Dark Mofo 2023: Record ticket sales for 10th Dark Mofo festival, as punters can’t get enough

Ten years after it first cast its spell over Hobart, Dark Mofo is attracting record interest for its 2023 event, with tickets flying out the door at a remarkable rate.

Leigh Carmichael creative director of Dark Mofo arts festival in Tasmania is stepping down from his role after guiding the festival for many years. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The countdown is on for what’s being billed as the biggest Dark Mofo yet after more than 50,000 tickets were sold to the festival in the first day alone.

The wildly popular music and art festival will mark its 10th anniversary this year, kicking off on June 8 and running until June 22.

It will be the last time Dark Mofo mastermind Leigh Carmichael oversees the event as creative director of Darklab as he prepares to transition into a new phase continuing as overall director of the Mona offshoot.

“We’re about two weeks out from launch now, so it’s an incredibly busy time for our team who are working day and night to build the festival precincts and environments that make the festival really something else,” he said.

Leigh Carmichael creative director of Dark Mofo arts festival in Tasmania is stepping down from his role after guiding the festival for many years. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“There’s a lot of heavy infrastructure being installed at Dark Park, the Winter Feast, and at various exhibition venues around town. It’s high pressure, hard work, but it’s always worth it when we see people enjoy the winter revelry of Dark Mofo.”

Punters went into a frenzy when tickets first went on sale for the myriad events planned as part of the festival, snapping up more than 50,000 in the first 24 hours, which equated to a record $3m in box office revenue.

Of the tickets sold on the first day, 62 per cent were purchased by people from interstate.

Destination Southern Tasmania CEO, Alex Heroys, said the buzz around Dark Mofo and other looming winter festivals, including Festival of Voices, was “palpable”.

“Dark Mofo kicks off our peak Off Season and our operators are no longer quiet during this time,” he said.

Sculptures being unpacked for Night Mass and Winter Feast. Picture: Sean Le Rossignol

“Our challenge is to ensure that … visitors also get out and support quality regional businesses like the Agrarian Kitchen, Old Kempton Distillery, Callington Mill and many, many more.”

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania CEO, Luke Martin, predicted this year’s Dark Mofo would be the “biggest and best” yet.

“Winter and seasonal events activation is what the future of Hobart’s tourism is going to be all about, and Dark Mofo shows how it can be done,” he said.

Tasmanian Hospitality Association boss, Steve Old, said venues in and around Hobart were experiencing strong bookings so far and he expected them to “ramp up in the coming week or two”.

Dark Mofo Winter Feast, Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“As venues’ bookings increase around the event, venues will focus on staffing and such things as food ordering and the like to make sure everyone who attends the event or our hospitality venues get the very best of the Tasmanian experience,” he said.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said approximately $26.5m was spent on dining and entertainment across the two-week period of Dark Mofo last year, plus $7m on transport.

“It’s hard to imagine Hobart without Dark Mofo now. This has become our opportunity to embrace, showcase and celebrate the depths of winter in our beautiful city,” she said.

“Supporting the Winter Feast is [the Hobart City Council’s] most significant contribution to Dark Mofo and we know it’s a much-loved event. The atmosphere and amazing tastes are something that keeps locals and visitors coming back year after year.”