As part of our 60-year celebrations, this year’s program features a series of special anniversary events reflecting the themes and traditions that have shaped the National Folk Festival.

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Songs of Protest looks back at the union and social justice anthems that have shaped the Festival’s history, to new songs addressing today’s pressing issues and calls for change. Featuring artists from across the Festival’s sixty years alongside new voices, come and celebrate folk’s role in driving and giving voice to change, with everyone invited to join the chorus.

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The times we live in call for a revival of the Concert for Peace which first occurred at the Festival at the beginning of the Iraq War. Curated by Fred Smith, a select group of Festival artists will offer songs that give voice to the desire we all share for the killing to stop.

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This year Jason Roweth hosts The Great Poetry Debate, where Festival poets and artists go head to head debating if ‘Parents should vote like their children.’

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The Changing Face of Folk is a round robin style event exploring how folk and roots have shifted from community-driven participatory traditions, to festival stages, online streaming and social media consumerism. 

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60 Years of Queer celebrates six decades of queer voices through song, story and a queer historical lens, discover untold stories, honour trailblazers like Judy Small, celebrate fresh faces, and explore the queer community’s role, past and present, in shaping and driving our shared traditions.

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The daily FolKwiz gameshow brings fast-paced trivia and Festival history to the stage. With live music from Mal Webb, crowd-sourced questions and prizes across three sessions, it’s folk history with a competitive twist.

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Each year artists reinterpret songs around a special theme in the ever-popular Infinite Song Contest. For 2026, it’s Female Singers of the 60s - from Janis Joplin to Joni Mitchell. Daily heats in the Marquee lead to a Grand Finale in the Budawang, with the winner performing in the Farewell Concert.
 

Discover the magic of our Festival Made series, where musicians, dancers, choirs, poets and street performers come together in collaborations created right here at the Festival. Expect the unexpected as creativity bursts to life in moments you can only experience here.
 

Don't miss the daily Live at the National Variety Show that features six guest artists each day. Hosted by Parvyn, led by musical director Josh Bennett and with an all-star house band, each artist performs a song or piece with the band and joins the ensemble for others, creating a one-of-a-kind celebration of connection and creativity.

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These are just a selection of the special events happening across the 2026 Festival, click below to explore the Program Grid in detail, looking out for the Special Event colour to discover more one-of-a-kind moments to share in.