The Howlin' music festival in Newcastle is set to expand into a two-day event in 2027, according to promoter Greg Mathew. The second edition of the festival returns to Foreshore Park on Saturday, headlined by American country-pop star Lainey Wilson and Lake Macquarie-bred, Nashville-based artist Morgan Evans. A crowd of 11,000 is expected for the one-day festival, slightly down from the 12,500 that attended the inaugural Howlin' Country last year.
Mathew told the Newcastle Herald that plans are already underway for the third edition, which will shift away from the February timeslot and be expanded over an entire weekend. “That way we can expand and absorb the footprint,” Mathew said. “If we get it right, it'll be a good event for two days in Newcastle.”
The festival has dropped “country” from its name as it looks to broaden its appeal to other musical genres. Artists like Paul Dempsey from alt-rock band Something For Kate and Newcastle's own indie-folk singer-songwriter Adam Newling are leading the charge. “We're still tipping the hat to country artists but we'll see other artists come through like Paul Dempsey and Adam Newling,” Mathew said.
Howlin' will employ almost 400 staff on Saturday across stage crew, hospitality, cleaning and security. Mathew emphasized the importance of the Foreshore location, saying, “It's a busy area and we have to work with the community and open the road and keep access to the beach as much as we possibly can. We acknowledge its importance to the city, but it's the perfect spot for it. We will stay here as long as we can.”
Adam Newling, who will use his appearance at Howlin' to introduce his music to a fresh audience, said it's important to have festivals. “Any that get to the point of being able to run feels like a win, not just for emerging artists, but for any artist like Morgan [Evans], who is big time. Any festival that gets over the line is good for music and good for artists.”
