Experience natural sounds and a weekend of summertime tunes.
The annual Auckland Folk Festival is back and bigger than ever in 2020, held at Kumeu Showgrounds from 24-27 January. Celebrating its 47th year, the festival will see over 150 artists from all around the world perform on a village green stage.
Headlining the festival is overseas artists and two-time Grammy Award winner Tim O’Brien who is known as a Folk legend in the USA.
Discover the naturals sounds of acoustic instruments and the dynamic music styles that are apart of folk music in 2020. There will be artists from different categories including modern and traditional folk, Celtic, Americana and bluegrass.
Alongside the musical entertainment there will be cultural events, kids’ programmes, blackboard concerts, as well as a festival classic, market and food stalls. The kids programme has been expanded for 2020 allowing the whole family to attend without a fuss.
Artistic Director, Finn McLennan-Elliot said that the festival is truly for everyone. “There is so much going on over the three days of the festival that many families choose to camp right at the festival, so they don’t miss anything. Kumeu is so convenient to Auckland that many others come for the day to see particular artists. The music is incredibly diverse, spanning traditional folk genres through to new indie and alternative folk from right here in New Zealand.”
For festival President Nigel Robertson, the additional entertainment outside of stage performances is what really makes the festival a full experience. “There are quiet camping areas, but the real magic often happens as groups of musicians, many who have especially arranged to camp together every year, jam around the camp sites.”
All venues that are a part of the festival are sheltered, so it perfectly accommodates for Auckland’s indecisive summer weather.
To see a full list of performers and to purchase tickets check out the Auckland Folk Festival website.
Dates: 24-27 January 2020
Venue: Kumeu Showgrounds
Tickets: Start from $30 for a day pass to $336 for a family camping for the weekend.
