Getting to the festival

  • The 2024 National Folk Festival is returning to EPIC (Exhibition Park in Canberra). 10 Flemington Rd. Mitchell ACT 2602

  • Flemington Road Ticket Office, Gate 2

    Open to members of the public arriving by bus, tram or being dropped off in private vehicles or taxis.

    Disability and VIP Parking only at this Gate.

    Access: via Flemington Road, off Northbourne Avenue. No vehicle access.

    Old Well Station Road Ticket Office, Gate 7

    At the northern end of EPIC, Gate 7. Most Season and Day Ticket holders will use this Gate.

    Paid and free parking is available at this gate.

    Season + Camping ticket holders must use this entrance for initial entry.

    Access: via Old Wells Station Road, off Northbourne Avenue.

  • The Festival is serviced by the Flemington Road Light Rail stop, and a number of ACTION bus routes.

    For more information and to check which form of public transport is best for you, please visit https://www.transport.act.gov.au/getting-around/journey-planner

  • There are two car parks, located at either end of the Festival site, at Flemington Road and Old Well Station Road.

    FLEMINGTON ROAD CAR PARK

    The Flemington Road Car Park is for VIP or disability parking only.

    Please note that this car park is located across the road from the Festival main entrance gates.

    OLD WELL STATION ROAD CAR PARK

    The Old Well Station Road Car Park is the larger of our two main parking areas. There are three areas available to patrons within this car park:

    Paid parking

    If you’d like to be closer to the Festival gates, this is the best option for you.

    Please pre-purchase a Day Car Park Pass when you buy your ticket for ease of entry on arrival. Day Car Park Passes will also be available to purchase at the ticket office.

    Free parking

    If you’re not fussed about how far you are from the Festival entry gates and don’t want to pay for parking, this is the option for you!

    Please note that this area will be the furthest away from the Festival entry gates, so be prepared to walk a bit.

    CAMPSITE CAR PARKING

    Season Camping tickets include one Camping Area Car Pass, however each Campsite only accommodates one vehicle regardless of the number of campers in the campsite. Each campsite allows for one tent/caravan and one vehicle, OR one motorhome/campervan.

    An additional Camping Car Pass is required to be purchased if a second vehicle is being brought into the Camping Zones. These can be pre purchased or are available at the ticket office. All cars in the Camping Zone require a car pass to be displayed at all times.

    Cars parked in Camping areas are not to be moved during the Festival. There is a Campers car park inside the gates and some spots along the edges of Camping areas that allow for vehicle movement during the Festival. These spots are limited and are not able to be reserved.

  • Take advantage of Canberra’s numerous bike paths and cycle to the Festival! Information on how to plan your trip can be found at https://www.transport.act.gov.au/getting-around/journey-planner. Make sure you select ‘Bicycle’ under the ‘Options’ tab.

    When you arrive, feel free to use one of our complimentary bike racks, provided by Pedal Power ACT. These racks are located near the Flemington Road Entry (Gate 2).

    We recommend Festival attendees bring their own bike locks for added security. The Festival takes no responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged bikes.

  • Depending on where you’re located, you may like to walk to the Festival. The Flemington Road Entry is the easiest to access on foot.

    You can use the journey planner at https://www.transport.act.gov.au/getting-around/journey-planner to plan your route. Make sure you select ‘Walking’ under the ‘Options’ tab.

  • If you’d like to use a taxi or rideshare service to get to the Festival, the best place to set as your arrival destination is the Flemington Road entry. There is a zone out the front of the Box Offices for taxis and rideshare services to pull in to.

Wristband Information

  • Please kindly note that for this year’s festival we will not be posting out any of the wristbands. All wristbands will be available at the entry gates for your collection.

    Upon pre-purchase of your ticket you will receive a PDF of your ticket with a QR code. On arrival we will scan your QR code either on you mobile device or your printed copy to validate and you will then receive your wristband (and car pass) for entry.

  • To ensure comfort, we suggest wearing your wristband on your non-dominant hand. Before securing your wristband, place two fingers between your wrist and the band to ensure wiggle room.

    Your wristband must remain on your wrist for the entire duration that you attend the Festival. Once you have secured your wristband, you will not be able to remove it without invalidating it.

    If for any reason your wristband is removed you must retain it and take it to a ticket office for a replacement.

  • Once you have purchased your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with a QR code. At the entrance of the festival, we will scan your QR code before issuing you with a wristband. The wristbands grant you entry and exit from the festival and must be worn at all times while on site.

    Limited tickets are also available to purchase on the day.

    If you would like more information regarding ticketing, please email tickets@folkfestival.org.au

  • Each ticket/wristband is assigned to a specific person. If you’d like to change the name on the ticket/wristband, please email us at tickets@folkfestival.org.au or ring us on 02 6262 4792. Please note that this number is monitored between 10am-4pm Monday-Friday.

    Names can be changed/transferred once per ticket until the 21st of March 2024.

Emergency Information

  • For all major medical emergencies call 000.

    First Aid services are available near the Flemington Road Ticket Office, in Central Park.

    All security staff are able to render basic first aid assistance and are available 24 hours.

  • For non-urgent issues, the Festival Office is located in the Convention Centre and operates between the following hours:

    Thursday 28th March - 31st March Sunday April: 8am - 10pm

    Monday 1st April: 8am - 8pm

    For urgent issues, a 24-hour Emergency Control Centre (ECC) operates on site. They assist with emergencies, medical or otherwise, and can coordinate with Security for issues such as offensive behaviour, underage drinking, theft, vandalism, excessive noise in the campgrounds, safety concerns, and unauthorised entry to site.

  • Please report all lost children to the Festival Office, Festival Security or Emergency Control Centre. All children at the Festival have a parent or guardian phone number logged against their wristband.

  • For more information on the accessibility services the Festival provides, please visit our Accessibility page.

  • Pedal Power operates a bike minding area with bike racks near the Flemington Road entry (Gate 2). We recommend Festival attendees bring their own bike locks for added security.

    The Festival takes no responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged bikes.

  • The Camping Office is located at Gate 7, off Old Well Station Road. If you’re a Festival camper, you’ll be greeted by our Camping Team upon arrival.

    Any camping-related issues you may encounter during your stay can be addressed at this office. The Camping Office operates between the following hours:

    Monday 25th - Saturday 30th March: 9am - 7pm

    Sunday 31st March - Monday 1st April: 10am - 6pm

    Tuesday 2nd April: 9am - 5pm

  • The Festival Office is located on the ground floor of the Conference Centre. It’s a hub of on-site information for patrons, performers and volunteers, so if there’s something you need help with or would like to know, please pay a visit and our friendly team will assist you.

    The Festival Office operates during the following hours:

    Thursday 28th - Sunday 31st March: 8am - 10pm

    Monday 1st April: 10am - 10pm

  • The best place to get all your National Folk Festival merchandise (including our famous mugs!) is the Festival Shop. This year the shop is located in the Quokka, and is open during the following hours:

    Thursday 28th March: 3pm - 8pm

    Friday 29th March - Monday 1st April: 9am - 8pm

  • The Festival runs a shuttlebus on site for the convenience of our patrons. The bus runs on a loop, and has 3 stops: The Fitzroy, the Gate 7 Ticket Office and the Quokka Pavilion.

    The shuttlebus operates during the following hours:

    Thursday 28th March: 2pm - 1am

    Friday 29th March - Sunday 31st March: 8am - 1am

    Monday 1st April: 8am - 10pm

  • A Festival Information Booth is located in the Central Park area, close to the Flemington Road Box Office. If you have any quick questions or need directions around the site, one of our lovely volunteers will be able to help you from here.

    The Festival Info Booth operates during the following hours:

    Thursday 28th April: 3pm - 7pm

    Friday 29th March - Monday 1st April: 9am - 7pm

  • The Instrument Lock Up is the best place for instrument storage on site, catering to performers and patrons alike. If you have an instrument you’d like to play at the Festival, and need somewhere secure and dry to store it, feel free to pop in and visit our Instrument Lock Up Team, located in the Quokka Pavilion.

    The Instrument Lock Up operates between the following hours:

    Thursday 28th March: 2pm - 12am (Midnight)

    Friday 29th March - Monday 1st April: 8am - 12am (Midnight)

    Tuesday 2nd April: 8am - 12pm (Midday)

    While every effort is made to ensure all instruments are kept safe and secure at the Festival, the National Folk Festival takes no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen instruments. Those who choose to use the Instrument Lock Up facility do so at their own risk.

  • If you’ve lost an item at the Festival, or found something and want to hand it in, Lost Property is the place to go. The Lost Property Team is located at the Quokka Pavilion. You can also view found items in real time on our website. The Lost Property opening hours are as follows:

    Thursday 28th March: 6pm - 10pm

    Friday 29th March - Monday 1st April: 10am-10pm

    Tuesday 2nd April: 9am - 12pm (Midday)

    The Festival takes no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen property.

Festival Services

  • For more information about Camping at the Festival, please visit our Camping page.

  • Entry to the Festival is at your own risk.

    Footwear must be worn at all times whilst in the Festival Entertainment Zone.

    No animals are permitted on the Festival site, with the exception of registered Assistance Animals. All Assistance Animals must be registered with the Festival prior to arrival. For more information on Assistance Animals at the Festival, please visit our Accessibility page.

    Offensive behaviour, theft and vandalism will result in removal from the Festival site. In this situation, no refund will be given, per the Festival’s Refund Policy.

    The Festival is a licensed venue. BYO alcohol is not permitted. Police will be notified of all instances of underage drinking or secondary supply of alcohol. Offenders will have their wristband removed and be escorted off the Festival site.

    There is strictly no glass within the Festival Entertainment Zone.

    No wristband, no entry. Festival wristbands must be worn at all times on the Festival site.

    Discretionary bag checks may be conducted.

    All patrons are responsible for their own wristbands/tickets. Lost, damaged or misplaced wristbands will not be reissued.

    All vehicles on the Festival site must display a valid vehicle pass.

  • Festival Bars are conducted according to ACT licensing regulations. It is an offence to sell or supply liquor to any person who is intoxicated or under 18 years of age.

    Underage drinking and secondary supply of alcohol to minors will not be tolerated and offenders will be referred to the police.

    There is no BYO alcohol permitted in the Festival Entertainment Zone. No glass bottles, including water bottles are permitted in the Festival Entertainment Zone. All glass will be confiscated by Security personnel.

    No alcohol is permitted to leave the Festival Entertainment Zone

  • The Festival Entertainment Zone is smoke-free, including e-cigarettes and vapes. Smokers are asked to smoke or vape within one of our unlicensed, designated outdoor smoking areas.

  • All patrons carrying bags of A4 size or larger will be required to present their bags for inspection when entering the Festival Entertainment Zone.

    Prohibited items include:

    • Glass (Including food containers and bottles)

    • Knives and weapons

    • Alcohol and illicit substances

    • Umbrellas and selfie sticks

    • Fire-twirling equipment, sparklers and flares

    These items are prohibited for the safety of all staff, volunteers and attendees.

General Information