Festival of Small Halls producer Eleanor Rigden said the national folk and acoustic festival will begin its three-week South Australian winter tour on 24 August in American River on Kangaroo Island before making stops in places as diverse as Ellistion and Mil Lel.

“We are so extremely excited about bringing Festival of Small Halls to South Australia this Winter,” Rigden said.

The tour will feature the multi-instrumental duo Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan, who will be joined by former Australia’s Got Talent grand finalist Chris Tamwoy.

Mal Webb is notorious for his brain-provoking songs using a variety of vocal techniques, as well as mastering guitar, slide trumpet, mbira, chromatic harmonica, trombone, and a loop recording pedal named Derek.

The entertainer formed a duo with Kylie Morrigan who has performed in Orchestra Victoria as well as alongside legendary big-name artists: Stevie Wonder, Barry White, and Shirley Bassey.

“I would describe them as wacky, but amazing entertainers and a lot of fun,” Rigden said.

“It’s so cool to have someone like Chris, who’s so extremely talented and quite popular, on the road with us.”

Founded by Chloe Goodyear in 2011, the idea for the Festival of Small Halls was to introduce music tours, and local and international artists to regional towns.

“It’s such a great concept and it’s what sets us apart from other festivals,” Rigden said.

Goodyear was inspired to create the festival on a trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada where she encountered local communities that had been hosting traditional and acoustic shows in community halls all over the island since 2008.

“This is something she knew she could bring to Australia, a new touring structure to take great music and bring it to regional towns across Australia,” Rigden said.

The music festival is now hosted in every state and offers an opportunity for music enthusiasts from rural communities to welcome artists into their towns.

“We perform in halls that locals grew up knowing,” Rigden said.

“It’s where they met Santa when they were little, it’s where they had their 21^st birthday, it’s really something special.”

The South Australian tour will hit 14 small halls, starting in American River on Wednesday, August 24, before making stops on its way up north to Beltana and then down south to end in Robe on September 11.

“People can really expect warm inviting nights at their favourite country halls, listening to joyful music, with good food and hospitality,” Rigden said

To see if the Festival of Small Halls is coming to a town near you, visit the website.