Where to wander this winter

Winter Festivals and Events

Embrace the chill and discover winter events Australia-wide. We’re showcasing some of the best winter experiences to make the most of mid-year escapes. Whether you’re seeking winter festivals, powdery snow scenes, wholesome foodie finds close to home or a sunny trip north to defrost; it’s time to rug up and celebrate winter wanders down under. 

Cool cultural festivals across the country

Dive into the darkness of Tasmania’s midwinter solstice event with art, music, food, and fire spread over two weeks of serious Dark Mofo fun.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 Hobart Airport Tourist Park

As the temperature plummets midyear, warm up by visiting one of the many diverse food and cultural festivals across the country. Fancy a sensory feed in the country? The Rutherglen Gourmet Amble is a progressive regional feast where you can bike, walk or drive to savour the flavours of Rutherglen’s best boutique wineries – Jones Winery & Vineyard and Anderson’s Winery. What's also cool is that there's a BIG4 park only 30 minutes away.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 Wangaratta North Cedars Holiday Park.

Biggest Winter Events Across Australia

The biggest and best winter festivals are back with a vengeance for 2024. From a bustling night market, a winter solstice event by moonlight, to a feel-good winter festival with pals, this winter is about gathering together no matter the weather! 

Winter Events in Melbourne

Go global while staying local at Melbourne’s beloved Queen Vic Night Market, returning with scrumptious street food eats and live entertainment in June. Grab your mates, wander endless stalls sipping mulled wine and devouring bao buns, and listen to your favourite local bands live every Wednesday until the end of August.

Catch Melbourne’s most extravagant winter-themed event, RISING: Melbourne, a whimsical winter festival under the moonlight. From 1-16 June 2024, RISING: Melbourne showcases 185 weird and wonderful immersive art, mass participation song and dance performances, sound baths, tempting food treats, and live music events scattered around Melbourne’s magical CBD.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 Melbourne Holiday Park.

Winter Events in Sydney

Celebrate cinema this winter at Sydney Film Festival 2024. Now in its 71st year, you can see it all with over 200 local and international comedies, documentaries and stories, including the anticipated debut of ‘The Last Daughter,’ by Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews and ‘Red White & Brass,’ a feature-length comedy from across the ditch.

Vivid Sydney is back for the 14th consecutive year, with 22 days and nights of after-dark kaleidoscopic fun. Take to the water or the streets to see the city transform into a creative wonderland with bewildering bright lights and creative installations splashed across Sydney’s harbour-front icons and the night sky.

BIG4 nearby: NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park, Ingenia Holidays Avina, Ingenia Holidays Nepean River & Ingenia Holidays Sydney Hills.

Winter Events in Brisbane and Gold Coast

If seasonal feasts and long lunches make your mouth water, then mark your calendar for this year’s family-friendly Scenic Rim Eat Local Month starting 1 June 2024. Just an hour’s drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, you’ll discover a delicious lineup of fresh farm produce, paddock-to-plate experiences, food walks and tastings, wrapping up with Eat Local Month’s signature event, Winter Harvest Festival on the penultimate day of the month.

BLEACH* Festival is back with a beach-side mash-up of out-of-this-world art and intriguing cultural experiences in unconventional spaces by Australia’s most adventurous contemporary artists. This year, the Gold Coast’s glistening natural scenes will form the backdrop of BLEACH*, where visitors can meander between striking landscapes and perception-altering artwork displays.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park, BIG4 Tweed Billabong Holiday Park & NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Resort.

Winter Events in Adelaide

Ever wondered what happens in the zoo after dark? Visit this year’s family-friendly highlight of Illuminate Adelaide (4-21 July) for a glimpse into the wonderful world of the wild. Fire Gardens invites Illuminate Adelaide attendees to gather around the firelight and journey through a wonderland of flaming sculpture revealing thrilling surprises by the palette of fire.

Unsound Club is an electrifying pop-up for late-night revellers at The Lab, where a dream DJ lineup evolves into the early morning hours, mixing cross-genre sounds and high-energy beats on 20 July 2024. Oh, and don't forget that Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival 2024 is back on this year! The barbie will be lit from July 12 to July 14, 2024.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 West Beach Parks, BIG4 The Bend Holiday Park, Marion Holiday Park & The Retreat at West Beach Parks.

Winter Events in Hobart

Don’t worry, the Tassie winter festivities don’t come to an end after Dark Mofo – it’s immediately followed by the Festival of Voices. Australia’s premier celebration of voices attracts thousands of singers, choristers and music lovers from across Australia and overseas to perform in Tasmania’s concert halls, theatres and public spaces.

‘From the depths and darkness of winter to the embers of fire and light,’ Tasmania’s annual Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival returns with a winter solstice event just 35 mins from Hobart. From 12-13 July, celebrate winter with roving circus performers, storytellers, pie-eating competitions and food and market stalls the whole family will love.

If winter calls for a cosy fire and a tipple of your favourite spirit, then Tassie’s annual Whiskey Week is for you. From 5-11 August, visit Hobart to sample award-winning whiskeys from over 40 distilleries across 15 events celebrating Tassie’s world-renowned whiskey and spirits in a tempting winter event not to be missed.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 Hobart Airport Tourist Park.

Winter Events in Perth

If you break out of hibernation for one winter festival near Perth this year, make it Cabin Fever. Round up your mates and head south from the 12-21 July 2024 to discover over 50 winter-themed events from Busselton to Margaret River, including the real deal South American wine and meat feasts, locally-inspired Bites, Beats & Liquid Treats event, wholesome steamy soups stalls, beers by the bonfire and so much more!

BIG4 nearby: RAC Busselton Holiday Park, BIG4 Breeze Holiday Parks - Busselton & Mandalay Holiday Resort.

Like a field of light-up dreams beneath the canopy of trees, Kings Park is transformed into a world of light, colour and sound. Lightscape Perth reveals a labyrinth of giant luminous trees and ginormous flowers this June to create a glowing and enchanting winter event idea for all.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 Perth Midland Tourist Park & BIG4 Geraldton Sunset Beach.

Winter Events in NT

Darwin Fringe Festival has it in spades with pop-up performances, roving artists, and emerging crafts. This year, don’t miss the Top End’s favourite open-access festival from 12-21 July 2024, with low-cost winter events happening all over the city and surrounds. Featuring over 200 artists, 74 events, with over 70% being local, it's the biggest platform for emerging, independent and experimental artists in the NT.

BIG4 nearby: BIG4 Howard Springs Holiday Park & BIG4 Hidden Valley Holiday Park.

Gearing up for your BIG break this winter? GO BIG and find a BIG4 Holiday Park here.