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Maleny Music Festival starts August 30
Evolution of the Maleny Music Festival
By Sonia Clark
This year marks the eighth year of this eclectic and inclusive family friendly event, which runs from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1 at the Maleny Showgrounds.
GC&M News thought it would be great to delve a little more into the background of the Maleny Music Festival with festival director Noel Gardner.
Noel comes from a long and heartfelt involvement in the hinterland music scene. During the 1980s he was the organiser of the Nambour Folk Club, which was integral to the formation of the Maleny Folk Festival. This original festival ran from 1986 through to 1993 and that grassroots-inspired music festival still retains a fond nostalgic memory for many. The festival relocated to Woodford and became the genesis of today’s Woodford Folk Festival.
In 2007 Noel moved to Maleny and the idea to reignite a small Maleny-based music festival was bandied about. Noel said he started to discuss the idea with friends but it wasn’t until 2009, when a friend suggested holding a camping weekend at the showgrounds in 2011 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first Maleny Folk Festival, that a new festival was spawned.
“Our first festival offered camping, two stages and a workshop and session venue along with a poet’s breakfast and was a great success. The festival has now evolved to feature four stages, children’s festival, numerous food and market stalls, session tent, workshop venue, street performers, onsite camping and more,” Noel said.
This year the festival will have more than 250 volunteers to make it run smoothly and will feature more than 50 acts in nearly 120 performances over the three days of the event. Noel said that the acts were chosen from more than 250 applications.
“I feel honoured on behalf of our team of volunteer organisers to present such an incredibly talented array of international, interstate and local performers. The festival does not receive government funding but relies on ticket sales, local support and the tireless efforts of our volunteer organisers who are dedicated to promoting the performing arts and giving back to the local community,” Noel said.
With bands, duos and solo performers, the music at this year’s festival covers many genres from dance to blues, folk, rock, Celtic, Latin, funk, Indigenous, Gypsy jazz, alt country, Afro beat, Italian, piano wizard, guitarists, barbershop and acapella choir – basically something for everyone!
