A new after-dark sound experience is coming to Hobart

The immersive concert will debut in August, part of a milestone program that marks a decade of Beaker Street Festival.

Each winter, Hobart reminds us that the so-called “off-season" is anything but dormant. When Beaker Street Festival returns this year, the city will once again transform into a playground for curious minds – blending science, art and big ideas.

The 12-day program is enough to compel even the Vitamin D-deficient down south. But leading the charge is VAST – Where Sound Meets the Cosmos, a boundary-pushing concert that may just become the festival’s most talked-about event of 2026.

What is VAST?

Created exclusively for Beaker Street Festival, VAST is a concert experience unlike anything you’ve seen before. The immersive work forgoes the structure of a traditional performance, transforming Hobart’s Theatre Royal into a 360-degree sonic universe of live sound using a bespoke spatial‑audio system.

Theatre Royal in Hobart, Tasmania — VAST will take over the Theatre Royal for one night only. (Credit: Tourism Tasmania/Nick Osborne)

Upon entering the heritage building, guests will be instantly surrounded by more than 120 voices and 80 instrumentalists that swirl invisibly through the air. The experience is guided entirely by sound, with audiences encouraged to follow their auditory intuition. What you hear depends on where you’re positioned in the theatre, from the dress circle to the gallery and stalls, meaning no two seats will sound the same.

Beaker Street Festival in Hobart, Tasmania — The immersive experience was created by Tasmanian composer Constantine Koukias. (Credit: Oi Studios)

VAST is the brainchild of Tasmanian composer Constantine Koukias, who has developed the show alongside Dutch sound designer Willem van Erven Dorens and an international ensemble of musicians and vocalists. Each member is a master of their craft – from piano and violin to soprano and tenor – creating a truly powerful performance.

“I imagine the audience hanging weightless in the dark, drifting between unseen galaxies while their own heartbeat quietly locks into the music’s undertow. It isn’t a spectacle to look at, but a vastness you disappear into," says Koukias.

Dark Mofo in Hobart, Tasmania — Dark Mofo is another iconic winter festival in Hobart. (Credit: Dark Lab Media)

Inspired by dark energy, the multi-layered experience summons similar vibes to Dark Mofo, another beloved staple of Tasmania’s booming cultural calendar. These winter festivals are all about embracing what many Aussies label as “the off-season", proving time and again that the absence of sunshine doesn’t equal social shutdown. Here, the cooler months are not just part of the experience; they shape it.

More about Beaker Street Festival

VAST is just the beginning of Beaker Street’s expansive and mind-bending 2026 program. After 10 years of operation, this year’s ‘Second Act’ theme indicates a bold new chapter for the festival.

“A decade in, we’re redefining and reimagining," says founder, creative director and CEO of Beaker Street Festival, Dr Margo Adler. “At a time of reckoning and reinvention for humanity, this year’s theme is a provocation to interrogate our assumptions, invite debate, ask harder questions and reaffirm our connection with each other in real life. Oh, and have some fun too."

While the official program is yet to be released, previous years hint at a schedule that is sure to please. In 2025, over 70 events unfolded across venues throughout Hobart, from pub trivia and panel talks to immersive field trips and after-dark adventures.

Arguably the biggest highlight was Hobartica, an immersive polar precinct that transformed the city’s waterfront. Those in attendance were treated to night markets, ice pits, polar plunges, food trucks, art installations, live music performances and more. Loyal festivalgoers are keeping everything crossed for its return in 2026.

Guests will also have the opportunity to speak with experts from the fields that fascinate them most. Think astrophysicists, biologists, photographers, computer scientists and naturalists, as well as local Palawa who hold deep cultural knowledge and connection to Country.

“Events will unfold in theatres, museums, bars, nightclubs and public spaces," says Dr Adler. “Expect dark-energy music experiments, Antarctic encounters, conversations on psychedelics and neuroplasticity, cold case criminology, fermentation feasts, music, markets and late-night moments that stretch well beyond the lecture hall."

The details

Keen to get amongst it? I thought so. VAST – Where Sound Meets the Cosmos lands at Hobart’s Theatre Royal on 12 August 2026, with the immersive concert experience kicking off at 8pm. Tickets are on sale now, priced between $30–$80 depending on where you choose to sit.

Beaker Street Festival will take over the city from 6–17 August, with satellite events also staged around Tasmania. As for the rest of this year’s program, you’ll have to wait until May – but like any scientific endeavour, a little bit of theorising is always encouraged.

In Dr Adler’s words, “It’s about staying curious, staying brave and inviting audiences from across Australia to experience something they can’t find anywhere else. In Tasmania in winter, science isn’t something you observe, it’s something you step inside."

Hobart has quietly become our coolest capital, but the real wonder lies just beyond the city limits.

In the cool shade of Kunyani/ Mt Wellington, Hobart has earned a reputation. Home to culture-defining Dark MOFO, the city blends rugged, raw wilderness and rule-breaking galleries. But, step beyond the thrumming capital’s border and you’ll find a new perspective: historic towns, Jurassic-era cliffs and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. With ALL Accor as your home away from home, fill your days with epicurean odysseys and wild scenery on the best day trips from Hobart.

Where to stay

Behind every good road trip is the perfect home base. Somewhere central to review your camera roll, make the most of Hobart’s dining scene and relax before setting off again.

For modern, Tasmanian-inspired design, book a stay at the Movenpick Hotel Hobart . Standing at the Salamanca Markets, look to the Hobart skyline and the award-winning hotel will catch your eye. As the third-tallest building in the CBD, the views across the harbour toward Antarctica are totally unique to your room. Here, end each day at the daily free chocolate hour (plus a free Movenpick ice cream for the little ones).

For a more budget-conscious option, head to the picture book, sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street. Nestled along the buzzing, historic streetscape, you’ll find Tasmania’s biggest hotel: the Ibis Styles . Return home each day to defrost in one of the hotel’s two saunas. Make use of the proximity to MONA, or take an easy stroll to the candy-coloured cottages of Battery Point between your adventures.

A stylish, Tasmanian-inspired bedroom at Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, your perfect base for relaxing after the best day trips from Hobart. — Elevate your Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick.

1. Bruny Island

Craggy cliffs and tropical-hued, white sand beaches signal your arrival to Bruny Island/ Lunawanna-Alonnah.

Start your day trip at the island’s most iconic spot, the Neck Game Reserve. Scale the Trunganini steps to gaze out over the teensy stretch of land that juts through the sea connecting the two ends of the island.

Catch a rare glimpse of the white furred wallabies that call Bruny Island home at Adventure Bay. Then, for ocean-fresh oysters, pull into the drive-thru window at Get Shucked . Sample Bruny Island cheese at the cellar door before catching the ferry home with an esky full of local produce.

Bruny Island Neck is an isthmus of land connecting north and south Bruny Island. — Begin your adventure with a climb and a view. (Image: Elise Weaver)

2. Mount Wellington

At 1271 metres, Mount Wellington watches protectively over Hobart. Follow the winding road to climb through alpine forest and tufts of snow to reach the summit. Gaze down over Hobart and out to sea, or over your shoulder to the southwestern wilderness.

Reset your adrenaline with a mountain bike ride back down. Or, make like the locals and head into the mountain on foot. Try the hike to the Jurassic-period Organ Pipes which slips under the mountain’s magnificent dolerite cliffs (perfect for families thanks to the trail’s minimal incline).

For a view of Mount Wellington itself, hike nearby Cathedral Rock.

No matter where you are in Hobart you are never far away from the City's beloved mountain, Kunanyi / Mount Wellington — Climb through alpine forest to the summit. (Image: Paul Flemming)

2. Port Arthur

Constructed entirely by convicts, the manicured gardens and penal buildings of Port Arthur offer a day trip that practically hums with history.

The rugged, seagirt location was chosen for its difficult escape conditions. Now, you can cruise the coast below the towering, jagged cliffs of the Tasman National Park or wander the sloping fields of fragrant lavender.

Tickets to Port Arthur include a walking tour and harbour cruise. See the Isle of the Dead where 1000 men are buried in marked and unmarked graves. And Point Puer, Britain’s first prison for children.

The Port Arthur Historic Site is one of Australia's most important heritage sites and tourist destinations. Located on the scenic Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula in the south east of Tasmania, it offers a unique and essential experience for all visitors to the area. — Wander convict-built grounds and gardens. (Image: Dearna Bond)

3. Launceston

You’ll find Launceston at the confluence of three rivers after an easy 2.5-hour drive from Hobart. Launceston is a patchwork of old and new. Here, heritage streetscapes meet modern architecture.

Visit Cataract Gorge, the green, sun-dappled heart of the town and sacred meeting point for Tasmania’s indigenous communities. Pull up at roadside produce stalls that dot the Tamar Valley, or dine out. Launceston is, after all, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Should the local wine scene persuade you, simply extend your time in Launceston at Peppers Silo (but definitely at least stop by the onsite restaurant, Grain of the Silo , for a farm fresh menu) or Mercure Launceston before heading back to Hobart.

Walk the sunlit paths of Cataract Gorge. (Image: Nick H Visuals)

4. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Take a 35-minute drive from your hotel and you’ll find Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary . This social enterprise is run by a team of extremely passionate Tasmanians with a mission to look after critically endangered species who have found sanctuary here after facing extinction on the mainland.

Choose to wander the sanctuary at your own pace or join a guided tour (free with your ticket) to come face to face with Tassie’s most iconic species. Tasmanian Devils, wombats and echidnas are part of the free tour. You can book up close encounters with your favourite animals, too.

Bonorong is a Sanctuary for wildlife run by a passionate team of like-minded people. We're a social enterprise: a little business with a big heart. — Snap a cuddle-worthy encounter. (Image: Tourism Australia)

5. Richmond Village & Coal River Valley

Richmond is a town that belongs in a snow globe. Fifty colonial-era, Georgian buildings have been painstakingly restored and turned into cafes, cosy restaurants and galleries. Visit Richmond Gaol , said to be the home of a prisoner so vile he inspired Charles Dickens to pen Oliver Twist’s Fagin.

Then, follow the Coal River as it flows past grassy, duckling-dotted knolls and under the iconic Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia. From the crest of the bridge, see the oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The river crawls past many cellar doors, perfect for a day of wine tasting.

Richmond is a picture-perfect town in the Coal River Valley wine region, offering a glimpse into early colonial life, one of the best day trips from Hobart. — Trace the river through history and wine country. (Image: Fin Matson)

Plan your trip to Hobart and beyond with ALL Accor at All.com .

A new after-dark sound experience is coming to Hobart – for one night only