Established 1999

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 on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, near Castlemaine. It uses multiple walkable 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. Public descriptions frame its beginnings as a collective community initiative rather than crediting a single named founder, and the festival is managed by a voluntary body of members. 

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Newstead Live is strongly rooted in local participation, with townspeople, local businesses 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 or studio awards in subsequent years. 

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In more recent years, the festival has curated themed concerts exploring the history of folk and roots music, as well as a Makers Gallery at the Newstead Arts Hub that showcases instrument makers and live demonstrations. Kelly Skinner is noted as festival director from the mid‑2010s, overseeing a period of consolidation and growth while maintaining the participatory, community‑centred ethos.

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