CresFest announces line-up for 2025, takes home another award!

Following a now established tradition of turning the event over to dancing in the streets, CresFest 2025 will bring Ghanaian drummers and dancers to town to inspire and excite both the players of the Creswick Drum Circle, the singers of Creswick Chorus and school children from all three local primary schools, as well as the many visitors to Creswick.

“CresFest is about that nexus between professional and community music – celebrating what we share, and what we can learn from each other,” says Co-Director (Artistic) Stella Savy.

Known for her ability to shepherd choirs of 1000 voices, most notably for Melbourne’s The Boite, Savy says CresFest was founded on the principle of community involvement.

“Judy Turner, who dreamed up this great little festival during COVID, has a lifelong commitment to music in community.

“In fact,” says Savy, “she just won a national award for her Contribution to Folk at the Folk Alliance Australia awards night in Melbourne last week. We, on the team, are proud and happy to support Judy in the job of bringing more music to more people more of the time.”

Working alongside other community groups will be legendary Gugu Yimithirr/Kaurareg singer/songwriter, Joe Geia, writer of renowned songs such as Yil Lull and Uncle Willie, who remains an active recording and performing artist sharing his Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through music.

Another established talent is songman Neil Murray founding member of The Warumpi Band with over 20 years of performing, whose compositions include classic songs such as My Island Home, Blackfella Whitefella and Fitzroy Crossing, recorded by many artists including Christine Anu, Missy Higgings, Jimmy Little and Powderfinger.

Strong female inclusions are multi-award winning group The Maes from Castlemaine, featuring sisters Maggie and Elsie Rigby, and another sister band Apolline, featuring Lulu Hickey on violin and Tess Hickey on Cello.

Add to this, outstanding performers such as from WA: Grace Barbe current bass player of The Cat Empire, from New Zealand: Kerryn Fields, and from northern NSW: the hilarious outfit Great Aunt, along with roughly 30 other acts, and you have a concert program with something for everyone.

“Around 400 musicians will be coming to Creswick for the festival,” says a proud as punch Stella Savy, “and everyone of them will take away a happy memory of their time in our welcoming community.”

President of Cresfest Mark Myers is adamant that the festival is about more than concerts, and indeed is fully inclusive.

“We put as much programming free on the streets as we do in ticketed venues,” says Myers, “and our KidZone will be back in 2025 with fun for kids of all ages. Shows, magic, workshops, and even some wonderful old fashioned games – the stuff we baby boomers might have played as kids – will all happen at the Creswick Primary School.”

Myers says his team of volunteers and part time contractors is working to deliver the best CresFest yet in April 2025.

“We learn each year about how to balance the needs of community with those of our visitors, and we think we get closer to nailing it every year. We have restricted tickets to 2000 and people should get in quick because last year we sold out ahead of time.

“A special price is offered to Creswick locals thanks to our principal partner Community Bank of Creswick and District, and we are grateful to them and to all the local businesses that come on board to make this a great weekend for our town.”

Weekend tickets are on sale now at cresfest.com.au/tickets. Day tickets will go on sale in 2025. Information on all booked acts can be found at cresfest.com.au/festival/artists.

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