Established in 2000

Newstead Live Music Festival is a long-running, volunteer‑driven folk and roots festival held each January in the small Central Victorian town of Newstead, near Castlemaine. It uses multiple venues around the town and emphasises a friendly, village‑style atmosphere with strong local community involvement. 

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Historically, the event began as Chewton Folk Festival, with its first six years held in Chewton, organised largely by Andrew Pattison of the renowned Troubadour venue, and the late Helen McGeachin. The festival moved to Newstead in 2006 and evolved into Newstead Live! Music Festival. 

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Newstead Live is strongly rooted in local participation, with townspeople, local businesses and community groups, and volunteers contributing venues, hospitality and logistical support. The event explicitly acknowledges it is held on the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation and promotes a welcoming, inclusive village‑style atmosphere.

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Programming focuses on folk, roots and acoustic music, but also includes spoken word, workshops, sessions and open‑mic events, with artists usually performing multiple sets across the long weekend. A notable feature is the Live’n’Local street‑stage program, which highlights local and emerging performers and can lead to full programmed spots in subsequent years. 

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The Makers Gallery at the Newstead Arts Hub is an exhibition of hand-made instruments and their makers, including Made & Played concerts, each of which showcases a articular maker and their instruments.

 

Kelly Skinner has been Festival Director since the mid‑2010s, overseeing a period of consolidation and growth while maintaining the participatory, community‑centred ethos.

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