For fans of festivals, the past several years have not been pleasant. In all honesty, we’re eager to return to the field. Enjoying a day (or a week) in celebration of a place has a certain allure. The Australian festival season has returned, and to help you make the most of it, we’ve compiled a list of the greatest events you shouldn’t miss.
Many of us have had the privilege of going to a lot of these events in Australia, some of which we have gone to more than once. There is always beer, Bundy, and bush poetry. Additionally, there is typically a lamington shop, a sausage sizzle, and a trailer offering purportedly exotic Australian dishes like dagwood dogs and Chiko Rolls. They are frequented by campers, caravanners, grey nomads, schoolkids, footy teams, hens’ nights, and bewildered-looking Japanese tourists.
No matter what time of year, there is always something going on somewhere, from eye-catching fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve to rural country music festivals and incredible art and fringe festivals in the main cities.
But for the fans of Australian events and festivals, the past several years have not been pleasant. In all honesty, we’re eager to return to the field. Enjoying a day (or a week) in celebration of a place has a certain allure.
Wine drinking, watching shows, gazing at art, and listening to music are almost ancillary hobbies. Festivals are truly special because of the sense of community that both locals and visitors experience when they attend.
But it’s an experience that not even a pandemic on a worldwide scale could halt for very long. Therefore, if you’re unsure of which festival in Australia you’d like to attend in the upcoming year, have a look at the list of festivals that we enjoy below.
Australia Day, January 26th
On January 26th, Australia Day, people all throughout the country will raise their roofs. It’s the one day a year when Australians can enjoy being Australian!
In honour of the first permanent European settlement in Australia, cultural celebrations and events are held all around Australia on this day.
Whatever you call it—”Australia Day,” “Invasion Day,” “The Day of Mourning,” or “Survival Day”—January 26th is approaching once more, and this year is expected to be just as contentious as past ones. Australia will have a public holiday on that day, but more and more individuals are choosing to go to work. Others are opting to utilise it to learn about, get information about, and personally encounter the oldest continuously existing society on the earth. Others, meanwhile, will simply be happy to have the day off.
The easiest way to commemorate this day is to take a picnic and play some cricket in a park or on the beach. Sydney also hosts activities and fireworks across the nation, particularly in big cities. Come join us as we celebrate our national day!
The Australian Open
The first tennis tournament of the year and Australia’s grand slam competition. Discover live entertainment every day, including all-day music festivals, DJ sets, and free concerts.
The annual Aussie Grand Slam is back once again, this time without tennis superstar Roger Federer who recently announced his retirement. This world-renowned tennis tournament takes place in Melbourne every January and attracts top players from around the world. In 2023, the Australian Open will be held from January 16th to January 29th and is sure to be a thrilling event for both players and spectators.
You also get to watch the tennis matches from the spectator box, of course. For individuals who are unable to obtain tickets or do not wish to pay a fee, large outdoor screens have been placed outside the arena. The energy level will be high.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, which honours gay pride in Australia, is one of the year’s most popular events in Australia!
Celebrate with the LGBTQ community as they parade along Oxford Street at the end of February each year in floats, fancy dress, and outrageous costumes while waving Pride flags.
One of the world’s largest gay festivals, the Sydney Mardi Gras, will this year be the site of the international World Pride festival. From February 17 to March 5, there are over 300 activities going on that guarantee something for everyone and a generous helping of (eco-friendly) glitter. Many of them will be broadcast on ABC if you can’t make it to Harbour City.
It is a tonne of fun and a fantastic opportunity to promote and spread awareness of this neighbourhood.
Adelaide Fringe
The best in theatre, dance, music, film, and the arts arrive in Adelaide every March, electrifying the balmy Adelaide evenings.
This Australian festival lasts for two weeks, and a fringe festival that features many outrageous performances is now sponsored and popular enough to happen annually.
This annual arts festival takes place in Adelaide in February and March and features a wide range of performances, including theatre, music, comedy, and more. In 2023, the Adelaide Fringe will be held from February 17th to March 19th and is a great opportunity to experience the arts in Australia.
It is an unparalleled show. One of the heart-stopping fringe activities is a rubber duck bath toy Duck Race.
Splendour in the Grass
How could you miss this fusion of folk, soul, blues, and rock in the uber-hip alternative town of Byron Bay?
Only bring a pair of gumboots and a relaxed mindset. This event is very laid back and offers great music and entertainment for all ages. Have you bought your tickets for Splendour in the Grass 2022 yet? If not then let’s remind you Splendour in the Grass will return in 2023.
Splendour in the Grass Festival, one of Australia’s biggest music events, brings together rock and indie music heavyweights every year in New South Wales.
A fantastic collection of authentic works of art are offered at this unique festival. In the most unexpected places, performances, paintings, sculptures, and other exquisite pieces of art appear, bringing the area to life. Every year in July, the Byron Bay area hosts this well-liked music festival, which includes both domestic and foreign performers. Music lovers should not miss Splendour in the Grass, which will take place in 2023 from July 21 to July 23.
More than 200 concerts are scheduled over the course of a week during the event, and there are also food vendors and alcohol vending machines so you can enjoy the celebrations.
Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne
2023 will mark the return of the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix from 30 MARCH – 2 APRIL, at the Albert Park track, which is located 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from Melbourne/downtown. Narrm’s As fans from across the world follow their fast-paced heroes from the pits around the 58 laps to the chequered flag at the finish line, this action-packed event will place Melbourne on the international scene. With 21 luxury suites available for private use and each one strategically placed along the track for optimal race viewing, guests may make plans to enjoy the sophistication and excitement of this truly international sporting extravaganza in 2023. The exceptional food and drink scene in Melbourne as well as its cultural attractions can be explored by groups in between the racing action.
Tamworth Country Music Festival
From January 13 to January 22, 2023, Tamworth Country Music Festival will include events that everybody can enjoy.
Because it seems like a very genuine and gratifying experience, it is a tonne of wild fun and one of the best Australian events and festivals for tourists to visit.
Buskers will perform on every corner, and bars will be packed to capacity with customers, live music, and mechanical bulls. Fans of country music will appreciate this event because it has plenty to offer everyone.
Along with the Australian Country Music Awards, concerts by Australia’s top country artists are staged.
Vivid Sydney
Vivid Sydney, an annual festival of light, music, and ideas hosted in Sydney/Warrane, Australia’s harbour city, celebrates the arrival of winter from 8–22 June. The Sydney Vivid Music and Lights festival turns the city into a vibrant canvas of light, music, and concepts at night. Every night, the wildly popular Vivid lights are activated in a free lighting show throughout The Rocks District and Circular Quay.
Large-scale 3D mapping projections on the Sydney Opera House, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Customs House, interactive and immersive light shows, lit skyscrapers, and art installations are all on display as part of the event.
This is our yearly Australian festival in Sydney, and it’s just as enjoyable as the last.
Fifa Women’s World Cup
For the first time in Women’s World Cup history, 32 nations will compete in 64 matches across nine host cities in Australia and New Zealand from 20 JULY to 20 AUGUST. Groups can make history by travelling to Australia during this time. The competition will showcase Australia’s love of women’s soccer (football, as it is known there), and it will provide both locals and tourists with a chance to see and be motivated by the top players in the world. There will be games in Sydney/Warrane, Melbourne/Narrm, Brisbane/Meeanjin, Adelaide/Tarntanya, and Perth/Boorloo. The host stadiums will provide a variety of corporate options, including Match Private Suites with pitch views, in-suite TVs, grazing tables, and direct access to seats.
Sculptures by the Sea
The yearly Sculptures by the Sea event is highly well-liked along the Tamarama section of the well-known Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk or at Cottlesloe.
Sand sculptures line both sides of the walkway. There are 108 works by Australian and international artists on display, and each one adds to the stunning natural surroundings.
The occasion is transient in Bondi and Cottlesloe, and the dates change annually. The dates for Bondi in 2023 have not yet been revealed, however, Cottlesloe will host this event in March of that year.
Bledisloe Cup for rugby
The Bledisloe Cup, an exciting yearly match between the national teams of Australia’s Wallabies and New Zealand’s All Blacks, is a rugby union event that rugby union fans should take into consideration while planning an incentive trip to Australia in September 2023.
After Rugby Australia and the Victorian Government secured the Bledisloe Cup matches on Melbourne turf in 2022 and 2023, the event will be held at the MCG for the first time since 2007 in 2023. The MCG and Delaware North formed MCG Events earlier in 2022. Planners can engage with MCG Events to organise corporate hospitality packages, tours, and experiences.
Henley on Todd Regatta
One of the craziest events in Australia is the Henley on Todd Regatta, which takes place on August 19 in Northern Territory. It’s a boat regatta, but it’s taking place in the middle of a dry, dusty riverbank.
The competitors compete in a race through the dry riverbed in bottomless boats.
It’s amazing to watch seemingly sane folks race across the Todd River’s deep gritty sand in unfathomable “eights,” “bathtubs,” and yachts.
Henley on the Thames in the UK hosts a regatta every year! Don’t confuse the two, though.
Sydney SXSW (15 – 22 OCTOBER)
Sydney/Warrane will experience a number of firsts in 2023 as the famed South by Southwest® (SXSW®) festival travels outside of North America for the first time.
An examination of the greatest in music, screen, gaming, technology, and innovation will take place during the event, which is a big victory for Sydney. It will bring together the most innovative thinkers, creators, and thinkers from across the world.
SXSW, which debuted in 1987 in Austin, Texas, and has attracted well-known speakers like Steven Spielberg and Barack Obama, will now be held in Sydney as the official annual Asia-Pacific instalment of SXSW. In 2023, further information and corporate offerings will be made available.
Rising Melbourne
The City of Melbourne has gone and announced a brand-new festival is headed our way, one that’s committed to creativity, innovation, and big ideas, as Melbourne continues to regain its mojo and rebuild its events calendar after a couple of difficult years.
RISING assumed leadership after the Melbourne International Arts Festival ceased operations in 2019. While the name of the said significant festival hasn’t been made public, we do know that it will premiere in August 2023 with the slogan “Now or Never.” Melbourne Music Week and Melbourne Knowledge Week will both be replaced by it.
It appears like we can anticipate an innovative schedule that’s filled with a wide range of events, art, presentations, installations, music, gastronomic pleasures, and more. And the organisers are teasing an impressive lineup of avant-garde artists and thinkers from close and far who will bring it all to life.
Brisbane Festival
One of Australia’s major festivals honouring expressive freedom is the Brisbane Festival. It’s an arts festival that features multi-arts programmes, installations, and performances all across the city, close to all the significant landmarks.
Brisbane has long been a multicultural and artistically inclined city. The festival wants to assist in bringing artists’ visions for their works to life. For our audiences and artists, they aim to “make the unthinkable possible,” in their words.
Initially, the Warana Festival, which had been going since 1961, was replaced by Brisbane Festival.
Tasting Australia
In 2023, from April 28 to May 7, add Tasting Australia to the itinerary for groups with a passion for cuisine and drink. This festival, which takes place every year in Adelaide/Tarntanya and other parts of South Australia, serves as a showcase for the state’s residents, products, and landscape. Think indulgent long lunches, masterclasses, and even an exclusive “Tasting Australia Airlines” private plane experience to explore the sights and flavours of further-flung locales like Coffin Bay, the Flinders Ranges, and Coober Pedy.
Tasting Australia invites visitors to discover delectably diverse events. Keep an eye out for the 2023 schedule, which will feature corporate and VIP packages.
Rabbits Eat Lettuce Festival
The Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival is all about freedom, love, music, art, and performance, which is hard to tell from the name.
You may see live dance music performances on stages with vibrant, aesthetically created decor at Willowbank from April 6 through April 10 of 2023, as well as art installations all across the grounds.
Set in a breathtaking natural setting, attendees can participate in yoga programmes or swap tales with other festival-goers while connecting with nature and music.
In New South Wales, Rabbits Eat Lettuce began as a Tribal Easter celebration in 2008 but swiftly expanded. As it still is today, the festival got its start as a woodland dance party.
Before You Go
These are Australia’s top festivals and events for 2023. The Perth International Arts Festival, the Brisbane Festival, and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music are just a few of the Australian events you should put on your calendar for 2023. Whatever your hobbies, Australia is likely to have an event that is ideal for you.
So there you have it. You can see that there is a tonne of enjoyment to be had at any event you choose to attend.
The fact that Australian festivals are never the same is their strongest feature. Each event in Australia is a celebration of the country’s vibrant culture, music, art, tradition, and performance.