In some ways, Tasmania is the right post-pandemic vacation spot: if beautiful landscapes, countless seashores, unbelievable evening skies and world-class food and drinks aren’t sufficient, it’s additionally distant sufficient to scratch that ‘once in a lifetime’ itch. While it’s no secret to locals, Australia’s smallest state (and 26th largest island on the earth) flies beneath the radar for many of the remainder of us. Locals might implore you to not spoil the key, however truthfully it’s just too good to not. So whereas it’s not such as you want an excuse to go, structuring a visit round one of many many distinctive festivals in Tasmania will give your go to much more function.
And with many of those occasions returning after Covid-19, we’ve helped parse among the better of them, unfold throughout each the yr and the island’s two largest cities, Hobart within the south and Launceston within the north.
1. Festivale
Launceston’s City Park is often ranked among the many nation’s greatest, and 2023 sees the longstanding celebration of meals, drink and music return to this iconic venue. Having run for over 30 years, Festivale takes place throughout three days within the peak of the summer time and attracts near 30,000 guests. As effectively as comedy reveals and over 60 meals stalls that includes top-notch Tasmanian produce, music is a spotlight, with this version’s lineup that includes the likes of Sneaky Soundsystem, folk-rock from the Waifs and Aussie rock act The Living End. It’s additionally a family-friendly occasion, with a big day for youths on the Sunday.
Opens from 3 to five February 2023
2. Taste of Summer
If you’re in search of festivals in Tasmania centred round meals, Taste of Summer brings collectively greater than 80 of the island’s high food and drinks distributors alongside Hobart’s Princess Wharf waterfront. Recently renewed for an additional 5 years, count on the perfect in native seafood, farm produce and extra. It’s a ticketed occasion, aside from Family Day on 31 December when there’s free entry till 4pm, forward of an enormous New Year’s Eve celebration that includes Aussie musical icon Daryl Braithwaite.
Opens from 27 December 2022 to 2 January 2023
3. Mona Foma
The summer time version of Dark Mofo (see under), Mona Foma goes massive on music (and the Faux Mo afterparties are the stuff of legend). This time spherical, Pavement, Peaches, Bon Iver and Angel Olsen are on their strategy to the Mona lawns in Hobart, whereas the Chills, Kae Tempest and Pertubator might be showing within the ‘reunion district’ of Launceston. Keep a watch out for additions to the lineup in November.
Opens from 17 to 19 February 2023 (Launceston), 24 to 26 February 2023 (Hobart)
4. Ten Days on the Island
This biennial, statewide pageant of creativity returns subsequent yr showcasing work from Tasmania’s best artists and humanities corporations. After rising in scope over its 20-year historical past, the crew behind Ten Days on the Island has in recent times renewed their concentrate on selling native expertise. The occasion has an actual grassroots really feel to it, with artwork and occasions popping up throughout the island in all places from museums and theatres to barns, sheds and even stately properties.
Opens from 8 to 19 March 2023
5. Tasmanian Wine Festival
Although they nonetheless account for only one% of Australia’s nationwide manufacturing, Tassie wines have shortly acquired an outsized repute. From 20 producers within the early ’90s to one thing like 250 at the moment, the world has cottoned on to the magic of the cool terroir right here. To take only one instance, the Financial Times just lately highlighted Tolpuddle, from the island’s Coal River Valley within the south, as one of many world’s greatest new wines of the final decade. The winter version of Tasmanian Wine Festival takes place in Hobart’s Goods Shed, embracing massive daring Tasmanian reds, alongside dwell leisure and open firepits to avoid wasting off that southerly chilly. There are additionally Masterclasses from the likes of Joseph Burton, the island’s first licensed Sommelier.
Opens from 20 to 21 August 2023
6. Junction
Held in uncommon and surprising venues all throughout Launceston within the first week of spring, Junction is a celebration of Tasmanian artwork, music and efficiency. It feels refreshingly homegrown too, with a marked absence of PR gloss. With a concentrate on interactive, participatory work and site-specific installations – in all places from a deconsecrated church to a lodge room – it’s a powerfully evocative occasion that faucets into the distinctive (and infrequently disagreeable and difficult) historical past and remoteness of this a part of the world.
Opens September 2023
7. Antarctic Festival
Although the following version of the biennial Antarctic Festival occasion doesn’t happen till winter 2024, there’s nothing fairly prefer it for bringing house the shut connection between Hobart and the Icy Continent. As far again because the 1770s and James Cook’s voyages, Hobart has acted as a gateway for Antarctic exploration and later performed a pivotal function within the historic voyages of Douglas Mawson, Roald Amundsen and plenty of others. The Festival shines a light-weight on the challenges confronted by these early pioneers, whereas additionally delving into the work of modern-day scientists, conservationists and others working in such a singular surroundings by picture exhibitions, movie reveals and lectures.
Dates TBA
Where to Stay
It’s the waterfront that has outlined Hobart all through its historical past and at the moment it’s an important base from which to expertise festivals in Tasmania. Singaporean model Ascott’s metropolis property right here has an unbeatable location, proper over the water. Housed in a transformed Nineteen Thirties harbour constructing, Somerset on the Pier’s duplex serviced flats (one-bedroom or family-sized) are simply steps away from the ferries to Mona and the outlying suburbs, in addition to the historic Salamanca Place. Wake up early for unbelievable dawn views throughout the harbour.
How to Get There
Singapore Airlines flies 3-4 occasions day by day to Melbourne, with onward flights to Tasmania operated by codeshare companion Virgin Australia.