VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers do everything that needs to be done to make the Festival happen. They check in performers, sell tickets and merchandise, check wristbands, serve drinks, answer phones, manage stages, set up venues – you get the picture.  The fun-loving, community-minded individuals who decide to get involved and become part of the Festival community give our event its heart and soul. With 33 teams to choose from we can find something for everyone, no matter your experience or ability.

Applications to volunteer for the National Folk Festival are done via the online platform FestivalPro. Applications will open to new volunteers and will be available on our website from November 1. Returning volunteers will be sent a link to the application via email on October 1. As we prepare for 2027 if you wish to volunteer in the office please email volunteers@folkfestival.org.au

Volunteering is open to anyone aged over 16. The festival aims to be inclusive and welcoming to its community and has volunteer positions suitable for a wide range of abilities and interests, although these will fill as we get close to Easter.

Adult volunteers who complete 20 hours at the festival, or 30 hours at pre and post-Festival pack down, or more than 40 hours over the rest of the year receive: A Season pass to the festival including Camping and Parking An invitation to the volunteer party on the final night at the festival including two complimentary drinks. Access to a dedicated Volunteer center with charging facilities, toast, fruit, hot beverages, boiling water, and microwaves. Youth Volunteers from 16 years old are welcome with parent/guardian permission. Reduced hours can be arranged for Youth Volunteers.

You are not just attending the Festival, you are part of the family making it happen. The friendships, the camaraderie, the sense of community, and the shared laughter that come out of working at the Festival, more than compensate for giving up a few hours out of each day. There are plenty of opportunities to learn new skills or pass on knowledge. Some reasons to volunteer during the festival: It’s fun! Try something new, different. It’s a manageable commitment. Enjoy the social event, meet new people, and make new friends. Personal and professional development and fulfillment Learn and develop new skills. Use existing skills in new and exciting ways. Have an active role in a wonderful event. Earn a season ticket including camping Be recognised as a doer. Become a part of the folkie family.

When you volunteer for the National Folk Festival, you are agreeing to work a minimum of 20 hours over the Festival period. Please consider the following before you volunteer: Are you able to commit to a minimum of 20 hours of volunteer work? Are you available for the entire Festival period? What type of volunteer work are you interested in? Do you have any specific skills that you can bring to the festival? Are you willing and able to work late nights? What do you want to gain from the experience? Do you have any physical limitations? Consider all the above and the team description when you are selecting your team preferences.

If volunteering during the Festival you will be rostered between Thursday, 25 March, and Monday, 29 March. Pre-festival teams work from Friday, March 19 or Saturday March 20 until the Festival opens on 25 March. The Post Festival cleanup team works from 29 March (Monday of Festival) to Thursday 1st April. Please see the team descriptions above for more information about when the teams operate. Those volunteers working during the Festival are required to do 20 hours and in return will receive a Full Season camping ticket. Pre and Post Festival teams are required to work at least 30 hours, and year-round volunteers are required to work 40 hours. Volunteers working in the Post Festival clean-up team may be required to purchase their tickets. We will refund the ticket the week after the festival once volunteer hours have been completed. We aim to have some volunteers that work in both the setup phase and pack down for continuity (30 hours total).

With a wide range of volunteer teams available, there's something to suit a variety of interests, skills, physical abilities, and availability. We recommend reading the team descriptions carefully and considering:What type of work you enjoyAny physical requirements of the roleWhether you're available before, during, or after the FestivalAny specific skills, experience, or licences that may be required If you're still unsure which team would be the best fit, please email volunteers@folkfestival.org.au. Our Volunteer Manager will be happy to provide more information and help you find a role that suits you.

Volunteers are needed all year round in the festival office. Jobs include answering ticketing and performer enquiries, helping with filing, and archiving of photo’s, auditing and sorting equipment, signage, and storage, and much more. Please email volunteers@folkfestival.org.au for further information.

Yes. If you purchase a ticket and later decide to volunteer, you can apply for a ticket refund once your volunteer commitment has been completed.To process your refund, please email volunteers@folkfestival.org.au with proof of ticket purchase and details of your volunteer participation (such as your roster or hours worked). In some cases, volunteers who sign up during the Festival may be asked to complete a refund form.Where possible, volunteers who have already been accepted and rostered before the Festival may be able to have their refund processed in advance.We aim to process all volunteer ticket refunds within 72 hours of the Festival concluding. Please note that booking fees are non-refundable.

Yes, depending on the team and at the discretion of your coordinator. Please talk to your coordinator about this when they make initial contact.  The Gates team is a very good option to choose if you wish to work with a friend.

Our Coordinators are Volunteers also which means that the times that they have available to work on the Festival vary from team to team. For those signing up in the early stages, it may be some time before you hear from your coordinator. Most coordinators will make contact from mid-January and the bulk of rostering in February to early March. If you are concerned that you have not heard from your coordinator, please email volunteers@folkfestival.org.au.

We prefer that volunteers do all their hours with the one team as that way we can ensure appropriate training is given and volunteer duties are clear. If you are unsure what team to choose and do not wish to commit to one team for now, please email volunteers@folkfestival.org.au to discuss.

During the festival period, volunteers have access to a dedicated Volunteer Centre. Toast and spreads, fruit, and hot beverages are provided to all volunteers. There is also boiled water and microwaves available for use. The volunteer centre is set up with device charging stations for use by volunteers. Meals are the responsibility of the volunteer and with many stalls on site, there is a range of options to choose from. Otherwise please bring your own food and camp kitchen equipment. We aim to organise cheaper alternatives with stall holders again as we acknowledge the rising cost of meals being sold on-site.  Make sure you ask if stalls are providing volunteer discounts when ordering. Those working more than 6 hours in set up and pack down are provided lunch as there are no stalls operating in that period. We ask everyone to please bring a refillable water bottle to help reduce waste on site as we aim for no single-use plastics.

All Volunteers are provided with the option to camp on-site. The provided camping areas are non-powered. Limited powered spots are available on a first come first served basis and incur a $50 charge. Volunteers must bring their own tent and other camping gear. There is an area for volunteer camping that is unbookable by the public ticket buyers so there is plenty of space. Otherwise, you are free to camp anywhere that is not a pre-booked site in the camping zones. If arriving before mark-out, please check with the camping team before setting up camp to ensure you do not set up in a prebooked site. We have an area for those requiring Access camping with nearby facilities appropriate for those with a disability. These are to be booked at no charge. If power is required for medical reasons this can be accommodated in the Access camping area.

The National Folk Festival is an inclusive organisation that is committed to inclusion across race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, and ability. We encourage all to apply and will work with you to find the right team and duties to ensure a positive volunteering experience. For those volunteers living with a disability that require consideration or modification to support their work, we ask that you give us extra time in the application process to find the right position to suit your needs. Our capacity as a non-profit volunteer organisation is such that we cannot provide the proper levels of care for someone with a serious mental health issue. Participation in any festival can be intense and we advise anyone with any health issue or mental health condition to work out a special health management plan with their current practitioners prior to arriving on site. This plan should be shared with your team coordinator and the volunteer manager so that together we can make sure that volunteering is right for you at this time, and the team you are placed in is the best possible fit to ensure an enjoyable festival.

As a volunteer, you are committing to a minimum of 20 hours of work over the Festival period (Thursday to Monday). If you choose to work pre or post-Festival this time commitment will be more depending on the team. (Youth volunteers /interns may be engaged for fewer or greater hours depending on whether they are completing volunteering components for training courses, or have other educational requirements requiring minimum hours)

The following options are open to volunteers. The number of positions on each crew is finite, so once all positions on that crew are filled no new applications are taken. Pre-Festival: Generally, these teams work from the weekend before the Festival through to the Thursday when the Festival opens helping set up the infrastructure that supports the festival and Volunteers teams. Jobs include site decoration, mesh hanging, set up of the shop, ticket office, office, instrument lockup, and similar. Most of the positions (except for Gates) during this period do require a level of physical fitness. People with trade backgrounds, or handyperson skills are of value during this setup period. During: There are many teams operating during the festival managing everything from ticket offices, general inquiries, stage and venue management, instrument lockup, lost property, festival transport, gates, and much more. Post:Pack up Tuesday to Thursday: Assist dismantling and packing away festival equipment, and ensuring we hand back the site as clean, tidy and undamaged as possible.