Catch Billy Bragg, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, The Royal High Jinks, Apodimi Compania and Austral at the National Folk Festival in Canberra from April 6-10, 2023

"That question has caused quite a lot of discussion in the office, let me tell you," he says. "The thing about what we do, is that we want to schedule a wide smorgasbord of styles and performers that everyone's got their own opinions on who they want to see."

So after much deliberation, here's the five acts you need to catch.

How can you not grab the chance to catch an artist of this calibre? Bragg has been a fearless recording artist, tireless live performer and peerless political campaigner for more than 35 years.

An indigenous duo, pictured above, from the south-west corner of Western Australia who use music to highlight the Noongar language. "Gina has the most incredible voice," says Grange, "and she sings in language". With less than 400 Noongar speakers left in Australia, it's all about connection.

A contemporary world music band from Melbourne, The Royal High Jinx have burst onto Australian festival stages with originality, virtuosity and theatricality. The bands songs and tunes are inspired by European traditions, peppered with gypsy jazz, Latin balkan and swing grooves with a pinch of folk cabaret.

Originating in Brunswick in Melbourne's inner North, and now resident in Athens, "this band is one of the world's leading exponents of Rebetika music, Greek blues," says Grange. The group perform on all traditional instruments including bouzouki, violin, baglama, oud, guitar and banjo.

Austral are a fully charged, four-piece Australian tunes band combining didgeridoo, Irish pipes, high energy fiddling, journeying songs and energetic foot percussion. Their music is infectiously danceable, and "you may find it hard to resist the urge to get up and join the folkie mosh pit yourself", says Grange.