The Nimbin Roots Festival takes place next month, celebrating its 10th birthday and its final edition. Founder and festival director Lou Bradley recently announced she is winding up the much-admired and lovingly curated event, which has held its rightful place on the Australian regional music festival circuit.

Taking over Nimbin on the weekend of October 24–26, the vibrant celebration of original music and artistic expression will be headlined by festival favourites Dog Trumpet along with Hussy Hicks, The Audreys, Paul Greene and around 40 other national and local acts.

The full lineup and program across all venues is available, and a new release of tickets has been made available at www.nimbinrootsfest.com.

Nimbin Roots Festival has always been a self-funded event. On announcing the final festival, Lou Bradley said,  “After 10 years and tens of thousands of attendees who have found their way to the beautiful, alluring, family-friendly and endlessly fascinating village of Nimbin for our festival, it’s a bittersweet decision to end the annual event.  

The story of how she put down her roots, quite literally, in Nimbin and created Nimbin Roots Festival is explained in her Festival Director’s Statement.

“We started Nimbin Roots Festival in 2016 when we were struggling to find a festival that wasn’t too big and wasn’t too small to play at, to perform my original music.”

An ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter and musician whose greatest joy is communing with like-minded musicians, Lou Bradley also founded and premiered the inaugural Mullum Roots Festival in July of this year. After the new festival’s critical and ticket sales success, she decided to focus her festival programming efforts solely on Mullumbimby from 2026.

But for now, all energies are directed to bringing the 10th and final Nimbin Roots Festival to its loyal audiences in the NSW Northern Rivers and the many visitors who travel to the festival especially for the unique ambience only Nimbin can offer. As Lou describes it, the village offers a unique blend of “peace, love and pitchforks”. If you know, you know.

Three-day festival passes, individual one-day passes and separate camping passes are available and include access to all venues and shows. The Festival includes a Peace and Love Parade that’s as musical as it is colourful, and the town overflows with art, poetry, workshops, markets and food – as all great festivals must!

The lineup also features Kingfisha, Wild Marmalade, Emily Lubitz, Allison Forbes, Joshua Lee Wright, Thirst Trap, The Golden Gaytimes and many more. Lou Bradley will also take the stage at her final Nimbin Roots Festival, with mixed feelings but no regrets.

“I’m really proud of what we have steadfastly achieved over these ten years,” Lou said.

More info and tickets: www.nimbinrootsfest.com.

You can read Lou Bradley's Sunday Profile on the Lismore App by clicking SUNDAY PROFILE: Lou Bradley has deep roots in Nimbin for the app version, or by clicking https://lismoreapp.com.au/sunday-profile-blogs/sunday-profile/page-1/67035cf98a6313002e23a9ae for the website version.