WORKSHOPS
See below our workshop series from the Port Fairy Folk Festival 2026 program.
PAUL WRIGHT: DANCE WORKSHOP
Passionate about the preservation of culture through story and dance, Paul Wright, Briabalong/Gunai/Kurnai/Gunditjmara/Kirrae Whurrong, shares the dreaming stories of animals; the emu, kangaroo and Bunjil the eagle for this interactive workshop.
CARLA LAUCH: BASKET WEAVING WORKSHOPS
Join Carla Lauch to learn the art of basket weaving using traditional techniques from her great grandmother’s country, Kirrae Whurrung (Eastern Maar) with a contemporary twist. Born and raised on Bunurong / Boon Wurrung Country (Mornington Peninsula) Carla is the great niece of Archie Roach and the granddaughter of Archie’s big sister, Alma. Recommended for 8 years and above. Materials provided. Skill level: Suitable for beginners to advanced weavers. Book your spot in at the First Nations Information Tent!
UNCLE ROB LOWE: WELCOME TO THE YARNING CIRCLE
Senior Maar Nation Elder, Uncle Rob Lowe, welcomes you to his yarning circle sharing stories about what life was like living on the Framlingham Aboriginal Mission, ‘the mish’, set up in 1861 under the control of the Board for the Protection of Aborigines. Referring to himself as a professional wagger, Uncle Rob has been sharing yarns about the mish for the past 18 years, through the story of his family.
LIONEL LAUCH: Yidaki Healing Meditations
Lionel Lauch is a Gunditjmara Kirrae Wurrung – Bundjalung man residing on Boon Wurrung Country on the Mornington Peninsula. Lionel runs a cultural engagement business with a high demand for his yidaki-led healing meditation sessions. The yidaki produces deep rhythmic sounds, which Lionel uses specifically for healing practices. Senses are heightened allowing for deep listening as the vibrations flow over and through your body, connecting you to the earth and creating a space for powerful healing to take place.
TRACY ROACH: KIRRAE WHURRONG TRADITIONAL ART WORKSHOP
Tracy Roach is a proud Kirrae Whurrong and Bundjalung woman and artist. As a member of the Stolen Generations she creates art that connects her to her culture, country and most of all family. The Eastern Maar people are Etchers and do linework, not dots. She feels blessed to have her daughter, Mariah by her side and they are so proud to share their art with you. Book your spot in at the First Nations Information Tent!
NICK CHARLES – The Art Of Acoustic Roots And Blues Guitar – A Workshop Q&A
With awards including Best Solo Guitarist at the 2025 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and Port Fairy Folk Festival Artist of the Year, Nick presents a workshop for all guitar levels and music fans alike. Covering fingerstyle, flatpicking, songwriting and accompaniment here’s your chance to ask questions and see demonstrations and hear insights from a forty-year career in roots music. The Age has labelled Nick “Australia’s virtuoso of acoustic roots and blues” and the Sydney Morning Herald says, “he plays guitar like an angel!”
LANTERN MAKING WORKSHOP WITH WILDHONEY PERFORMING ARTS
Get crafty and illuminated with our Lantern Making Workshops. Crafted from simple paper, this experience promises creative fun for all ages! There’s only 200 spots though so it’ll be first in, best dressed on the day!
A little after the workshop, as the sun begins to fade, participants are invited to take part in the Lantern Parade at Folklandia and around the festival arena, led by the striking Illuminates!
Deep Sea Creature Mask Making with One Day Studios
The ringmaster will be guiding young acrobats, jugglers and clowns to make masks, so you can take your own deep sea performer home! Step right up, or swim right down, and prepare to be amazed by the Cirque du Sea! All the action can be found at Folklandia!
Inn Echo guitar & fiddle workshop
Join Karson McKeown and Tom Gammons of Inn Echo for an engaging and hands-on suite of workshops designed for fiddle players and guitarists alike! Both sessions dive into the skills, techniques, and musical awareness needed to play traditional and contemporary Celtic-inspired tunes with confidence and creativity.
POLKA! Like No One is Watching!
Break wind Lithuanian style with Windmill Polka! The Lost Clog’s pagan force of nature, Tooty, will teach you how to POLKA! Like No One Is Watching! The pancake polka, the potato polka, the strawshoe polka, the polka about a horse mural on the side of the pub wall. Polka! Like No One Is Watching can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels.
sea shanties at port fairy
The Sheddies and The Southern Ocean Sea Band unite for a rousing sea shanty session celebrating Port Fairy’s deep maritime roots, a tribute to the late and great Danny Spooner. Join the workshop to learn the choruses, then march to the Wharf for a booming open-air performance. This isn’t a sit-down concert, the audience isn’t the crowd, you’re the band. Stowaways, if you will. Raise your voice and honour the Southern Ocean spirit.
windborne choral workshop
Participants of all abilities will learn singing styles from a variety of countries and cultures as well as songs of social struggle from movements past and present. All songs will be taught by ear, no sight reading required – just enthusiasm and willingness to try new things! Windborne invites participants to learn some of their signature arrangements, improve vocal technique and health, and sing together in harmony.
SPECIAL EVENTS
See below the Special Events from the Port Fairy Folk Festival 2026 program!
The Guitarists
The Guitarists concert is a festival favourite, hosted by the charismatic Nick Charles. This year’s event features world-class pickers, including the Grigoryan Brothers, Jack Badcock (Dallahan), Liz Stringer, Lloyd Spiegel and Shane O’Mara. Enjoy captivating stories, engaging conversations, and mesmerising performances, and likely on the fly collaborations! It’s a must-see showcase of exceptional talent and artistry, celebrating the magic of guitar music in an unforgettable show. Don’t miss this much-loved festival highlight!
FESTIVAL OF SMALL HALLS
Festival of Small Halls is a series of tours that takes the best folk and contemporary acoustic artists performing at two of the country’s largest folk festivals and sends them on the road to tiny halls in communities all over Australia. It is produced by Woodfordia Inc in partnership with many other wonderful Australian festivals, regional partners and great lovers and supporters of folk and contemporary acoustic music.
The BIG Sunday Singout
Folk legend Rick E Vengeance and his wife Leanne launched the Sunday Singout in 1997, leading crowds in fun, classic songs and “live karaoke”. Jimi Hocking joined in 1999, and he and Rick carried on the tradition for 18 years. After Rick’s passing in 2018, Jimi continued the Singout with Rick’s black Maton guitar, joined by Mark Aspland, William Hutton, and vocalist Catherine Rutten to keep the tradition alive.
FIND YOUR VOICE COLLECTIVE SHOWCASE
You may have heard of the Find Your Voice Choir, now it’s time to meet some individual artists emerging from the ranks in their own right. Jacob Paton Lee – the love child of Tina Turner and Mick Jagger, Julian Paterson – with a voice so raw, melodies so infectious and lyrics so vulnerable, and G.K. – the hip-hop enigma dropping her debut EP after a stellar 2025 as Triple J’s feature artist.
FUTURE FOLK
Now in its fifth year, Future Folk is a celebration of young artists aged 12-25 from regional Victoria who are supported by the Festival and Moyne Shire to take their careers to the next level. The program provides a platform for musicians from regional Victoria for career-enhancing mentoring sessions with renowned artists and an opportunity to share the stage with established artists from around the world. Discover new and exciting artists this year with Bonnie Jackson, Grace Watt, Harriet Wraith, Isla Dixon, Jasmin Adria, Lucy Joy, Maeve Grieve, Mathilde Anne, Rupert Bullard & Sam Curtis Collective gearing up to take on the Port Fairy Folk Festival stages. The program now partners with Queenscliff Music Festival in a joint venture between the festivals, with Araminta & Will Gibb joining us from their program in 2025 for their first performances at Port Fairy.
Future Folk is delivered in partnership with Moyne Shire Council and funded by the Victorian Government.
ON THE COUCH WITH BRIAN NANKERVIS
Australian music fan, radio and television host, Brian Nankervis hosts performers for a lively chat and a song or two. These sessions offer a glimpse into the artist’s life and career through Nankervis’ thoughtful, playful interviews. Expect captivating music, heartfelt confessions, amusing anecdotes, laughter, tears … and perhaps even a fun musical quiz. It’s a perfect mix of entertainment, insight, and charm that brings audiences closer to the heart of the music.
YOGA AND LIVE MUSIC
Join festival favourites, Kimberly Erin Yoga (Canada) and Tom Richardson Music (Australia) for this seamless blend of live sounds + yoga flow for all levels. Movement with a rich tapestry of live sounds, a gentle opening into spaces of contentment, nourishment and ease.
ENGLISH FOLK EXPO X PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL
Working alongside the English Folk Expo, we bring you a lineup of fantastic English artists including Blair Dunlop, Dan Webster & Emily Lawler, Chloe Foy and Robbie Cavanagh. This In The Round-style showcase will be complete with tunes and tales that will stay in your mind for Folkies to come.
THE CANADIAN KITCHEN PARTY: A FOLK CANADA SHOWCASE
For 2026, we have teamed up with Folk Canada to bring you some of Canada’s finest in folk. Experience Canadian artists Basset, Inn Echo, Nico Paulo and Mia Kelly in the round, bringing their songs and stories to Port Fairy, some for the first time! In a showcase where the music feels like a warm hug, you’ll feel right at home at the Canadian Kitchen Party.
SONGS, STORIES AND CELEBRATION: THE BOITE
On Sunday evening The Reardon ceiling will soar with stunning music, sounds and stories from cultures across the world in a very special collaboration between The Boite and Port Fairy Folk Festival. Featuring three artists – Caisha Sprout, The Lost Clog and Northern Resonance – this event captures the unique cultural diversity of Victoria and beyond in a joyful and fulfilling celebration of music.
MAIDEN VOYAGES
In a new event for 2026, ‘Maiden Voyages’ brings you five artists who are coming to Port Fairy for the very first time. Hear two-song performances from Dan Webster & Emily Lawler, Gráinne Hunt, Mia Kelly, Kris Mizzi and The Ocelots and show them some Port Fairy Folk Festival love! ‘Maiden Voyages’ is a great way to dip your toes back into everything the Folkie is about and maybe discover your new favourite artists.
JUKEJOINT (PBS106.7FM) LIVE TO AIR RECORDING
Join us for a unique and unforgettable experience as we bring radio to life on stage in a very special concert to be broadcast on PBS 106.7FM. Featuring the incredible talents of Anna Scionti, Lloyd Speigel and Nick Charles, each act will perform individually before coming together for an electrifying collaborative jam session. Hosted by PBS DJ and host Matt Frederick, this event will be recorded for broadcast on The Juke Joint and streamed online at pbsfm.org.au.
DOWN BY THE RIVER (PBS106.7FM) LIVE TO AIR RECORDING
Step into an intimate, one-of-a-kind show where live music and radio collide. This special event brings the magic of a live broadcast to the stage, featuring performances from Charley Castle & The Boys In The Well, Irish Mythen, and Svavar Knútur. Each artist performs individually before coming together for a once-only collaborative jam. Hosted by Lauren Plant, the show will be recorded for delayed broadcast on Down by the River on PBS 106.7FM.
FESTIVAL CHOIR
The famous Festival Choir is back! Swap your audience chair for a performance stage and become part of the program alongside some of the festival’s favourite acts. James and Jane will teach you the songs and you can go home boasting, ‘I’ve performed at Port Fairy’. No singing or musical experience is required just a willingness to have a go at something new that you’ll never forget.
ABC RADIO BROADCAST: LIVE FROM PORT FAIRY
Join ABC Radio presenters Jeremy Lee and Fiona Parker in this popular annual program of song and storytelling with Port Fairy Folk Festival artists. Featuring international artists Basset, Blair Dunlop, Dan Webster & Emily Lawler, Gráinne Hunt, Northern Resonance and Windborne alongside locals Caisha Sprout and Bonnie Jackson this special event is broadcast right across regional Victoria live from the Reardon Theatre, Port Fairy. Join the queue on the day to secure a seat or tune in live to your local ABC.
WOMEN OUT LOUD
Almost 30 years ago, Port Fairy Folk Festival’s Founding Director Jamie McKew debuted what is now one of the great traditions of the festival – the Women Out Loud concert. Witness the brilliance of the Women Out Loud event on Sunday morning, International Women’s Day, featuring an extraordinary line-up of international and local performers from across the festival program. The annual must-see concert has seen the likes of Ani Di Franco, Kavisha Mazella, Judy Small, Margret RoadKnight, Judy Jacques, Ruthie Foster, Kerrianne Cox, Vika & Linda Bull, Mary Black, Janis Ian, Clare Bowditch, Christine Anu, YolanDa Brown and so many more share the stage in one big moment of singing glory. Be uplifted in 2026 when Women Out Loud brings you the awe-inspiring Gráinne Hunt, Felicity Urquhart, Emily Wurramara, Nico Paulo, Mary Coughlan and While & Matthews together on the one stage with hosts Sarah Carroll and Matilda Hassall.
EXPLORE MORE OF PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL
