The River Folk Festival returns to Warburton in the Yarra Valley this October with its biggest first-round lineup yet.
Grab your gumboots and warm up those vocal cords, because Warburton’s favourite weekend away is back and it’s bringing some serious international firepower with it for The River Folk Festival 2026.
The River Folk Festival has announced its first artist lineup for 2026, with acclaimed Blak music duo Stiff Gins headlining a program packed with local, national and international talent.
The River Folk Festival
- 2-4 October
- Multiple venues across Warburton, Yarra Valley VIC
- Tickets here
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Now heading into its sixth year, the boutique three-day event will take over multiple venues across the Warburton township from 2-4 October, blending folk, roots and world music with a distinctly community-minded spirit.
Alongside Stiff Gins, this year’s River Folk Festival lineup features US string heavyweights Hanneke Cassel and Natalie Haas, Japanese shamisen virtuoso Noriko Tadano, Tasmanian contemporary folk outfit Homebru, singer-songwriter Ernest Aines and the genre-blurring trio Emily-Rose and the Wild.
A major drawcard this year is the Strings Across The Valley project, a collaboration with the popular Stringmania Music Camp that culminates in the Stringmania Finale Concert on the Saturday night.
It’ll sit alongside the second instalment of River Folk Restrung, which sees composer duo Mickey and Michelle rework songs from the festival lineup with a full string orchestra.
Beyond the headline sets, the weekend’s program spans an opening night showcase concert at The Arts Centre Warburton on the Friday, the Sisters of Song women’s showcase celebrating women in music, and a closing director’s concert on the Sunday.
Festivalgoers can also expect the return of the Valley Market, showcasing local and ethical artisan goods, plus a dedicated children’s space for the younger folk fans in the family.
Other acts joining the bill include chamber-folk trio The String Contingent, West African ensemble Calabash, Tongan-Australian project Joel Havea and the Famili Choir, Lithuanian folk group The Lost Clog, cellist and songwriter Alice Hurwood, indie-folk duo Saije, emerging troubadour Felicity Dowd and Appalachian-inspired outfit Corn Nut Creek.
The festival is supported by Visit Victoria, Festivals Australia, Yarra Ranges Council and a swag of local Yarra Valley businesses, and organisers say the 2026 program is designed to celebrate live music and culture in a way that steps outside the usual festival mould.
Second round and day tickets for The River Folk Festival are on sale now.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with The River Folk Festival.
