There’s nothing quite as joyous as being in a festival crowd and realising the people surrounding you are your people. No matter who your people are, you’ll be able to find them at a festival this year. The Australian events calendar has never been so busy, so diverse or so worth travelling for.
A music festival, old-school style.
WHO GOES: Your cool uncle and your fun aunty.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: Headliner Paul Kelly is a living legend, and a must-see live act. You don’t tour for 40 years without learning a thing or two.
STAY HERE: Quest Mackay on Gordon is central.
LOCAL TIP: Head to Cape Hillsborough for the unforgettable experience of watching a sunset on the beach surrounded by wallabies.
The Emerald City turns it on.
WHO GOES: Anyone – from families to culture lovers.
THIS YEAR’S PICKS: It’s hard to choose with dozens of events across many categories, but the Carriageworks Night Market is always a blast and American singer Weyes Blood at the Opera House will be spellbinding.
WHERE TO STAY: The recently opened Ace Hotel Sydney is as cool as it gets.
LOCAL TIP: Take a Sydney Architecture Walk and explore town before the lights turn on. You’ll never see the city the same way again.
A night-time festival of music, food, art and culture in the heart of Melbourne.
WHO GOES: Friends, families, the culturally curious.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: Shadow Spirit, which will fill Flinders Street Station’s abandoned top floor (just vacated by the Rone Time exhibition) with the work of 30 First Peoples artists and collectives from around the country.
WHERE TO STAY: Zagame’s House, Carlton.
LOCAL TIP: Book now for Lightscape, a 2km illuminated trail around the Royal Botanic Gardens, that opens the last weekend of Rising and continues to August 6.
Australia’s coolest winter festival returns.
WHO GOES: Creative types, black skivvy wearers.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: German composer Max Richter will perform his eight-hour lullaby, Sleep, in an Australian exclusive at MAC 02.
WHERE TO STAY: The Tasman.
LOCAL TIP: Wander around North Hobart to see local artists and hipsters in their natural habitat.
This remote NT Indigenous festival celebrates culture, music and sport.
WHO GOES: People from around Katherine and Arnhem Land, cultural leaders, thinkers.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: Rugby sevens makes its debut in the sports program.
WHERE TO STAY: Camp at the festival (vans are permitted).
LOCAL TIP: You’re a guest of the Jawoyn people; be sensitive and ask before taking anyone’s photo.
Beanies are serious business here.
WHO GOES: Artists, weavers, milliners, curious travellers.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: The opening night party and exhibition opening will be a blast, but the Central Australian craft workshops at Araluen Arts Centre (AKA Beanie Central) will surely be the highlight.
WHERE TO STAY: DoubleTree Alice Springs.
Local tip: Have a coffee and a bite to eat at the bohemian Page 27 Café in town.
Adelaide’s winter festival shines a light on art and music.
WHO GOES: Arty types, world-music fans, night owls.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: Arborialis, an inflatable maze creating a forest of light from the UK’s Architects of Air, will make its Australian premiere.
WHERE TO STAY: Hotel Indigo.
LOCAL TIP: The numbered sandwiches at Lucia’s in Adelaide Market are a local institution.
A huge installation lights up the Murray on the Victoria-NSW border.
WHO GOES: Art lovers, long weekenders, kids.
THIS YEAR’S PICKS: While the centrepiece of the festival is the light art against the backdrop of the Horseshoe Lagoon, an ice-skating rink and food truck market are sure to draw crowds too.
WHERE TO STAY: There are some gorgeous short-term rental accommodation options in the region, including Little Bird on Shackell.
LOCAL TIP: The Perricoota wine region is just outside town, with more than half a dozen wineries and cellar doors to visit. It’d be rude not to.
The 10th instalment of Tassie’s other midwinter festival brings a more rustic vibe.
WHO GOES: Witches, bearded types, pagans.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: Bang your pots and pans, scare away evil spirits and awake the cider apple trees at the Wassail ritual.
WHERE TO STAY: The Kermandie Hotel is the perfect cosy pub.
LOCAL TIP: Get a great view of the Huon River and surrounding bush on the Tahune Airwalk.
A brand-new festival of ideas and entrepreneurship in the capital.
WHO GOES: Big thinkers, thought leaders, politicians, businesspeople.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: The full program is yet to be released, but keep an eye out for big names speaking at venues around the city.
WHERE TO STAY: The QT Canberra.
LOCAL TIP: Blue Eyes Bar and Lounge is the new kid on the Canberra cocktail scene, and the perfect place to debrief on some big ideas.
Food lovers flock to Margaret River’s winter knees-up.
WHO GOES: Sophisticated hedonists in stylish knitwear.
THIS YEAR’S PICKS: Blazing Brews at Beerfarm in Metricup features an irresistible combo of a bonfire, beer and live blues.
WHERE TO STAY: At Forest Rise Chalets and Lodge, each forest cabin comes with a firepit, king bed and a spa with sky-view windows.
LOCAL TIP: Get out and hike among the towering timbers on the Jarrah Walk Trail at Crooked Brook Forest.
Indie bands and some of the world’s biggest acts rock the Northern Rivers.
WHO GOES: Cool kids, party animals, the white-linen brigade.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: Lizzo is headlining and it’s hard to think of anything more uplifting than boogieing into the night to her joyful brand of R&B.
WHERE TO STAY: Wow Tents on the festival grounds offer a glamorous alternative to music festival camping.
LOCAL TIP: Bangalow’s Ciao Mate! is the restaurant everyone is talking about. It’s cosy, it’s warm and its pizza is more than worth the 15-minute drive from Byron.
Eat, drink and be merry.
WHO GOES: Food lovers, farmers and families.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: MooloolaBARS, a day-long celebration of local craft beer along the Mooloolaba waterfront, will be a hot ticket.
STAY HERE: A luxurious cottage at the Maleny Country Estate in the hinterland is the perfect place to undo your top button after a big day of eating.
LOCAL TIP: Get a dose of surf and sand while you’re there with a trip to Coolum Beach.
Big outback energy at the southern hemisphere’s largest rodeo.
WHO GOES: Stockies, swaggies, guys with utes.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: The Indigenous Rodeo Championships celebrate the local Kalkadoon people’s stories, culture and involvement with the stock industry.
STAY HERE: Redearth Hotel.
LOCAL TIP: Outback at Isa – the underground mine tour is a blast, but the surprisingly tranquil Outback Park and Art Gallery might be the ticket after a few days at the rodeo.
Asian culture in the spotlight in the Kimberley.
WHO GOES: Grey nomads, locals, backpackers.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: The sunset long table dinner on Cable Beach is bucket-list stuff.
WHERE TO STAY: Eco Beach Resort south of town puts the glam in glamping, with tents overlooking the Indian Ocean.
LOCAL TIP: A visit to the Japanese Cemetery is an eye-opening window into the pearl industry and Broome’s multicultural past.
Get caught up in this Phillip Island fish fest.
WHO GOES: Gastronomes, fishermen, Sunday drivers.
THIS YEAR’S PICK: Think you can roll a cray pot with the best of them? Put your skills to the test in the National Deckie Race.
WHERE TO STAY: The Cabins at Five Acres.
LOCAL TIP: Feed the pelicans at the San Remo Fisherman’s Co-Op.
Canberra comes into bloom at this old favourite.
WHO GOES: Gardeners, grandparents, spring lovers.
THIS YEAR’S PICKS: The sea of flowers at Commonwealth Park always makes the heart soar, or head down for the more surreal atmosphere of Nightfest, with illuminated blooms and live music.
WHERE TO STAY: Ovolo Nishi.
LOCAL TIP: The National Museum of Australia has launched two huge new family-friendly galleries that are well worth a visit.
Enjoy food, music and artisan markets on the Eyre Peninsula.
WHO GOES: Oyster lovers, people in waders, bad mother shuckers.
THIS YEAR’S PICKS: Let’s not kid ourselves, regional festivals are all about the strange competitions. At Ceduna that means blindfolded oyster eating, a fish-filleting race and timed beer stein holding.
WHERE TO STAY: Ceduna Foreshore Hotel.
LOCAL TIP: Drive out and do some late season whale watching at Head of the Bight lookout – it’s spectacular.
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