Town Folk Festival Is Returning to Castlemaine for 2025 with Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, Meg Washington and King Stingray
A host of international stars and local legends are set to take over four stages spread across town this November.
The festival scene has taken a knock in recent times, with Groovin' the Moo and Splendour in the Grass cancelling their events for 2025. However, Town Folk Festival is ready to rock, as it lights up Djaara, aka Castlemaine, on Saturday, November 15, with tickets on sale at 9am on Friday, May 30. Since arriving on the scene in 2022, the festival has quickly become a go-to event for the region's music scene.
On the lineup, Town Folk Festival is serving up a healthy mix of local and international acts, with Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory taking top billing. Returning to our shores for the first time since 2022, Van Etten will present her recently released seventh album, this time made in collaboration with her backing band, as well as plenty of her crowd-pleasing indie hits. Catch us belting out 'Seventeen' at the front.
Spread across four stages, there's no shortage of other stellar acts to experience, including genre-defying singer-songwriter Meg Washington, Yolngu surf-rock powerhouse King Stingray, and cult Zambian psychedelic rockers WITCH getting crowds moving and shaking. Plus, legendary Indigenous Australian band The Pigram Brothers will head to Victoria from Broome for the first time in 15 years.
Next, Dan Kelly's Regional Crisis performs dusty narrative-driven grooves, while eight-piece soul-psychedelic collective JAZZPARTY lights up the stage with soaring vocal harmonies and horns. From overseas, Jenny Don't and the Spurs are bringing rowdy honky-tonk tunes, while Sylvie serves up gentle soft rock harmonies cooked up amid a sunny Californian backdrop. Then, locals like Annie-Rose Maloney, Charm of Finches and Cool Sounds ensure your festival is filled with good vibes.
For first-timers heading to Town Folk Festival, performances are held across three dynamic local venues — The Bridge Hotel, Boomtown Winery and Shedshaker Brewery. Then, the biggest shows on the schedule take place at the main stage on Castlemaine's grassy Sunken Oval. With all stages just a short stroll from each other, roaming between the sites to discover new artists and experiences is made easy.
If you're making the trek up from Melbourne for the day, the festival offers an express bus service from three points — Thornbury, Richmond or Brunswick — to Castlemaine and back again. Meanwhile, you're welcome to camp overnight, with Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve offering a picturesque spot to set up the tent, or park the camper, amongst the gum trees. Of course, you've also got local motels, hotels and short-term rentals to rest your weary head.
Town Folk Festival is happening Saturday, November 15, in Djaara/Castlemaine. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, May 30 — head to the website for more information.
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