Kiama’s annual folk festival, Folk By The Sea, has secured an impressive headliner for this year’s event, with multiple Golden Guitar winner Darren Coggan set to perform at the festival in September. 

Coggan will take centrestage in a blockbuster Saturday show at the festival at Kiama Showground Pavilion on September 12-14. 

Festival Director Neil McCann expressed his enthusiasm about securing such a prominent singer. 

“We’re so excited to have Darren Coggan perform at Folk By The Sea,” he said.

“He really is a consummate entertainer and he has such a vast volume of work to showcase.”

Coggan has earned multiple Golden Guitar awards at Tamworth’s Country Music Festival with a large catalogue of original songs.

He has also famously toured shows in which he performs the songs of some of the most iconic singer-songwriters, including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Glen Campbell and John Denver.

Coggan has performed his critically acclaimed Peace Train, a portrait of Cat Stevens, on some of the world’s grandest stages, from the Sydney Opera House to Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall in Scotland and Liverpool Philharmonic in England.

He hosts the lifestyle TV program Sydney Weekender for Network Seven.

Coggan joins a line-up of 40 acts from around Australia at Folk By The Sea, including Americana/bluegrass duo The Weeping Willows, Indi-folk band Hand Over Hammer, Triple j Unearthed-winning folk rock/alt country duo Ally Row from Victoria, Queensland Indigenous singer and storyteller Jessie Lloyd with her Sing On Country show, and folk-country act the Sam Fletcher Trio from NSW.

Kiama will be well represented with Neil McCann’s own band The Water Runners, Kiama Blowhole Buskers, Kiama Pipe Band and the Kiama Sea Shanty crew.

“We feel as though we have a really broad mix of good quality performers and a great mix and styles and genres,” Neil said. 

“There are some familiar names and acts, but also some outstanding interstate acts like The Weeping Willows, who are just great live. And I saw Sam Fletcher play at the Cobargo Folk Festival earlier this year, and he was fabulous.”

Folk By The Sea is run by the Illawarra Folk Club and relies on a workforce of volunteers.

Neil said organisers were looking for people to volunteer their time and skills for a variety of roles at the festival, as well as offering to home-host some of the visiting performers.

Early Bird ticket and volunteering information is available on the festival website folkbythesea.com.au

Full artist line-up: Alex Randles (ACT), Ally Row (VIC), Balkan Boogie, Charles Maimarosia (VIC), Chloe and Jason Roweth, Darren Coggan, Fly Little Sparrow (QLD/NSW), Grace Barr, Graeme The Scotman McColgan, Hand Over Hammer (VIC), Good Tunes, Humbuckin’ Pickups, Jessie Lloyds Sing on Country, Kane Calcite, Karen Law (QLD), Kiama Blowhole Buskers, Kiama Pipe Band, Kiama Sea Shanty, Louzco Fouzco, Marco and Rusty, Noel Gardner and Alex Bridge (QLD), Oceanique (VIC), Oliver Roweth, Robyn Sykes, Rhys Crimmin (VIC), Russell Hannah, Sam Fletcher Trio, Scupriri, Slippery John Sausage and his Bayou Boys, Southern Cross Band, Square Pegs, Stonybroke, The Butter Trackers, The Con Artists, The Lofty Mountain Band (SA), The Water Runners, The Weeping Willows (VIC), Whistle, Wood n’ Hide.