Kay Proudlove and Cody Munro Moore are excited to breathe new life into the iconic summer event which has in previous years been troubled by COVID-19 and low ticket sales.

After 25 years at the helm David De Santi is sharing his position of Artistic Director with Proudlove, in the hope of "slowly fading out" from the organising committee and eventually hand over the reins.

"No-one pays us to do what we do, we do it because we enjoy doing it for our community and we like the camaraderie that comes with it," De Santi said.

"It's such a huge effort, and trying to get motivated also takes a lot of effort."

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Proudlove has been involved as a performer and part of the organisational team for around 15 years and is keen for more passionate music lovers to also lend a hand.

"It's always been a great place for young artists to come and test their skills and songs in front of people and that's what it was for me in the beginning," she said.

"The way forward is about having some honest conversations about what has worked in the past and what could be done better, finding local people who are interested and willing to step into roles to help get the festival back on its feet."

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They are currently taking applications from musicians to perform at the January 2023 festival, though budget will be a constraint as the event has missed out on all government grants applied for this year.

"The Illawarra Folk Festival has always strived to put forward a diverse program ... that also gives festivalgoers the opportunity to stumble on something they might not have seen otherwise," Proudlove said.

"Taking applications for festival acts is a lengthy process as opposed to curating the program privately, but it also gives us the opportunity to see the music and art people are making outside of our immediate peers."

The next instalment of the folk fest will include 70 national and international acts playing across six venues in three days at the Bulli Showgrounds.

Tickets will be capped at 2000 patrons per day - a pared back number from previous years - though camping, stalls, workshops and dancing will still be part of the celebration.

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Moore, who also runs Bellambi recording studio Stranded Records, will take the role of event director and run more of the logistics and organisation of the festival.

He grew up in Cobargo on the Far South Coast and could often be found with his guitar performing in the youth tent of his local folk festival.

He said the idea of what constitutes "folk music" is changing and sees his role as helping "bridge the generational differences".

"We really need to appeal to younger people and need to have a fresh look," Moore said.

"I'm excited to bring young and old people together. Everyone learns something from each other and each side invigorates the other."

He said he doesn't want to reinvent the wheel but is keen to keep it turning.

The Illawarra Folk Festival is set to run from January 20-22, 2023, and will include folk, indie, world, roots, Celtic, gypsy and bluegrass music; poetry, dance and comedy; food and craft stalls, festival bar, the Friday Folk Music School, the Tripe Dinner and the Green Music Train, which sees live performances on trains running between Sydney and Bulli.

Artist applications are currently open on the folk festival website www.illawarrafolkfestival.com.au. They close on July 30.

Volunteer applications are always open.

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