The Young Folk comprise a creative triangle with Anthony Furey at its apex joined by Paul Butler and Tony McLoughlin who are singer/songwriters of exceptional talent in their own right. On this tour they are joined by Alex Borwick, enabling the group to fully flex their musical muscle. Balancing delicacy with boldness, tender songwriting with A1 harmonies and musicality with a nod to tradition and indi-pop inflection, the Young Folk share an unmistakable Irish heritage in both sound and ancestry. Their second album, ‘First Sign of Morning’ will be previewed during this Australian tour.

Big, bold, bible-black, bilious … the Spooky Men’s Chorale comes to Cobargo to hammer another hapless audience with their now famous blend of dropdeadpan stupidity, cavernous manchords and hairy, giltedged beauty….and a whole swag of brand new songs.

The slow sessions are brought to you by Ray Mulligan, Gavin & Moir Holmes, Alan & Linda Swift, and Ralph Pride They have been running these sessions at the National Folk Festival since 2003. The sessions are focussed on participation. The tunes are played at a pace suited to those learning an instrument and for those learning to play in groups.

‘Set In Their Ways’ is a lively adult Irish Set Dancing group from Canberra. Whether you come to listen or dance, the infectious rhythms of the music will have your toes tapping along in no time

A yodellin´, thigh slappin’, lederhosen wettin´ dancefest of German music with The Beez´ Deta and Rob. Thrill to comic classics from Rammstein to Kraftwerk; tear off that dirndl and shake a Teutonic Tailfeather to Nena´s 99 Red Balloons but, most of all, be entertained- that´s an order!

The Sandy River Belles consist of Jenny Shimmin, banjo, fiddle & vocals, Jeri Foreman, fiddle & vocals & Gage Stead, Double Bass & vocals. They play old time & bluegrass music. Despite living in different States – Jeri & Gage in Adelaide, & Jenny in Sydney – their shared large repertoire of traditional music & a fierce love for the music bridge the distance with ease.

Award-winning Melbourne songstress Rowena Wise has grown up with music, touring nationally and internationally from a young age in the Wise Family Band. Laying pop infused melodies, and rich, quirky conversational lyrics onto a sparse folk canvas, she performs with a believability that defies her 23 years.

Rhys Davies ‘The Trickster’ returns to Cobargo after running away to join a circus in New Zealand, with more sneaky tricks, cheeky jokes and hair. Lots more hair.

A relaxing and intimate rendezvous with resonant cascades of instruments: voice, wind, brass, piano and strings. With deep mutual respect, these three highly experienced women spice contemporary songs with sensuous acoustic intimations of multi-culture, jazz/blues, and ambient folk.

Isabella & Matilda have a Nonna who cooks a lot, plays ukulele and sings. Interactive storytelling with the children playing kitchen utensil ‘instruments’ ina ‘kitchen band’ and Nonna (Georgina Adamson, who is a real cook!) on her ukulele.

Singer songwriter Miriam Lieberman has been busy with her trio, touring her latest album release ‘Full Circle’. Having spent long periods of time studying with greats in West Africa, Miriam writes and performs mostly on kora (West African harp). She brings to it her own contemporary Western pop sensibilities and an unmistakable voice.

Mica Lynnah is a dancer, artist, community arts worker and performer with a background in creative movement and contemporary dance. She has performed and collaborated on various dance and theatre projects in the ACT and NSW, and is well known in the Bega Valley for her unique dance classes and dance troupe The Haniyami.

Maypole with Molly audience participation sessions encourage children and adults to dance around the maypole or play percussion. Founder and accordionist, Erika Cleaver (Molly) has been an accompanist and leader of several folk dance groups and is an experienced early childhood teacher who loves sharing music and dance with kids.

Martin is a strange mixture of comedy, folk and cabernet merlot. Not quite old enough to be a legend, he will continue to describe himself as a folkie out of sheer bloody-mindedness, and will crash-tackle anyone who calls him eclectic.

Lloyd Spiegel is an artist on the cutting edge of the blues scene in Australia. Australian Guitar Magazine recently named him as one of the 50 top Australian guitarists of all time. He’s been playing professionally since the age of 12 and has released 8 albums – with the most recent ‘Double Live Set’ debuting at #1 on the Australian blues airplay chart and #14 on the AIR Independent Charts in 2015.

Lance and Gabrielle Mackey have coordinated, taught and assisted with many Cajun dances, workshops, and classes at home, local dances and at a number of folk festivals, including the National Folk Festival. Lance and Gabrielle are both looking forward to introducing Cajun dance to the Cobargo Folk Festival in 2017.

The Kameruka Bush Orchestra is a collective of traditional players, from the Bega Valley, interested in playing and promoting Australian dance tunes for the traditional Bush Dances. They performed for the regular monthly dance at Kameruka Hall.

Combining 60s/70s folk singer/songwriter influences with a contemporary Americana/ bluegrass sound. In Feb 2016 John released his latest album, ‘There’s Another Way to Where You’re Going’ which was recorded inNashville with producer Viktor Krauss and has been nominated for best Folk/Roots Album in The Age Music Victoria Awards.

The Haniyami is a local improvisational dance and movement troupe lead by Mica Lynnah. Out of the growing dance scene in the Bega Valley, this group challenges the boundaries between performer and audience, creating art with and within their surroundings. Sometimes charming, sometimes creepy, always enchanting – The Haniyami is all about enriching their environment.

Find the crossroads of blues, roots, country and folk and you will discover Nhunggabarra, Kooma, Muruwari man and international touring singer songwriter Glenn Skuthorpe with his guitar, mandolin, banjo and harmonicas in hand. The singer songwriter has carved a reputation as an exemplary lyricist and composer, travelling the world and sharing through music.

This ARIA winning former Flying Emu brings the songs and the voice front and centre. Humorous and heartbreaking, she sings the stories that mark a lifetime of songwriting.

Local identity Charlotte Lyngbye, has been performing in the Bega Valley and at Cobargo Folk Festival on and off for two decades, with jazz ensembles, a medieval quartet, folk and rock with musical friends, even singing the occasional classical repertoire. Playing here in her own right.

FolkLines plays dance music for bush and colonial dances across the Southern Highlands and the Monaro. They have an extensive repertoire of collected Australian dances and music to go with them.

Enda Kenny is an Irish-born songwriter who has made his home in Melbourne since the late 1980’s. His thoughtful, descriptive stories of his adoptive homeland have struck a chord with festival audiences all over the world. Multi-instrumentalist Dave O’Neill spent a decade on the road with the Eric Bogle Band. Kenny & O’Neill have a musical alliance that will entertains and engages every audience they play to.

Danny Spooner’s passion is the expression of British and Australian culture through folk music. Internationally respected, Danny has entertained audiences for more than 50 years, sharing his immense repertoire of songs covering the full range of human emotions, endeavours and experiences.

Corinne and Tim have been working together since the early ’90s and have enjoyed songwriting and performing their unique style of acoustic guitar and vocal music both here and overseas. Corinne’s 3rd album ‘MELT’ won two independent film awards for best music and nature film. Corinne also assists children and adults in discovering their voices. Tim Gaze has long been considered as one of Australia’s greatest guitarists who has played in many iconic Oz rock bands as well as fronting his own.

Songs, yarns, dance music and poems of the kitchen, verandah, shearers’ huts, and pub, convict, rebel and bushranger songs, songs from the wars, songs fighting for peace. The Roweths have been researching and reinventing Australian music and entertainment as a profession for over twenty years, and have recorded over twenty albums.

A motley collection of trad musos who have all found themselves living on the south coast of NSW, members of Bunch of Keys have played in sessions and for ceilis over many years together. As The Canberra Ceili Band and Cornerhouse Ceili Band, they played ceilis at the National Folk Festival, The Turning Wave and are thrilled to be together again for Cobargo.

Kate, Allan and Aidan AKA The Blue Ruins, one of Australia’s hardest working blues acts in Australia, are back for one festival only with some new material, an extra member and an exciting, raw show.

Melbourne Singer-Songwriter Bill Jackson tours exclusively with Pete Fidler, one of Australia’s finest dobro/resonator players. Bill has recently released ‘The Wayside Ballads Vol 2’ through Laughing Outlaw Records and been nominated for an Age Music Victoria Award – Best Country Album 2016.

The Quaama Singers hail from just a few kilometers down the road from the festival site. They will ‘pop up’ at various times and places around the Festival site singing songs that you will mostly likely know all the words to. Do join in.