Dark Mofo returns in fiery style as Winter Feast kicks off
The embers are burning as Hobart’s most provocative arts and culture festival returns, kicking off with The Winter Feast on Thursday.
Tasmania
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The upside-down Christian crosses have risen again on Hobart’s waterfront, heralding the return of Dark Mofo.
As the city descends into the depths of winter, the festival ignites on Thursday with its firelit, food-filled centrepiece: the Winter Feast.
The feast, curated by Amanda Vallis, brings together more than 70 stallholders showcasing the best of Lutruwita/Tasmania’s food culture.
“The food community in Lutruwita/Tasmania is one of the best things this island has to offer, and nowhere is it more pronounced than when everyone comes together to feast around the fires in the depths of winter,” Ms Vallis said.
“The winter feast is shaping up to be an incredible event as it is every year,”
“We’ve got a wonderful mix of favourite stallholders back for this year … we also have a bunch of new additions.”
More than 20,000 people are expected to gather nightly around the blazing fire pits, drawn by everything from bubble cocktails and umami butter crayfish pasta to warming winter Indian dishes made with Tasmanian produce.
This year includes a high-profile collaboration between guest chefs Craig Will of Launceston’s Stillwater and Niyati Rao from Ekaa in Mumbai, promising an infusion of local produce with international spice and flair.
“In terms of choosing our celebrity guest chefs, we’re always looking to highlight someone that is doing something really unique,” Ms Vallis said.
“We’re always looking to bring a part of the world to Tasmania that Tasmanians wouldn’t necessarily otherwise engage with.”
With guest chef Niyati Rao bringing a taste of Mumbai to Tasmania, the collaboration with Stillwater has produced a menu of wallaby, root vegetables, sea urchins and ancient spices.
Describing the festival as a mix of art and culture, Ms Rao’s sea urchin in spiced broth is inspired by a meal her mother used to cook for her during winter.
“Our team is basically merging a lot of Indian ingredients from different provinces and really collaborating and integrating those ingredients in the cuisine of Tasmania,” she said.
“I think we really learnt a lot from each other.”
With this year marking Stillwater’s first time at Winter Feast, executive chef Craig Will is excited to represent the north of the state at the festival.
“We love a challenge, it’s our 25th anniversary of the restaurant this year so it seems fitting we celebrate in this manner,” he said.
In a step toward inclusivity, the City of Hobart is sponsoring the Winter Feast Community Day on Sunday, June 15, offering free entry to all.
The initiative is part of the City’s contribution to Dark Mofo, including $150,000 in direct sponsorship and over $313,000 in in-kind support.
“The City of Hobart Dark Mofo Winter Feast Community Day is about making sure everyone can be part of the magic of Dark Mofo, regardless of their circumstances,” Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said.
“This partnership is not just about culture — it’s about jobs, local business, and the economic vitality of Hobart.”
Dark Mofo Artistic Director Chris Twite said they were looking forward to welcoming everyone to the feast.
“It’s such an important festival ritual — the warm, beating heart of Dark Mofo — and the free final Sunday is a special way of making sure that everyone in our community gets to participate,” he said.
“This has only been made possible by the generous support from the City of Hobart,”
“We look forward to welcoming everyone in from the cold to feast by firelight.”
This year’s artistic line-up lives up to Dark Mofo’s reputation for the surreal and subversive.
Highlights include a giant Maugean skate crafted for the Ogoh-Ogoh procession and burning, death-defying stunt drivers, and the infamous Nude Solstice Swim to close out the festival.
Night Mass: God Complex will dominate multiple city blocks on June 6 and 7, with more than 100 artists and musicians turning Hobart’s CBD into a wild, fever dream of a party.
Young Leaders of Tasmania are also facilitating private, sensory-friendly sessions for people with disability and their families who have registered.
With extra flights scheduled to handle the influx of interstate visitors, Dark Mofo is set to surpass its 2023 crowds.
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Originally published as Dark Mofo returns in fiery style as Winter Feast kicks off
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