Guest announcements for Wellyfest 2024 are coming soon! Please follow us on Facebook for the latest updates.
We need great talent to perform, host workshops and lead our dance programme for the 2024 Wellington Folk Festival. If you’d like to be in the programme in any of these capacities (or know people who might), here is a link to our online application form.
Feel free to forward this link to your friends or anyone you’d like to see on our guest list. Applications are encouraged in any of these areas:
Concerts or other performance
Dance in a variety of traditional and modern styles
Workshops on dance, musicianship, performance, specific instruments, cultural and historic influences and evolution of folk music and dance
Learning (and fun) activities for kids
The application form has specific guidance on how to put together your application. It’s important to complete the form in full so we have a consistent basis for comparing potential guests and preparing a rough programme.
we expect to be in contact with shortlisted guests by the end of April.
WellyFest 2023 was a great success. A huge ‘THANK YOU” to everyone involved: performers, audience, vendors, volunteer crew for your mahi. You are all champions.
Thanks again from all the committee….. now starting the prep for 2024.
Some committee members have indicated they might be thinking about stepping down at the 2024 AGM (in late March) to make way for new blood. If you have an interest in knowing more, please email us at info@wellingtonfolkfestival.org.nz
We are very excited to see you all tomorrow! Remember to bring cash with you! While there is Eftpos at the front gate to get your weekend and day passes, our caterer, Lovely Grubb, as well as the stalls in the Village Green, will only be accepting CASH.
As of 18 October, it’s only two more sleeps to the festival, but please don’t count on being able to get a bunk if you haven’t booked one – they’re almost gone.
Set up of the site is well underway, and the festival committee is looking forward to seeing you there!
Janet and the other workshop leaders are getting ready to pass on their skills. Come along to Janet’s Jam at 9.30 on Sunday morning.
See the festival programme tab on the website for a full list of workshops and other activities.
On-line ticket sales have now closed. Tickets for the weekend can be purchased at gate on the weekend of the Festival.
Note: If you or someone you are registering for is under 18, you MUST nominate a responsible adult. This person must be on site at the festival before the registered teen or child will be allowed on the festival site and must remain onsite throughout. (Child tickets are for ages 5-12, teen for 13-17 and student 18+ if applicable. Free entry for under 5s.)
Full Weekend – Adult: $190.00
Full Weekend – Concession/Student: $165.00
Full Weekend – Teen: $85.00
Full Weekend – Child: $35.00
Whole day + evening – Child: $15.00
Saturday – Whole day + evening – Adult: $90.00
Saturday – Whole day + evening – Teen: $55.00
Saturday – evening only – Adult: $40.00
Saturday – evening only – Teen: $40.00
Sunday – Whole day + evening – Adult: $100.00
Sunday – Whole day + evening – Teen: $60.00
Sunday – evening only – Adult: $60.00
Sunday – evening only – Teen: $60.00
Door Sales
Friday
Adult evening only (from 3pm): $25.00
Teen evening only (from 3pm): $25.00
Saturday
Adult/Teen Saturday daytime only (to 7pm): $55.00
Adult Saturday evening only (from 5.30pm): $40.00
Teen Saturday evening only (from 5.30pm): $40.00
Sunday
Adult/Teen daytime only (to 7pm): $45.00
Adult evening only (from 5.30pm): $60.00
Teen evening only (from 5.30pm): $60.00
Child Tickets
Child Daytime only (Saturday or Sunday to 7pm): $15.00
Child Evening only (Friday, Saturday or Sunday from 5.30pm): $10.00
We thought if you’re wanting to coordinate with family and friends, having another few days to sort your tickets may be helpful – so we’ll keep early bird pricing open until Friday 6 October.
Tickets are selling well and we’re looking forward to a great Labour weekend – catching up with so many of you and sharing some great music and dance.
We are working on getting the draft programme up over the next few days.
>> This year’s Dance programme is going to have a great range of styles which will include:
Balfolk Aotearoa with Michael Parmenter and Kate Grace – dance workshops and the Folk Ball
Helen Stonehouse will be teaching Irish step dancing and ceilidh plus workshop
Morris dancing this year will be Virgin.
Despite searching for and pricing improved surfaces we still have a concrete surface in the Fletcher Hall, so please do be prepared to wear cushioned soles in the Fletcher Hall for high-impact dance.
>> A new feature of the 2023 festival is the Youth Gathering, featuring a full programme of daytime activities for two age groups, and a dedicated “YG tent” for young folk in the evenings. See the Youth Gathering page under the “Young Folk” tab for details.
We’re thrilled to unveil the much-anticipated guest lineup for the 2023 Wellington Folk Festival!
Mark your calendars for October 20th to 23rd, as we gather once again at the picturesque Brookfield Scout Camp for a celebration of folk music, culture, and community.
After a hiatus of several years, we’re excited to announce the return of overseas guests to our festival. Prepare to be enchanted by the fantastic assembly of international and local artists, all coming together to create an unforgettable experience for folk music enthusiasts of all ages.
New music from Scandinavia across styles, cultures and frontiers! Where ever Himmerland play, they bewitch and spread warmth and happiness amongst people, performing their unique blend of old Danish ballads, whirling fiddle tunes, equilibristic improvisations, and new fascinating music composed and arranged by the band members
Richard Grainger is a singer and songwriter, who captures the richness of the traditions of northern England, in particular his home county of North Yorkshire a region rich with maritime and industrial heritage such as the birth of the railways, James Cook, Shipbuilding, Fishing, Iron & Steel industry and much more.
From a working class and musical family, Richard sings for, and of, the working folk in that region. His songs range from the very serious to the hilarious, from climate change, shipwrecks and war to days out at the seaside, and he’s been described by a BBC presenter as ‘The Folk Singers folk singer’and,’a folk singer in the truest sense’
New Zealand’s folk trio “Turkey The Bird” will remind you of the famous Margarita cocktail infused with a hint of “Simon & Garfunkel”, 2 ounces of “Mumford and Sons”, a splash of banjo and served on ice on a sunny day. Catchy folk songs with stunning rich melodies and effortless smooth lyrics. Songs that tell uplifting stories about love and life.
Adam McGrath is a folk singer and yarn spinner stationed wherever he can get a key! Described by RNZ as a “National Treasure” and the Herald as “NZ’s toughest minded songwriter”, Adam is more widely known as lead singer and songwriter with one of NZ’s most loved roots/country bands The Eastern.
His song Hope and Wire was the inspiration behind Gaylene Preston’s TV series of the same name and he is known for his service orientated approach to music in the years since. Described as “maybe part folk singer, part preacher, part boxer, and part rodeo clown he is however all heart”. Raucous, tender, roof and spirit raising a McGrath show goes straight for the spirit level in all of us, looking deep for the good parts and hoping to reach all the thoughtful bits that matter.
Triske are a Celtic group from Wellington. They came together in 2021 around an eclectic range of music. Their original songs are a uniquely Kiwi take on the Celtic sound; they mix these with delicate traditional songs and foot-stomping dance tunes from Ireland, Scotland and Brittany. In 2023 they released their debut EP Flightless, a collection of original and traditional songs.
Hot Diggity is New Zealand’s all-female bluegrass band. They put out a powerful, lively sound with hot instrumentation and tight harmonies. Hot Diggity was formed in 2014, but all five members are veteran musicians having played with numerous other bands in a variety of musical styles for years.
UK born singer songwriter Beans, blends gentle indie folk sounds with a unique lyrical style. Their original songs are rich with humour, honesty and carefully crafted word play, borne of a love of language combined with a vibrant inner world. They gained international acclaim in 2021 as a finalist in the Liverpool International Song Contest, and have since performed at small venues and festivals around Queensland, Australia. A newcomer to Wellington scene, they are making gentle waves in acoustic folk circles.
With a mix of East and West folk spiced up by Romani (gypsy), Mehana fuse the traditional and the modern. They will take you on a music journey from melancholy of Roma violin laments to storming beats of Gypsy rumba, mixing with traditional Balkan rhythms as a blend of influences through time and space. It does not matter that we sing in different languages – songs about love everybody understands.
But wait there is more !
We are in the process of developing the workshop and dance programme and will make further announcements over the coming weeks, including the opening of the early bird registration on Eventfinder.
There is also a brand new youth programme ! Heaps of exciting stuff coming so watch this space!
Call for Volunteers
As with previous years, the festival would not succeed without the invaluable input from volunteers.
If you’d like to get involved
We have a number of volunteer positions available. Dependent on the hours volunteers put in to assisting with festival housekeeping, set up and breakdown the festival will offer a hefty discount or free entry into the festival. The teams and skills we are needing are:
First Aid – Two people with level 2 first aid skills – preferably with ATP
Security and registration – checking and selling tickets, cash and EFTPOS handling, venue ticket checks
Housekeeping and hygiene – rubbish bin clearance and cleaning the loos and showers
Site setup and breakdown – general furniture shifting, venue and site setup and experienced people with construction site experience to help with stage, sound and lighting rig setup. Training certificates for Sitesafe and working at heights are highly desirable for a few people.
If you’d like more information about any of these opportunities, please send an email to
info@wellingtonfolkfestival.org.nz and we’ll forward to the relevant committee member.
The AGM, held on Sunday 19 March elected a new committee for 2023 under the leadership of new President Tony Burt. The rest of the committee are: Secretary – Don MacKay Treasurer – Sarah Duckworth Committee members – Andrew Bicknell, Ang Kidd-Lingard, Cara Brasted, Gerard Hudson, Merlin Astley-Jones, Sayaka Kirkman, Simon Bishop.
You’ll see many of the 2022 festival committee are continuing and will work alongside new and returning faces. Welcome to Sayaka for her first term on committee, and welcome back to Ang who was President before Gerard Hudson up to 2010.
A huge thanks to the outgoing committee members, Kevin Ikin, Jan Barnes and Ruth Birnie for all your commitment and effort, so pivotal to the ongoing success of Wellyfest. Gerard has stayed on as a committee member so we will continue to benefit greatly from his knowledge and experience.
I look forward to working alongside the committee, crew, volunteers, artists and many others that will bring together a fantastic 2023 Wellyfest.
We are now working through the planning phase towards your 2023 festival. There are exciting guest opportunities but we are still in the decision making phase and will update you as plans are confirmed in coming months.
