A bucket-list of regional music festivals on the rise across Australia

From a big country music bash in a rodeo arena to a folk festival by the sea, regional music festivals are hitting all the right notes with crowds all over Australia.

In October last year a cavalcade of utes, vans and motorhomes carrying 8000 people descended upon Tropical North Queensland’s Mareeba Rodeo Arena. But the crowds wearing cowboy boots and Akubra hats didn’t travel from far and wide to see bucking broncos and bulls. Instead, they’ve come to kick up their heels at what has become the hottest ticket in town.

Savannah in the Round, Qld

Kip Moore performing at Savannah in the Round — Kip Moore at Savannah in the Round.

In its fifth year, Savannah in the Round saw 40 artists play for more than 90 hours on four stages. The three-day camping festival’s blend of rock and country music has proven to be a winning combination with rockers like Hoodoo Gurus and The Living End gracing the stages alongside a strong line-up of country musicians.

Last year, Nashville-based stars Kip Moore and Tyler Hubbard joined Australian country music legends like Troy Cassar-Daley and Lee Kernaghan on the bill, along with Queensland-based country duo Jock Barnes and Trent McArdle, of Route 33, who have played at the festival three times.

the Savannah in the Round from above at sunset — Savannah in the Round is the hottest ticket in Tropical North Queensland.

“Having the mix of country and rock artists, the festival attracts a wide array of people. Every year with the outside stages and camping growing, it’s getting more of a camping festival feel which seems to create a larger party atmosphere as the event gets bigger," says McArdle.

As a fan of New Zealand singer Jon Stevens from way back, McArdle had a ‘pinch-me’ moment playing on stage right after the rock icon, who is best known for fronting Noiseworks.

the crowd at Savannah in the Round Festival — The country and rock festival is in its fifth year.

“Aussie pub rock has had a revival in the past five years and country music is on the doorstep of being the biggest genre in the world. Bringing these two [genres] together on the line-up really sets the festival apart from other Aussie festivals and almost guarantees its success," McArdle says.

Sound Australia CEO James Dein explains he founded Savannah in the Round “to create a space where country music lovers from all walks of life can come together, share stories and celebrate the heart and soul of the outback".

As Australia’s largest avocado-growing region and a significant producer of tropical fruits such as mangoes and pineapples, Mareeba’s economy is underpinned by agriculture, with mining and renewable energy also significant.

But tourism is increasingly growing in the region, with visitor numbers climbing steadily thanks to events such as Savannah in the Round.

the palm-tree-laden Tropical North Queensland — Head to Tropical North Queensland for the epic Savannah in the Round.

“We chose Mareeba as the home of Savannah in the Round because it’s the beating heart of Tropical North Queensland, a place where the rugged beauty of the outback meets the warmth of a close-knit community with a deep connection to country culture," Dein explains.

Home to a population of around 23,000 people, Mareeba is also conveniently located for those interested in snorkelling, diving, cruising the reef, or exploring the world’s oldest (and Australia’s largest) tropical rainforest.

an aerial view of a rainforest and beach at Tropical North Queensland — Tropical North Queensland is where the rainforest meets the reef.

“It’s a stone’s throw from the spoils of the Cairns region like the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, making it the perfect backdrop for a festival that celebrates the spirit of the tropical north," says Dein.

The popularity of Savannah in the Round bucks the trend of festival cancellations, which has seen the likes of Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass flounder due to lacklustre ticket sales and rising insurance costs.

Australian Festival of Chamber Music

the Andromeda Sax Quartet — Andromeda Sax Quartet will perform at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. (Image: Andrew Rankin)

Despite the challenges of putting on a large-scale event in a regional location, other festivals are also going from strength to strength up north. Held in Townsville, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music  enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2024 – albeit with a lot less dust and rowdiness than Savannah in the Round.

The annual celebration of classical music draws world-class performers from around Australia and the globe. Devoted classical music connoisseurs who return year after year (dubbed the ‘Balmy Army’) are integral to the festival’s ongoing success. But the festival also attracts newcomers each year thanks to its diverse program and free, family-friendly outdoor concerts.

an aerial view of Townsville — Townsville is the setting for the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. (Image: Megan MacKinnon)

Held in various indoor and outdoor venues including the Townsville Civic Theatre, Magnetic Island and St James’ Cathedral, the 2024 festival saw attendance rise to 22,106 across all events (up 31 per cent on 2023), with interstate or overseas visitors growing by 16 per cent.

This resulted in $19.9 million of spending in Queensland by attendees, representing an increase of 114 per cent on the previous year.

Port Fairy Folk Festival, Vic

the 2023 Port Fairy FolkFestival — The much-loved Port Fairy Folk Festival.

Starting way back in 1977 when 400 people paid the princely sum of $4 a ticket, the Port Fairy Folk Festival (‘the Folkie’) has had a hell of a run.

What started as a humble celebration of folk music with a truck acting as a makeshift stage is now a tourism juggernaut. Still going strong more than four decades later, the much-loved festival fuelled by community spirit sees the population of the Victorian seaside town of Port Fairy swell from 3000 to more than 30,000 every March.

a musician playing his instruments at the 2023 Port Fairy FolkFestival — The Folkie has been running since 1977.

Over the years, the festival held just beyond the end of the Great Ocean Road has welcomed a wider range of genres to the scene, attracting local performers as well as international drawcards like Cat Power, Glen Hansard, Loudon Wainwright III and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Tasmanian musician Van Walker has performed at the Folkie about a dozen times over his long and storied career, both solo and with acts such as The Livingstone Daisies and Vandemonian Lags.

Now based in Victoria, the folk, blues, country and rock and roll singer shares what he believes is the special secret sauce that this free-spirited collective jam session by the sea possesses: “It was one of the first big festivals I ever played. Though it has international acts, it is distinctly Australian and distinctly Victorian, with its sunshine and ever-present sea breezes. There is a real camaraderie among the musicians, who are always on hand to help with equipment and play together," says Walker.

visitors sitting under The Folkie signage, Port Fairy Folk Festival — Port Fairy Folk Festival, aka ‘the Folkie. (Image: Jason Dobrowolski)

Like other performers who make the pilgrimage year after year, the Folkie occupies a special place in Walker’s heart.

“The Folkie’s prime location may have a lot to do with its continued appeal, plus the passion and perseverance of the people involved. It’s an enormous production involving the entire community and that labour of love permeates the entire festival," he explains.

With many attendees booking their accommodation 12 months in advance, the region’s hotels, motels, pub stays, holiday homes and caravan parks are solidly booked out each year of the festival, representing a strong economic uplift for the local economy.

the crowds at the Port Fairy Folk Festival — The small Victorian town welcomes some 30,000 visitors for the Folkie. (Image: Small General Photography)

Mayor of Moyne Shire Council Karen Foster shares that Port Fairy’s two council-run caravan parks welcome a whopping 3800 guests alone during the festival.

“It’s a huge economic boost for our entire shire. The funds from the caravan parks are dispersed through council’s coffers throughout the shire for the rest of the year," says Councillor Foster.

Around 89 per cent of ticket holders come from across Victoria, while 11 per cent travel from interstate to experience the convivial vibe of this gathering that celebrates creativity and togetherness via live performances, workshops, talks and even group singalongs.

the Port Fairy Beach — Usually sleepy Port Fairy. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

The festival also acts as an introduction to the region, with many people returning during the quieter months to experience Port Fairy’s historic charm, sans the crowds. “We know the Folkie has flow-on benefits. It’s a great showcase for the region and it attracts people back here at other times," says Councillor Foster.

Why regional festivals are on the rise

woman in crowd at BASSINTHEGRASS — Darwin’s BASSINTHEGRASS. (Image: Helen Orr)

A common theme uniting these successful festivals is a strong sense of small-town pride. A deep love for regional Queensland is evident at Savannah in the Round, which champions local food producers, distilleries and breweries. Volunteers from the Kuranda Visitor Information Centre and Mareeba Heritage Museum and Visitor Information Centre are on hand each day to share the best things to do in the region after the event.

surfers at Port Fairy Beach — Surfers at Port Fairy Beach. (Image: Belinda Vanzanen)

More than 800 volunteers help ensure Victoria’s Port Fairy Folk Festival is a success by pitching in to help with construction, ticketing, merchandise and stage management. In turn, the festival has invested more than $9.5 million in the community over the years, with the local hospital, surf lifesaving club, sporting clubs and many arts and community programs receiving funding.

“The Folkie is an absolute institution that’s not only economically important, but socially as well," Councillor Foster shares, adding: “Community faith in the Folkie and community love for the Folkie is what holds it together."

While some big-name music festivals have folded in recent years, Savannah in the Round, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music and Port Fairy Folk Festival have proven that regional music festivals with a strong sense of community are really striking a chord.

Annual regional music festivals to have on your radar

the Mundi Mundi Bash, Broken Hill, NSW — Mundi Mundi Bash attracts thousands of festivalgoers who claimed a world record title for the largest Nutbush City Limits dance in 2023. (Image: Matt Williams)

the crowd at Tamworth Country Music Festival — Don’t miss out on Australia’s biggest country music festival. (Image: Tamworth Country Music Festival)

A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination.

There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.

old gold bank Victoria — Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time.

It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.

Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital

Creswick bike trail — This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria.

I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers.

I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.

The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife.

Eating there

Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand . The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857.

Playing there

Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.