Wellyfest 2025 Guest Performer Announcement
We’re thrilled to announce our main stage guest lineup for the 2024 Wellington Folk Festival!
Mark your calendars now for October 24th to 27th Labour weekend), at the Brookfield Outdoor Education Centre (the former “Scout Camp”) in picturesque Moore’s Valley, Wainuiomata, for a long-weekend celebration of folk music, culture, and community. There’s someone for everyone in this year’s lineup with a diverse range of folk music styles on show.
The guests are:
Adam and Marika
Adam Ogle is well known in the Australasian scene, for his work in the musical Once and the band Roughtown, and has played with the likes of Sharon Shannon and Manus McGuire. Marika Chia has been in the music scene in New Zealand for over a decade and has performed with musicians such as Ms Lauryn Hill, Jordan Luck and other NZ greats. She’s been a staple at the Auckland Folk Festival for the past 4 years. Together they merge their love of Folk, Gypsy and Contemporary/Original works to create their own sound. Combining soulful ballads with electric tunes, they have drawn crowds to stages around Auckland.
Fiona Ross
Renowned for her honest, earthy style and deep knowledge of the Scots singing tradition, Fiona Ross is widely recognised as one of the leading interpreters of Scots song today. A finalist for Scots Singer of the Year at Scotland’s prestigious Trad Music Awards, she has earned acclaim for her emotive performances and powerful storytelling. Now based in Australia, Fiona continues to champion traditional Scottish song through concerts, workshops, and lectures. Whether delivering a haunting muckle ballad, a tender love song, or a rousing Jacobite chorus, Fiona captivates audiences with her deep connection to the Scots repertoire and the rich stories woven through it.
We Mavericks
Masters in the art of connection, they interweave effortless strings, soulful vocals and driving rhythms. Troubadours Victoria Vigenser (NZ) and Lindsay Martin (AU) bring their original, worldly songs alongside a formidable string section comprising Australia’s premier cellists/multiinstrumentalists Rachel Johnston (NZ) and Trent Arkleysmith (AU). Their sound is equal parts contemp-folk, alt-country and acoustic-pop, but no words can describe the heartfelt way they connect with their audiences. We Mavericks are currently touring their highly acclaimed new album throughout Aotearoa, Australia, Europe and the UK.
Klezmer Rebs
Klezmer Rebs are 6-8 piece Wellington band formed in 2002 that plays (mostly) klezmer music, an engaging style of world/folk music born out of the Yiddish/Jewish culture of eastern Europe in the 1800s and 1900s. Together the Klezmer Rebs capture the true klezmer spirit with songs of joy, sorrow and rebellion. While many of songs are sung in Yiddish (that mostly-Germanic and very onomatopoeic language), they also perform songs from Italy, Amsterdam, Ukraine and other eastern European cultures, Ladino Sephardic melodies, Argentine Yiddish Tangos and 1940s swing vocal songs.
Rhys Crimmin
Rhys Crimmin is a world travelling singer song writing multi-instrumentalist one-man band and teller of Australian stories. He covers genres from folk to country, blues to reggae, Celtic to bush music. He has been touring and collecting music from different countries for over 20 years, blending it together with his own original music in a uniquely Australian style which uses instruments such as guitar, didgeridoo, harmonicas, foot percussion and vocals. Rhys is an engaging performer who thrives on making a special connection between himself and the audience. “A singer-songwriter on the cusp of roots music glory” – Matt Neal – The Standard
The Trenwiths
The Trenwiths are three generations of one musical family. ‘Poppa’ Paul, two sons, Sam and Tim, and grandson Tyler. They play a mix of modern songs, folk songs and trad-bluegrass music. Paul Trenwith is a national treasure of NZ Country Music, received a Queen’s Service Medal for his contributions to Bluegrass in New Zealand, and is one of the few, in any, masters of banjo and bluegrass music in New Zealand.
Two if by Sea
From heart-wrenching airs to furiously fast and joyous melodies, Rachel Johnston and Trent Arkleysmith transport audiences in the space between cellos, deftly picked guitar or mandolin. Classically trained yet playing with a feel only the truest troubadours can, their tunes tell complex stories in a curiously emotional way.
Expect a tasty mix of original and traditional music influenced by Celtic, Scandinavian and Eastern European folk with accents of Bluegrass and “new acoustic” music.
Standby for further announcements …
About our the special 60th anniversary performances, the workshop, dance, and youth and young performers programmes, and the opening of ticket sales…