Mullum goes back to its roots

MUSIC fans gathered to celebrate the launch of the Mullum Roots Festival at Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club on Sunday night.

Founded by singer-songwriter Lou Bradley, who also founded the Nimbin Music Festival, the inaugural event will be held in July 2025.

Bradley, whose debut album Love Someone was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Country Album in 2007, performed a selection of humorous “hillbilly” songs alongside musicians Phil Chaffey and Rod Coe at the launch. Former Go-Betweens singer and guitarist Robert Forster also entertained the crowd with a mix of classics from his Go-Between days, and tracks from his latest album The Candle and the Flame.

Bradley launched the Nimbin Roots Festival nine years ago when she was living in the hills near Mullumbimby with her family.

While she moved to Tasmania three years ago, she said the Northern Rivers region still feels like home.

“We created the Nimbin Roots Festival for people to come and be heard – famous or not.

“We have a few name acts and a few that people have never heard of, and Mullum Roots will have the same ethos. Whenever I talk about the Nimbin Roots Festival to people on the coast they say it’s too far. I’m constantly touring so I forget about distances. But I thought let’s bring one to Mullum then. I’m calling it Nimbin’s sophisticated sister.”

Organisers hope the celebration of music, community and sustainability will fill the void left by the Mullumbimby Music Festival, which was previously held

in 2020.

Famous Mambo artist and Mental as Anything musician Reg Mombassa, who is also a band member of Dog Trumpet who performed at last year’s Nimbin Roots Festival, created the artwork for the Mullum Roots Festival.

The event will be held on July 12 and July 13, 2025 at various venues around town, including Mullumbimby Ex-Serviceman’s Club, Mullumbimby Ex-Services Bowling Club, The Courthouse Hotel and Mullumbimby Civic Memorial Hall. The initial lineup will be revealed in October.

For more information, head to mullumrootsfestival.com