The Eclectic Festival’s 10th Year Will Be Its Swansong
A much-admired event on the Australian regional music festival circuit, the lovingly curated Nimbin Roots Festival celebrates its 10th birthday this October. The three-day vibrant celebration of original music and artistic expression will be headlined by festival favourites Dog Trumpet along with Hussy Hicks, The Audreys, Paul Greene and around 40 other national and local acts on October 24th–26th. Tickets are available now at www.nimbinrootsfest.com
A self-funded celebration of regional and national roots music, the milestone anniversary also marks Nimbin Roots Festival’s last hurrah, which Festival founder and director Lou Bradley announced this week.
“After 10 years and tens of thousands of attendees who have found their way to the beautiful, alluring, family-friendly and endlessly fascinating village of Nimbin for our festival, it’s a bitter-sweet decision to end the annual event,” Lou Bradley said. “We started Nimbin Roots Festival in 2016 when we were struggling to find a festival that wasn’t too big and wasn’t too small to play at, to perform my original music.”
An ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter and musician whose greatest joy is communing with like-minded musicians, Lou Bradley also founded and premiered the inaugural Mullum Roots Festival in July of this year. After the new festival’s critical and ticket sales success, she decided to focus her festival programming efforts solely on Mullumbimby from 2026.
But for now all energies are directed to on bringing the 10th and final Nimbin Roots Festival to its loyal audiences in the NSW Northern Rivers and the many visitors who travel to the festival especially for the unique ambiance only Nimbin can offer. Patrons enjoy wandering around the village truly experiencing Nimbin, its intimate venues and diverse people, instead of being in one big paddock.
Three-day festival passes, individual one-day passes and separate camping passes are available and include access to all venues and shows. The Festival includes a Peace and Love Parade that’s as musical as it is colourful, and the town overflows with art, poetry, workshops, markets and food – as all great festivals must!
Always a crowd pleaser, Dog Trumpet is led by brothers Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty, who co-founded iconic rock band Mental As Anything in 1977. Reg Mombassa is one of Australia’s most recognised visual artists, well known for his work for the Mambo label along with graphics, posters, album covers and many decades of fine art. His love for Nimbin and high regard for the heartfelt entrepreneurship of Lou Bradley led him to design the festival’s poster and artwork for 2024 and 2025.
Nationally renowned acts that have headlined in recent years include Shane Howard, Ross Wilson, Neil Murray and Jeff Lang, enticed by Nimbin’s quirky and completely charming character, as well as the sweet, sincere vibe of the festival. The egalitarian programming has placed local roots acts alongside such legacy icons in a melange of favourite hits, extended jams and never-before-heard songs that discerning festival patrons love to be surprised by.
As well as The Audreys and Paul Greene, Kingfisha and Mungo Fungo (a Regurgitator offshoot), the lineup this October includes Hussy Hicks, Wild Marmalade, Emily Lubitz (Tinpan Orange), Allison Forbes, Joshua Lee Wright, Thirst Trap, The Golden Gaytimes and many more. Lou Bradley will also take the stage at her final Nimbin Roots Festival, with mixed feelings but no regrets. “I’m really proud of what we have steadfastly achieved over these ten years,” she said.
Moving from the Lismore region to Byron Shire means wrapping up – for now – her long connection with Nimbin, which she fondly refers to as a place of “peace, love and pitchforks”. Working with tourism organisation Visit Nimbin, along with local artists, performers and residents, has been a source of great satisfaction. So she hopes to take those relationships as well as the local musicians with her to the Mullum Roots Festival in 2026 and beyond.
The story of how she put down her roots, quite literally, in Nimbin and created Nimbin Roots Festival is explained in her Festival Director’s Statement.
Lou Bradley said, ”All things must pass and Nimbin Roots Festival is no exception. That’s why this year, our 10th year, will be our last. So if you’ve never been, then this is your last chance. This is not a drill (like other festivals we dare not mention). Tickets are limited so you’d better get your skates on.”
More info and tickets: www.nimbinrootsfest.com
