Tamar Valley Folk Festival

The festival is a unique event in the Tamar Valley area bringing many visitors and artists to Northern Tasmania from interstate and overseas. It is the major annual cultural event held over three days in George Town being regarded for its high reputation as a musical and artistic festival and is recognised as part of the National Folk Festival calendar in Australia.

The festival consists of music sessions, concerts, themed concerts children’s activities, poetry and dance. We also have music in the street on Saturday morning.

The concert venues are all under cover and set in beautiful surroundings of the Tamar River and historic town of George Town.

Tamar Valley Folk Festival History

The first Tamar Valley folk festival was held at GeorgeTown in January 1992 after a successful trial held in a the form of a dance& concert at the Memorial Hall on the 9 th March 1991 to raise some funds for the event.
The then members of the GeorgeTown folk club got together to form a festival committee led by Mick and Helen Flanagan with the support of Linda Bezemer and others.

Local artists from Launceston and the Southern areas of the Huon Valley were invited to take part. It was a successful beginning.

Since then the festival has grown to one that local, interstate and international artists and performers have come to enjoy.

The beautiful location of the Tamar river and surrounding areas have provided a wonderful historic flavour to the festival which is always been supported by local businesses and the George town council.
The small venues and locations make it attractive for visitors and audiences to walk from venue to venue to catch the concert performances and workshops.

Some of the early performers were:Mick & Helen Flanagan, Steve & Jane Ray, Shamus Gill, Rab Mitchell, Alex Myers Richard (Dicky) Deegan, Lindsay Campbell, The Outer Cove Wailers, Tom Dunlop, Declan Pickering, Ned Trewartha, Bob Pooley, Chris Atwell, Brian & Phylis Mooney, Van Diemens Band, Bottom Pub Ceilidh Band and Roughbark.