National Folk Festival

Listed provision only. Facilities change between editions — confirm anything you depend on directly with the festival.

About National Folk Festival

The National Folk Festival is held every Easter at Exhibition Park in Canberra, on Ngunnawal Country in the suburb of Mitchell. It brings together concerts, dance, poetry, circus, workshops and informal sessions over five days, and it marked its 60th anniversary at the April 2026 edition.

The 2027 festival runs from 5pm on Thursday 25 March to Monday 29 March. Season tickets are on sale through Humanitix. At the current Early Bird 3 release, an adult season pass costs $414 and an adult season pass with camping costs $578, both plus a booking fee. Concession, youth (12 to 17) and child (5 to 11) passes are cheaper, under-5s are free, and Companion Card holders' carers get in at no charge. These early-bird prices will rise as later releases open, and day tickets will be sold closer to the event. Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be bought with cash.

Children are welcome, but under-18s must be with a responsible adult. The festival is licensed, so drinks cannot be brought into the entertainment zone, and glass and non-assistance animals are not allowed. The site is smoke-free.

Camping is spread across five zones (Stables, Cotter, Bicentennial, Acton Arena and the Oval) plus a dedicated Access Campground. Campgrounds open at 9am on Monday 22 March and close at noon on Tuesday 30 March, with an 11pm quiet time. Rent-a-tent and powered reserved sites can be booked for an extra fee. An on-site shuttle bus runs from Gate 7 to the main venues, and there is bike minding and an instrument lock-up.

The Access Team works from the Quokka Pavilion each day and offers charging for scooters and medical devices, a respite space and short wheelchair loans. Accessible toilets are spread across the site and in every camping zone. There is a wheelchair-accessible shower, free disability parking and a drop-off point at Gate 2, and assistance animals need to be registered in advance. First aid is on site throughout the festival.

The program and artist list for 2027 have not been published yet; the 2026 festival ran from 2 to 6 April.

Accessibility

Access Team in the Quokka Pavilion (Thu-Mon 9am-7pm, 2026 hours); charging for scooters and medical devices; respite space; wheelchair hire (four-hour loans); accessible toilets across the site and in each camping zone; Access Campground; one wheelchair-accessible shower; free disability parking and drop-off at Gate 2; Companion Card carers free; assistance animals must be pre-registered.

Frequently asked

Contact the festival