History of Woodford Folk Festival

The Woodford Folk Festival is an event of international standing. Held over six days and six nights it presents more than 2000 performers and 400 events with concerts, dances, workshops, forums, street theatre, writers' panels, film festival, comedy sessions, acoustic jams, social dialogue and debate, an entire children's festival, art and craft workshops, late night cabarets and special events including a spectacular fire event. The Festival features the cream of Australian performers and a generous gathering of special international guests.

LAND HISTORY - Woodford Land

The Woodford land was purchased in July 1994 for the purpose of securing a permanent site for the then Maleny Folk Festival. The festival was first held at the Maleny showgrounds on the Easter long weekend of 1987. From that time until 1993, the festival kept growing at a spectacular rate and after the eighth festival (1992/93) it was obvious to all that it no longer fit in the venue. The ninth Maleny/Woodford Festival had an aggregate attendance of some 65,000 people.

The entire organising group had been searching for a venue for years, but it was not until July 1994 that the Woodford site was secured. The Infrastructure Project at Woodford commenced on the 2nd September 1994, just 15 weeks before the Festival started. This project saw the foundations laid for future robust site infrastructure including 16 mega-litre dam, an extensive network of vehicular and pedestrian roads, pedestrian bridges, an underground sewage system, sullage and water reticulation, drainage and venue earthworks. Due to limited hire options at the time the construction of the first camping shower and toilet blocks and a million other tasks were only completed literally minutes before the Festival commenced. The festival was opened on the new land on the 28 December 1994 and was called the Maleny Folk Festival Woodford.

In 1997 the tree planting weekends commenced with people coming to the land for the weekend to participate in tree planting and cultural activities. Since 1997 over 60,000 trees have been planted on the site. This project has made considerable inroads in transforming the site from a dairy farm to environmental parklands dedicated to the arts and humanities.

Each year since the first Woodford Festival, improvements have been made to the site. The majority of these improvements have been made possible due to the generous support of the festival organisers and volunteers and the Queensland Government. In addition to the initial infrastructure, site improvements include 36 amenity blocks, extensive mains power installations, water treatment plant installation and site contouring.

In December 2003 the QFF purchased an additional 82 acre block of land located adjacent to the current site. This purchase has increased the size of the QFF property to 320 acres.

In 2004 improvements are continuing with an extensive site mapping project underway, the installation of a security system, development of new camping areas on the new land, increases in water storage and upgrades to the mains power supply and reticulation.

Woodford Folk Festival