If you’re making travel plans for a particular part of Australia, keep an eye on the calendar for any festivals being held in the region during your time there. Australians love letting their hair down, and there are hundreds of different festivals in Australia celebrating music, art, food, culture and more. Here, we take a look at some of the biggest and best.
Festivals in Australia
Vivid Sydney Winter Festival
Place: Sydney, NSW
Dates: May to June
An annual festival of “light, music and ideas”, Vivid sees the city lit up by installations around the city’s famous landmarks, as well as street performances, live music, night markets and a program of discussion and workshops with leading creatives and designers.
Adelaide Festival
Place: Adelaide, South Australia
Dates: March
Now 60 years old, this annual festival of art and culture attracts an international audience, who flock to the South Australian capital for the likes of Adelaide Writers Week, and WOMADelaide, which has a world music and dance focus. There’s also ballet performances, classical music concerts and theatre shows.
New Year’s Eve across Australia
Place: Whole country
Date: 31 December
New Year’s Eve goes off with a bang in Australia, with free fireworks displays in countless cities and towns, and huge crowds gathering to ring in the new year. The biggest party is in Sydney, whose iconic Harbour Bridge plays a central role in what is a globally renowned fireworks extravaganza.
Floriade Festival in Canberra
Place: Canberra, ACT
Dates: September to October
Australia’s capital city becomes a riot of colour each year at Floriade, known as the biggest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere. The programme is one month long, with a four-night centrepiece called NightFest, including nightly entertainment and light-up flower shows.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF)
Place: Melbourne, Victoria
Dates: March to April
Love a laugh? Then head along to the world’s second-largest comedy festival (after Montreal’s Just For Laughs). Hundreds of local and international stand-up comedians perform each year, and while comedy is a key feature of the festival, you can also enjoy cabaret acts, plays and improv, plus talks, debates and art exhibitions.
Parrtjima Festival in the Northern Territory
Place: Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Dates: April
The only event of its kind in the country, Parrtjima celebrates Australia’s Indigenous culture, with a 10-night festival that includes light installations, live music, workshops, talks, films and more. Debuting in 2016, the event is held to the stunning backdrop of the Red Centre’s desert landscapes and starry skies.
Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland
Place: Woodford, Queensland
Dates: 27 December to 1 January
Held in a rainforest setting in the hinterland of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the annual Woodford Folk Festival takes place between Christmas and New Year and features hundreds of entertainers. Folk music is obviously the main focus, but you’ll also see dances, plays, films and more, while there’s a strong emphasis on the environment.
Adelaide Fringe Festival
Place: Adelaide, South Australia
Dates: February to March
Considered the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest arts festival, the Adelaide Fringe is called the “People’s Festival” because it allows literally thousands of people to showcase their acts, across comedy, live music, theatre, cabaret and more, across hundreds of different venues, big to tiny.
Byron Bay Bluesfest Music Festival
Place: Byron Bay, New South Wales
Dates: Over Easter
The coastal town of Byron Bay – a perennial favourite of backpackers and international tourists – plays host to a huge contemporary music festival each Easter weekend. Bluesfest is a five-day festival featuring huge names in blues and roots music from Australia and around the world.
Spring Racing Carnival, Fashion and Horse Racing
Place: Melbourne, Victoria
Dates: October to November
With the famous Melbourne Cup as its centrepiece, the Spring Racing Carnival is a series of horse races and associated events held in Australia’s second-biggest city each year. Fashion is to the fore, and you’ll often spot Hollywood celebrities in town for the parties.
Noosa Eat & Drink Festival in Queensland
Place: Noosa, Queensland
Dates: June
With a beachside backdrop, the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is where foodies gather for an annual culinary celebration involving prominent chefs, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and plenty of live entertainment too, over the course of four days and nights.
Sydney Mardi Gras
Place: Sydney, New South Wales
Dates: February to March
Launching back in the 1970s, and today among the world’s biggest LGBT festivals, the Sydney Mardi Gras is a three-week extravaganza highlighted by a parade of floats and dancers along the city’s Oxford Street, watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The Australian Open Tennis
Place: Melbourne, Victoria
Dates: January
More than just a grand slam tennis tournament, the Australian Open is a whole summer festival in Melbourne. There’s two weeks of on-court tennis action as well as celebrations in pubs, parks and beer gardens around the city. You can also catch live music from international artists.
Darwin Festival in the Northern Territory
Place: Darwin, Northern Territory
Dates: August
Australia’s Top End is home to the country’s hottest (literally!) winter arts festival, held in the Northern Territory capital of Darwin each August. It runs for 18 days and features performances by local and international acts, plus colourful visual arts, theatre shows, workshops, comedy and more.
Hamilton Island Race Week – Sailing
Place: Hamilton Island, Queensland
Dates: August
The enviable location of Hamilton Island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is where Australia’s largest offshore sailing regatta takes place each year. The yacht-racing action on the water is matched by the on-shore festivities. Expect food and wine, entertainment and a carnival atmosphere!
Enjoyed this article on festivals in Australia? Now find out when Australa’s public holidays are this year so you can plan some travel!
