The magical four-day festival returns in full-strength in March 2023.
The 2023 Port Fairy Folk Festival might be nine months away, but today the festival has offered up an enticing sample of what’s in store when March rolls around next year, following the success of the beloved festival’s much-anticipated return in 2022.
Returning to the glorious setting of the music-loving coastal village for its 46th edition from 10-13 March, the annual festival will feature a bunch of local and international favourites, with fearless recording artist, tireless live performer and activist Billy Bragg among the first big names announced. The fabled ‘Bard of Barking’ will bring his entertaining and gobsmacking songs, stories and lyrical masterpieces to the world-renowned Folkie stage in this very special performance and tour extension.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Joining Bragg, festival-favourites 19-Twenty return to Port Fairy after a show-stopping performance in 2019, bringing with them their infectious riff-and-groove-based blue-billy-grass-rockin’-roots music! Also returning to the Folkie after such a huge crowd response is Irish singer, songwriter and actress Mary Coughlan.
Missing out on his 2022 Australian tour, fans will be thrilled to see Eric Bibb on the lineup with a brand new set of songs to share along with his inspiring back catalogue of hits alongside Nashville-based singer, songwriter and legend Steve Poltz will bring his folk tales and mesmerising lyrics to the Folkie – all set to a backdrop of the almighty Southern Ocean.
On the local front, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, along with the unstoppable Australian band The Waifs, will reign supreme on the Festival grounds, alongside Canadian instrumental trio Inn Echo, and one of the UK’s finest guitarists and songwriters John Smith.
Announcing the first artist line-up, Port Fairy Folk Festival Program Director Justin Rudge said that next year was already shaping up to be bigger and better than ever.
“After the joyous return of the Folkie earlier this year, I am thrilled to reveal the first line-up for what is promising to be a huge festival in 2023. Next year will see the return to a full-strength program, brimming with a diverse range of styles and genres, and featuring the best musical talent from Australia and around the globe. Stay tuned for more artist announcements in the lead-up to our 2023 festival weekend – we can’t wait to share our festival with new and returning Folkies!”
Tickets for the full-strength 2023 Port Fairy Folk Festival are available from Friday 17 June.
Port Fairy Folk Festival Lineup 2023
19-Twenty
Billy Bragg (ENG)
Eric Bibb (USA)
Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse
Inn Echo (CAN)
John Smith (UK)
Mary Coughlan (IRE)
Steve Poltz (USA)
The Waifs.
Port Fairy Folk Festival takes place in Port Fairy, Victoria from 10-13 March 2023. Sign up here to access subscriber tickets, available from Friday 17 June.
