Blog

Guest Artist Applications are now open!

Monday 4th May 2026

Whare Flat Folk Festival has been a New Year's tradition in Aotearoa's folk scene for over 50 years. Tucked into the hills outside Dunedin, it's a fully immersive, volunteer-run gathering of around 500 folk lovers who camp, play, sing, and share meals together for four days.

We're not a fly-in-fly-out festival. Artists are part of the community for the full duration — eating together, sitting in on late-night sessions, swapping songs and impromptu collaborations. Past guests describe it as the most restorative gig of their year.

For international artists, Whare Flat works beautifully as the anchor date for a Southern Hemisphere summer tour. Our timing connects naturally with Auckland Folk Festival (late January) and folk clubs across both islands. We're happy to make introductions to help your trip pencil out.

Applications close Sunday 7 June 2026, 11:59pm.

Apply now

 

What we provide:

• All meals throughout the festival — we love that sharing kai is how our guests, crew, and audience get to know each other
• Full sound and lighting at all performance spaces (plug-in-and-play — just bring your instruments)
• On-site accommodation for traveling artists ( this is limited, so prioritised for international and out-of-region guests; local artists are asked to arrange their own where possible)

« Back to articles