The 8 best festivals in Australia in 2024

Feburary 14 – March 2, 2024

The summery sibling of winter's brooding Dark Mofo (which will be taking a little witchy break in 2024), Mona Foma is for those who like throwing themselves into alternative dimmensions. Born from the bizarre wonderland of Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, Mona Foma does not follow any traditional rules. Taking place in late summer in the cities of Hobart and Launceston, you can expect to bop through fleeting soundscapes, immerse yourself in emerging artistic talents, and stumble across hidden art installations. Get a ferry filled with zebras over to MONA from Hobart for long days of fresh music, mind-bending art and food fit for a fairytale villain. 

February 16 – March 3, 2024

Recently crowned as one of the most popular carnivals on Planet Earth, Sydney's Mardi Gras is undoubtedly an institution. This huge city-wide festival turns Sydney into a giant rainbow every summer, and with each year that goes by, the rainbow gets bigger, cooler and way more impressive. With a huge parade that shuts down town, hundreds of sparkly shows and countless wild experiences, feasts and lights that all celebrate the vibrancy of the LGBTQI+ community, you should pop Sydney Mardi Gras on your list. It's always a pretty incredible time. 

February 16 – March 17, 2024

Adelaide Fringe is the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere. For a whole month, this small city in South Australia is bursting with hundreds of cabaret, music, comedy, theatre and visual arts shows that all look like they could blow your socks off. From fire breathers to comedy to giant food tents devoted to all things gluttony, Adelaide Fringe brings together more than 6,000 diverse artists from all over the world in one place. Explore Adelaide over four weeks and stumble across hidden shows, curated experiences and epic eats that will be scattered across the city. 

27 March – 21 April, 2024

One of the largest comedy festivals in the world, this cacophony of chuckles is for all those who need a bloody good laugh. Running for a decent few weeks in autumn, you can expect to see some of the world's best comedians work their new material on stages across Melbourne city. With a line-up that includes a mix of (literally) hundreds of international and home-grown comics alike, this festival is guaranteed to be an extremely joyful highlight of your year. 

April 12 – April 24, 2024

The only kind of Aboriginal light festival of its kind in the world. Parrtjima (pronounced Par-chee-ma) takes its name from the Arrernte word Parrtma, which means ‘lighting up’ in two ways – both illuminating an object and shedding light on a subject. For ten days, this shining festival of lights illuminates the red desert of Alice Springs, sharing timeless stories of the world’s oldest continuous culture through innovative art installations and large-scale projections. 

May 24 – June 15, 2024

Vivid has long been Sydney's shiniest time of year. Lighting up the city during the darkest months of winter, this festival of food, art, music and ideas is always a dazzling kind of spectacle, and every year it gets a little bit better. With the city's best known landmarks transformed by shimmering rainbow lights, huge etheral installation pieces popping up on city sidewalks, and hundreds of talks, concerts and events going down all over town, you can pretty much guarantee that you'll have something shiny to do in Sydney on any given night, from May to June. 

August 8 – August 25, 2024

Want to escape the cold in mainland Australia? Look no further. With a tagline of 'Hot August Nights', you know you're in for a special time. This tropical wonderland of a city in Australia's Top End comes alive every August with a huge festival that brings joy, music and extremely good laksa to every street corner. You can expect shimmering fairy lights, incredible street food and a vibrant array of epic live performances, music and art that all need to be seen to be believed. 

December 27 – January 4, 2024

Woodford Folk Festival is kind of like Australia's own version of Woodstock, circa 1969. The summer of love has been going down on this fertile piece of reclaimed farmland for 36 years – and it doesn't seem to show any sign of stopping. Boasting more than 2,000 acts from a mix of local, national and international musicians and performing artists, this folksy, family-friendly festival is all about good times and great classic hits in a rainforest-fringed campground. Running for that awkward in-between time that bridges Christmas and New Year's Eve, this music and art festival is full of butterflies, rainforest birds and very yummy (and ethical) food.

Pro tip: Bring gumboots, just in case.