The River Folk Festival returns to the Yarra Valley in 2026 – October 2-4, Warburton.
Hosted across multiple venues and stages throughout the Warburton township, The River Folk Festival is a boutique three-day arts, music and cultural festival featuring international, national, regional and local performing artists in a curated program over three days, and is a vibrant celebration of place, diverse culture, and creativity.
Now in its 6th year, The River Folk Festival will be presenting a stellar program of performing artists over the weekend, featuring Victorian, interstate and international artists – including acclaimed duo and matriarchal pioneers of the Australian Blak music scene, Stiff Gins, international string heavyweights Hanneke Cassel and Natalie Haas (USA), the luminous collaboration of three of Australia’s most spellbinding songwriters (with string trio) that is Emily-Rose and the Wild, Japanese shamisen virtuoso and inspiring vocalist Noriko Tadano, high energy Tasmanian contemporary folk outfit Homebru, multi-award-winning Australian singer-songwriter Ernest Aines, the epic and incredible string ensembles of the Stringmania orchestra and the River Folk Restrung project, alongside a host of local and regional highlights.
Artist Lineup:
STIFF GINS
NATALIE HAAS (USA) + HANNEKE CASSEL (USA)
NORIKO TADANO
EMILY-ROSE & THE WILD
THE STRING CONTINGENT
HOMEBRU
ERNEST AINES
CALABASH
STRINGMANIA
RIVER FOLK RESTRUNG
JOEL HAVEA & THE FAMILI CHOIR
THE LOST CLOG
ALICE HURWOOD
SAIJE
FELICITY DOWD
CORN NUT CREEK
The River Folk Festival 2026 is made possible by the generous support of Visit Victoria, Festivals Australia, Yarra Ranges Council, and numerous Yarra Valley local business sponsors.
This land is Wurundjeri land – always was and always will be.
The River Folk Festival acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the traditional custodians of the lands around Warburton, members of the oldest living culture in the world. We pay our deepest respects to the Elders past, present and emerging, and to all first people of this, and all lands.
