggs, who first performed at Woodford in 2019, return after building an audience well beyond their Sunshine Coast beginnings.

“We can’t wait to play Woodford, such an amazing festival and just down the road from where we grew up. What a way to round out the year, bring it on!” the duo said.

Among this year’s Woodford debuts are DZ Deathrays, Playlunch, Elsy Wameyo, DEVAURA, Stella Bridie, Jamaica Moana, Birdland, Sons of the East and cabaret performer Reuben Kaye, bringing his show Hard to Swallow.

Returning and established Australian artists include Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos, Kate Miller-Heidke, Pierce Brothers, Kim Churchill, The Maes, Georgia Mooney, Jem Cassar-Daley and Hot Potato Band.

The Herd will mark 20 years since their album The Sun Never Sets, while Emma Donovan presents Take Me to the River, reinterpreting songs associated with influential Black singers. Tim Freedman’s Moonlit Deck will revisit The Whitlams’ catalogue with a country treatment, and The Waifs’ Vikki Thorn appears as ThornBird.

First Nations voices and international artists

The programme includes Stiff Gins, Frank Yamma, Jem Cassar-Daley, Jess Hitchcock, Pirritu and Charlie Needs Braces, alongside Jinibara Dance Group, Jinibara Speaks, Gubbi Gubbi Dance, Badjtala Dancers and Mayi Wunba. Writers and speakers include Professor Chelsea Watego, Nardi Simpson and Claire G. Coleman.

International guests include flute and whistle quartet Flook, returning to Australia after more than two decades, Aotearoa artist Theia, English folk musician Katherine Priddy, Estonia’s Duo Ruut and Canada’s The East Pointers and Shakura S’Aida.

More than gigs: new ways to experience Woodford

One new addition is Stardust Songwriters, a nightly, alcohol-free folk club where four songwriters share a song circle before a featured performance. Brisbane dance collective The Elements Collective will also lead workshops and a two-day open-style dance battle.

The Festival Filmmakers Fast Film Comp invites patrons aged 10 and older to shoot and edit a short film on their phones during the first two days. Elsewhere, the nine-venue Tinlids Children’s Festival returns with music, circus, nature activities and hands-on art.

Comedy and cabaret performers include Denise Scott, Nikki Britton, Wendy Harmer, Reuben Kaye and Spaghetti Circus. Festival director Amanda Jackes says the appeal is not simply a collection of stages, but the daily life that grows around them.

“For six days it becomes a world of music and art, and everyone who walks through the gate helps to make it special,” she said.

Woodford Folk Festival 2026–27 dates and tickets

When: Sunday, December 27, 2026, to Friday, January 1, 2027.
Where: Woodfordia, Woodford, City of Moreton Bay, Queensland.
Tickets: Day and season passes, with or without camping, are on sale through the official Woodford Folk Festival website. Payment plans are available until October 31.

The festival’s New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day programme includes DZ Deathrays, Sons of the East, Stiff Gins, Flook and The East Pointers. The annual Sunrise Ceremony with the Monks of Tibet takes place on January 1, before the festival closes with its Renewal Ceremony.

Browse the full 2026–27 Woodford programme for the complete list of artists and sessions, or visit YELO’s Woodford Folk Festival guide for more about the festival.

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