Tasmania is turning winter on its head with the Off Season – a bold invitation to embrace the cold with warmth, wonder and uniquely Tasmanian flair. From provocative festivals to paddock-to-plate feasts, the Off Season runs through the island’s coolest months, offering unforgettable reasons to head south.
Kicking off the season is the much-anticipated return of Dark Mofo in June, but that’s just the beginning of a vibrant calendar designed to lure mainlanders out of hibernation. Think bonfire singalongs, laser-light skies, whisky-filled weekends, and conversations warmed by firelight.
Dark Mofo returns with immersive art and ritual
From 5 to 15 and 21 June, Dark Mofo returns to Hobart with its signature mix of bold performance, provocative art and winter rituals. Highlights include the Winter Feast, Ogoh-Ogoh parade, the notorious Nude Solstice Swim and a major new artwork by Trawlwoolway artist Nathan Maynard addressing cultural erasure in a basement installation.
Music and stories heat up the island
Festival of Voices (27 June – 6 July) brings Tasmania’s streets alive with song, from choral and cabaret to contemporary performances. Over in Wynyard and Table Cape, Permission to Trespass (1–31 July) offers behind-the-scenes access to private properties, complete with long-table lunches and storytelling at Table Cape Lighthouse.
Family fun and light shows light the way
Bicheno Beams (28 June – 19 July) transforms the east coast with family-friendly laser light shows, while Light up the West (1 May – 31 August) casts colourful projections across Queenstown and Strahan, accompanied by solstice swims and twilight markets.
Food, fire and fine spirits
Tasmania Whisky Week (2–10 August) celebrates award-winning distilleries with tastings and events across the island, while events like the Whole Hog Feasts (Lebrina), Burning of the Canes (Eastford Creek), and Chocolate Winterfest (Latrobe) serve up flavour and festivity with a local twist.
Local favourites round out the season
The Off Season also includes Lightwave (Nubeena, 11–13 July), Christmas in July at Ben Lomond (12 July), the Tassie Scallop Fiesta (Bridport, 3 August), and the Blue Lovers Festival (Birchs Bay, 16–17 and 23–24 August), pairing local produce and live entertainment for a distinctly Tasmanian winter.
