Incredible outback events worth travelling for

Megan ArkinstallBy Megan Arkinstall
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Not only will these incredible events connect you to Country; they’ll become experiences you’ll never forget.

From celebrations of First Nations cultures to dazzling light displays and outdoor opera performances to drag and diva festivals, here are the best outback events held on red dirt and under vast desert skies.

Festival of Outback Opera
14–20 May
Winton and Longreach, Qld

What could be more mesmerising than an operatic voice under an outback sky studded with stars? Hosted by Opera Queensland, the Festival of Outback Opera is a week-long program of outdoor concerts in the towns of Winton and Longreach.

To give an idea of the quality of performance that can be expected, the headline act for 2024 was singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke. Tenor Rosario La Spina, soprano Rachelle Durkin and more joined her. The festival isn’t just about singing though, join a long lunch event, a spectacular gala ball and hear experts in the industry and the local community speak on what it means to bring the performing arts to parts of Australia that don’t usually have access to them.

Kate Miller Heidke performing at the Outback Opera Festival in Winton, 2024
No stage lighting could compare to the tapestry of colours painted by an outback sunset. (Image: Glenn Hunt Photo)

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light
12–21 April
Alice Springs Desert Park, NT

The 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges and surrounding desert is a natural canvas for large-scale light installations during this 10-night celebration of Aboriginal art and culture .

A combination of innovative technology and traditional storytelling, the 2024 theme centres around ‘Interconnectedness’. Visitors can also expect live music, workshops, demonstrations and an open-air food market.

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light
The 2024 theme centres around ‘Interconnectedness’. (Image: NT Major Events/James Horan)

Garma Festival
2–5 August
Gulkula, Arnhem Land, NT

Garma is the country’s largest Indigenous gathering, attracting thousands of political and business leaders from across the globe. It’s organised by the Yothu Yindi Foundation to share traditional Yolu knowledge systems and improve social equity for Aboriginal people.

Held in remote Northeast Arnhem Land, Garma showcases art, song, dance, film and storytelling from the Gulkula ceremonial site on the Gove Peninsula.

Indigenous man at Garma Festival
Garma is the country’s largest Indigenous gathering. (Image: Nina Franova)

Alice Springs Beanie Festival
21–24 June
Araluen Arts Centre, Mparntwe/Alice Springs, NT

Crafting beanies has become a distinctive art form in the Red Centre, where a festival dedicated to the humble headpiece has been held for almost three decades.

The Alice Springs Beanie Festival exhibits a dazzling array of beanies made by craftspeople from Mparntwe/Alice Springs and other remote areas, as well as workshops run by Indigenous women who share their methods of needlework, spinning and basketry.

fabALICE Festival
7–10 March
Mparntwe/Alice Springs, NT

The rugged landscape of Mparntwe/Alice Springs will be sprinkled with fabulousness for this festival that celebrates inclusivity and diversity . The event pays homage to the 1994 cult Aussie film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Think burlesque shows, Drag Queen Story Time and a street parade. There will also be a screening of the film and tours around the Central Desert town in a Budget Barbie Camper.

Two drag queens at fabALICE festival
Mparntwe/Alice Springs will be sprinkled with fabulousness for fabALICE. (Image: Tourism NT)

Barunga Festival
7–10 June
Barunga, NT

At the 1988 Barunga Festival, then Prime Minister Bob Hawke was presented with the Barunga Statement, which called for Indigenous rights and inspired the Yothu Yindi hit Treaty.

The festival , held in the small community of Barunga, 80 kilometres south-east of Katherine, continues to foster reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The program aims to preserve ancient Aboriginal rites, customs and skills through dance, sporting events, art, bush medicine, storytelling and more.

Dancers at Barunga Festival
Barunga Festival continues to foster reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Big Red Bash and Mundi Mundi Bash
2–4 July, Birdsville, Qld
15–17 August, Broken Hill, NSW

The tiny outback Queensland town of Birdsville has become an unexpected icon for its historic pub and annual Birdsville Races. But even bigger is the Big Red Bash , an all-ages music festival held on the edge of the Simpson Desert. Camping under the Milky Way is an unforgettable experience; add to that a line-up of Aussie music legends such as Tina Arena and Richard Clapton.

Meanwhile, James Reyne, Daryl Braithwaite and The Living End will take to the stage near the frontier mining town of Broken Hill in outback NSW for the Mundi Mundi Bash .

Mundi Mundi Bash Nutbush 2023
Festival-goers performed The Nutbush at the 2023 Mundi Mundi Bash. (Image: Matt Williams)

Outback River Lights Festival
19–21 April
Cunnamulla, Qld

It’s all colour and creativity in Cunnamulla for the Outback River Lights Festival . The annual three-day event celebrates the spirit of community and local outback life with everything from workshops to live entertainment, face painting, food stalls and a lantern parade.

While in town, be sure to also appreciate the rugged beauty of the outback at the brand-new Cunnamulla Hot Springs. Meditate on your surrounds while soaking in the mineral-rich pools and relaxing in the sauna and steam room on the banks of the Warrego River.

Deni Ute Muster
4–5 October
Deniliquin, NSW

A large convergence of utes put the small town of Deniliquin on the map in 1999 during a devastating drought. 25 years on and the largest and flattest plains on Earth now welcome some 10,000 utes to town each year for the festivities .

The program includes country and rock performances, bull rides, woodchopping, whip cracking and the ‘Blue Singlet Count’, which currently stands at 4136.

Deni Ute Muster
A large convergence of utes put the small town of Deniliquin on the map.

Broken Heel Festival
5–9 September
Broken Hill, NSW

While the 30th anniversary of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert will be cause for celebration this year, its spiritual home honours the film annually with the Broken Heel Festival .

But 2024 is expected to be bigger and better than ever and will involve some of the cast and crew during a five-day program that is all about drag, divas and disco.

Shinju Matsuri
17 August – 1 September
Broome, WA

Now in its 54th year, the Shinju Matsuri Festival is a showcase of Broome’s unique multicultural history, pearling industry and striking natural landscape where the red desert clashes with turquoise water.

Japanese for ‘Festival of the Pearl’, the two-week program held on the Traditional Lands of the Yawuru people includes gourmet festival, A Taste of Broome , long lunches, film screenings and a spectacular float parade through Chinatown.

Dancers at the Shinju Matsuri Festival in Broome, WA
The Shinju Matsuri Festival is a showcase of Broome’s unique multicultural history. (Image: Laura Gass)

The Karijini Experience
4–7 April
Karijini National Park, WA

Deep in the Pilbara in Karijini National Park’s ancient and spectacular landscape, the Karijini Experience welcomes some 2000 visitors annually to the Traditional Lands of the Banjima people for a cultural event organised closely with Traditional Owners.

The experiences are designed to connect people to Country and include bush medicine workshops, storytelling and language workshops, guided bushwalks, as well as concerts under the stars by local musicians.

Ord Valley Muster
17–25 May
Kununurra, WA

From its Corroboree Under the Stars with traditional bush tucker to a black-tie dinner that includes entertainment by The Screaming Jets and Sarah McLeod, the Boab Metals Ord Valley Muster is a nine-day event in East Kimberley with a diverse program.

Other events include Yoga on a Boat, the Gibb Challenge (a bike ride along the iconic outback road) and cultural storytelling by local Miriwoong people.

Corroboree Under the Stars at Ord Valley Muster
Attend the Corroboree Under the Stars. (Image: Sarah Duguid Photography)

Perfect Light Film Festival
22–24 March
Broken Hill, NSW

A celebration of all things film, this free festival kicks off with the screening of an Aussie movie at the 1950s Silver City Cinema in Broken Hill. The fest continues with an outdoor marathon of short films, alongside market and food stalls at Sturt Park and a free filmmaking workshop.

Festival of Outback Skies
3–5 May
Hughenden, Qld

The jewel of the outback is the glittering sandstorm of stars that bedazzle the desert skies each night. This year, the inaugural Festival of the Outback Skies in Hughenden celebrates the lifestyle of the rural community and all things astronomical.

Enjoy a dinner under the stars, a telescope viewing and the lantern-lit lake where you can lie back and marvel at the stars above.

Astronomist looking at outback sky
The night skies are the jewel of the outback. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)
Megan Arkinstall
Megan Arkinstall is a freelance travel writer who you’ll often find at the beach, bushwalking or boating with her young family. She loves reliving travel memories through writing, whether that be sipping limoncello in a sun-drenched courtyard of Monterosso or swimming with green turtles in the aquamarine waters of Tropical North Queensland.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.