Artist Lineup For The 23rd Dorrigo Festival.
Based in NSW, Australia near Gondwana Rainforests, the Doprrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival is an acoustic weekend of concerts, workshops, jamming, dancing and more. The festival focuses primarily on music from the Old-Time, Bluegrass and Folk traditions. It is a family friendly Festival with something for everyone. Participation is encouraged from people of all ages who dedicated to sharing a love of music.
The Festival begins at 5:30pm on Friday 24th Oct and runs through to 5:30pm on Sunday 26th Oct 2025. It is held on the last full weekend of October every year.
The full artist line up can be found here at this link.
The Borough
Some of the Bluegrass offerings for the 23rd Dorrigo Festival year include:
The Borough:
The Borough are a capable bunch alright; made up of four nerdy obsessives that have been in and around the Brisbane music scene for many years. They regard The Borough as their happy place; so there’s no newgrass, altgrass or anything else non-blue and if there’s a line, they would be going straight down it.
The band has an energy and drive that will carry you along from the first note to the last and restore your faith in fun, live, and purely acoustic music.
The Water Runners:
The Water Runners
The Water Runners hail from Kiama NSW and blend traditional folk, bluegrass and country in songs rich in melody and storytelling that reflect the landscape of their experiences, all delivered in an engaging stage show and with a sound that is distinctively Australian.
The Water Runners have played at festivals and venues around Australia; have won various song-writing awards; were ‘People’s Choice’ finalists in the 2021 Australian Folk Music Awards; were awarded best band in the 2020 National Busking Championships: and made Top 10 in the ‘Australia’ Category of the 2024 Australian Songwriting Awards for their song Murrumbidgee. Come along for the ride.
John Littrich on guitar, vocals and harmonica; Neil McCann on banjo, mandolin and backing vocals; Dom Littrich on percussion and Danita Harris on fiddle and vocals.
The High Street Drifters:
The High Street Drifters
The High Street Drifters is a bluegrass quartet based in South Australia and Victoria, are making an indelible mark on the music scene. Drifting across the country since 2021, they have quickly earned a reputation by blending their commitment to the traditional bluegrass sound with a love for the Australian bush, redefining what it means to play bluegrass in the southern hemisphere.
Featuring Justin Vilchez on mandolin, Mae Traeger on fiddle, Daniel Watkins on guitar, and Gage Stead on bass, The High Street Drifters shine a new light on many Bluegrass standards influenced by the greats: Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers and The Bluegrass Album Band, as well as a nod to their contemporaries Hawktail, Mile Twelve, The Slocan Ramblers and Michael Daves.
