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9 unique Australian festivals you need to attend at least once in your life
9 unique Australian festivals you need to attend at least once in your life

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9 unique Australian festivals you need to attend at least once in your life

Parkes Elvis Festival. By Sarah Falson Updated July 1 2025 - 9:36am, first published 11:00am 1. Goomeri Pumpkin Festival Where: Sunshine Coast, Queensland Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper All other in your area Spread across three days, the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival is the largest pumpkin festival in the southern hemisphere, drawing tens of thousands of pumpkin lovers to the rural town in Queensland's Gympie region. Think stalls selling all manner of pumpkin goods including pumpkin pie, as well as carnival rides for the kids, performers and the signature competition, the great pumpkin roll. The homely festival is celebrating 30 years in 2026. The annual event, which coincides with Elvis Presley's birthday, is held in a location that doesn't scream Elvis - Parkes - which makes it even more quirky. The festival, endorsed by the estate of Elvis Presley, offers live entertainment, an Elvis tribute contest (the winner represents Australia in Memphis, USA), a street parade and a wedding-vows-renewal ceremony. Put on your blue suede shoes and come in character. When: January 16-18, 2026 Get set for a weekend of fresh seafood, live music, local markets and family fun on the Port Lincoln foreshore for Tunarama. And don't miss the quirky signature event, the tuna toss where punters see who can toss a great fake tuna the furthest. Hosted by the local Lions Club, the Beer Can Regatta challenges teams and families to build a floating vessel from beer cans, plastic bottles or milk cartons. Enjoy boat races, sandcastle building, thong throwing and an iron man competition. Dark Mofo is a wild midwinter festival known for pushing the boundaries, with art installations, late-night music and fire rituals, all celebrating dark and ancient pagan rituals. Plus, there's a solstice swim, when thousands of people gather to plunge - naked - into the very cold Derwent River. Birdsville Races. Picture: Angie Butler Where: Birdsville, Queensland When: September 5-6, 2025 Thousands of punters descend on Birdsville in outback Queensland for the annual Birdsville Races, dubbed the Melbourne Cup of the outback, with funds raised supporting the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. It's a bucket list trip for many who camp and dress up for the festivities which include live entertainment, a gala party and a fun run. Shinju Matsuri Festival, Broome. Picture: Tourism Western Australia 7. Shinju Matsuri Festival When: August 23 to September 7 Shinju Matsuri - meaning "festival of the pearl" - is a vibrant celebration of Broome's rich multicultural and pearling heritage incorporating beachside feasts and performances. Make a holiday of it and ride camels on Cable Beach and see dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point. Discover lost arts, rare trades and heritage crafts including blacksmiths, glass artists, bridle makers, lacemakers and basket weaving, over three days of skills, stories and talent. Its home in the Gold Rush region of central Victoria makes the Lost Trades Fair even more authentic. 9. Parrtjima - A Festival in Light "Parrtjima", which means to shed light and build understanding, is a first-of-its-kind authentic Aboriginal light festival showcasing the oldest continuous culture on earth through modern technology - all on the 300-million-year-old canvas of the MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia. Watch the desert come alive with artworks, light shows, performances, workshops, music and talks. Words by Sarah Falson Sarah is ACM's travel producer. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!.My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is … Don't plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what's within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.

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