Left your Euro Summer run too late, but still itching to get away somewhere cool and cultured (with a kick-ass culinary game) come September/ October/November? Tasmania has quietly (but unsurprisingly) become one of the best excuses in the country to book a spring trip. Between the wine, the art, the tulips and the fact that a global culinary icon is now rocking up to talk books, the Apple Isle’s spring festival calendar is stacked enough to make your Notes app itinerary spiral out of control. Here’s what’s worth building a trip around.
Junction Arts Festival
17–20 September, Launceston, Northern Tasmania
Northern Tasmania’s premier multi-arts festival turns Launceston’s streets, laneways and unassuming corners into one giant immersive playground. Expect contemporary art, live music, cabaret, circus, comedy, dance, theatre and large-scale installations, all timed to the spring equinox. It’s the kind of festival where you genuinely don’t know what’s around the next corner. And we’re not mad about it.
Wynyard Tulip Festival
10 October, Wynyard, North West Tasmania
Table Cape puts on its best show of the year and the whole north-west coast erupts into colour for it. Held in Wynyard’s riverside gardens, this free festival brings live entertainment, local produce, market stalls, family activities and a fireworks finale. Can’t get enough blooms in one day? The month-long “Spring Loaded” program keeps the tulip fields, coastal walks and seasonal experiences going well beyond the festival itself.
Tamar Valley Writers Festival
15–19 October, Launceston, Northern Tasmania
Headlined this year by global culinary icon Nigella Lawson, one of Australia’s leading regional literary festivals brings together celebrated authors, emerging writers, journalists, playwrights, poets and thinkers against the backdrop of the Tamar Valley. Under this year’s theme, “Feed the Soul,” expect in-conversation events, panel discussions, workshops, readings, book signings and Q&As, with a line-up also featuring Shaun Micallef, Siang Lu, Hannah Kent, Karen Brooks and Rebecca Armitage.
Great Eastern Wine Week
22–25 October, East Coast Wine Trail, East Coast Tasmania
Four days of cool-climate wine along the spectacular East Coast Wine Trail, stretching from St Helens to Orford. Cellar doors, vineyards and coastal venues come alive with degustation dinners, long lunches, guided tastings, workshops and live music – all set against some of the best beach-and-bay scenery the state has to offer. Winemakers, producers, chefs and visitors descend en masse, and for good reason.
Huon Valley Studio Art Trail
23–25 October, Huon Valley, Southern Tasmania
More than 60 artisans throw open their studio doors across the Huon Valley and Far South for this self-guided trail. Expect live demonstrations, one-on-one chats with local creatives, and everything from painting, ceramics and sculpture to textiles, jewellery, woodwork and glass. Plus, plenty of excuses along the way to detour for the region’s food, drink and hospitality.
Tasmanian Craft Fair
30 October–1 November, Deloraine, Northern Tasmania
The largest working craft fair in the Southern Hemisphere takes over the historic town of Deloraine for three days across multiple venues. Hundreds of exhibitors showcase woodwork, textiles, visual art, homewares, clothing, food and garden crafts, with live demonstrations, workshops, music and family-friendly entertainment rounding it out. One of the island’s most distinctive creative events, full stop.
Sheffield International Mural Fest
1–7 November, Sheffield, North West Tasmania
Sheffield – Tasmania’s beloved “Town of Murals” – turns Mural Park into a live outdoor gallery as artists from around Australia and beyond create large-scale works in real time. The finished murals stay up for the following 12 months, adding yet another chapter to the town’s ever-expanding streetscape.
agriCULTURED
5–8 November, Launceston, Northern Tasmania
Held in Launceston, Tasmania’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy, this festival digs into the intersection of food, farming, culture, creativity and community. Shared meals, panel talks, workshops and immersive experiences bring together farmers, producers, chefs, artists and curious eaters to explore what an equitable, sustainable and distinctly Tasmanian food future could look like. All under a proudly zero-waste banner.
Bicheno Food and Wine Festival
21 November, Bicheno, East Coast Tasmania
A one-day coastal feast just metres from the ocean in the popular holiday town of Bicheno. Local producers, chefs, winemakers, brewers and distillers show off fresh Tasmanian seafood, cool-climate wines and craft beverages, with live music and easy coastal-town charm rounding out the day.
MONA’s New Library Wing
Open year-round, Hobart, Southern Tasmania
Not a festival, but firmly worth working into any spring itinerary. MONA’s newly opened Phrontisterion – or “thinkery” – houses more than 30,000 books from founder David Walsh’s private collection. These include a 1623 Shakespeare First Folio, a handwritten lyric sheet for David Bowie’s “Starman,” and handwritten documents by Albert Einstein. Interactive digital editions let you dig deeper into some of the world’s most significant literary work. Basically, block out more time than you think you’ll need.
Whichever combination you land on, Tasmania’s spring calendar makes a compelling case for itself. There are colour-filled regional festivals, exceptional local produce and some of the country’s most striking landscapes, all converging in one very good season to visit. You just need to pick your path.
