Winter weekenders: 20 Australian festivals worth travelling for from May to August 2025
New South Wales
Narooma Oyster festivalFriday 2 May to Sunday 4 MayOn the south coast of NSW, winter oyster season begins with a literal bang – there are fireworks on the Friday night. In addition to tasting stands from oyster farmers across the region, Narooma's Oyster festival features live music, demonstrations from big name chefs like Analiese Gregory and Nornie Bero, a hotly contested shucking championship – plus market stalls, street theatre and bars from local breweries, distilleries and wine makers. There's also visual art curated by the town's spring arts festival River of Art and fancier events like a sunset champagne and oyster cruise, for those who'd like to splash out. Entry to the festival's main day on Saturday costs $45; Friday night's 'warm-up' party is $25; and entry on Sunday is free, as is entry for kids under 16 any day of the event. If you can't get accommodation in Narooma, there are shuttle bus services from surrounding towns, between Batemans Bay, Bermagui and Merimbula.
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MakeGood, BundanonSaturday 17 May and Sunday 18 MayDedicated to improving your life and the planet, MakeGood at Kangaroo Valley gallery Bundanon has assembled a lineup including beloved Gardening Australia presenter Costa Georgiadis, permaculture expert and Milkwood Bakery co-founder Kirsten Bradley and Why Are We Like This? author Zoe Kean for a weekend of talks and hands-on demonstrations. There'll be kid-friendly art tours, workshops on woven-jewellery making by Wiradjuri fibre artist Jessika Spencer and even a wooden-spoon carving session – plus a Saturday night chamber concert by Bronzewing. Events are individually ticketed, starting at $18 for talks and more for workshops, with discounts available if you attend more than one thing over the weekend.
South Australia
Tasting AustraliaFriday 2 May to Sunday 11 MayTasting Australia is one of Australia's most established food festivals, bringing together a lineup of international and local chefs for dining events, demonstrations and masterclasses. Entry to the festival's main hub in Adelaide is free (though you will have to pay for your food and drink) and comes with a side of live music and visual arts. The festival's main draw are the 150 ticketed experiences that take place not just in Adelaide, but all around South Australia. This year's lineup includes an Indigenous Ingredients 101 cooking class with Indigiearth's Sharon Winsor ($79, Adelaide); a Filipino buffet on the Eyre Peninsula ($70) and more extravagant events like a four course wine-matched seafood lunch on Kangaroo Island ($249).
Tasmania
Australian Music Theatre festival, Launceston Wednesday 21 May to Sunday 25 MayShow tunes take over the town of Launceston in late May. Ticketed shows include Johanna Allen singing Harold Arlen, a Friday night cabaret and a new staging of 1970s Broadway hit Working, updated to include stories from Tasmanian locals. For free, you can see a choir in a pub, follow singers through Launceston's harvest market, visit a late evening 'Diva Den' or take part in a community sing-along. There's also an extensive education program to coach would-be triple threats in singing, acting and dancing alongside masterclasses taught by Caroline O'Connor, Mark Vincent and Alinta Chidzey.
New South Wales
Open Field 2025 Arts festival, BerryFriday 13 June to Sunday 15 JuneIt is only the second outing for this biannual contemporary arts festival in the Shoalhaven, first held in 2023. While this year's full lineup is yet to be announced, you can expect some risk-taking programming alongside family events. Already on the agenda is a local First Nations takeover of Berry Rural Youth Hall, overseen by Amanda Jane Reynolds and a performance work by Kenneth Lambert that includes a fleet of choreographed vacuum cleaners.
StoryFest, Milton, Ulladulla and MollymookFriday 19 June to Sunday 22 June
This festival on the south coast of NSW takes a broad approach to storytelling, with programming spanning fiction, poetry, food and song. The lineup includes Stephanie Alexander, Tim Ross and Gina Chick – plus free poetry with breakfast at delightful Milton cafe Pilgrims. Several events have already sold out, so it is worth planning ahead for this one. A bit further south, from Batemans Bay to Eden, there's also a month-long celebration of mushrooms, Fungi festival, which opens Friday 20 June.
Northern Territory
Barunga festival, Katherine and surroundsFriday 6 June to Monday 9 JuneHeld in a small Indigenous community 80km south of Katherine, the impressive musical lineup – including Thelma Plum, the Milla Brothers J-Milla and Yung Milla, East Journey, Rrawun Maymuru and Kootsie Don – is just the beginning of Barunga's programming. Showcasing arts and culture from around the Katherine and Arnhem Land regions, the festival includes a sports carnival, market stalls from some of the Territory's top arts centres and workshops including traditional weaving, cooking demonstrations and bush medicine. During the festival, Barunga's population increases tenfold, so visitors are encouraged to camp. An adult three-day festival pass costs $134.13, including camping; with extra fees for powered and unpowered caravan sites.
Queensland
Vision Splendid Outback Film festival, WintonFriday 27 June to Saturday 5 JulyOutback Queensland's annual film festival is solely focused on Australian cinema and frequently hosts premiere screenings, alongside retrospectives, a short film competition and family-friendly movies. This year's lineup is yet to be announced but film fans can look forward to the setting – The Proposition and Mystery Road were both filmed in and around Winton. While you're in the area, you can get your Jurassic (and Triassic, and Cretaceous) Park on at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum.
Tasmania
Festival of Voices, HobartFriday 27 June to Sunday 6 JulyNow in its 20th year, this festival caters to singers of all stripes, from choral to musical comedy, to those who would prefer to just sit back and listen. In addition to performances and singalongs, there are a huge range of workshops covering everything from songwriting to protecting your vocal cord health. The festival begins with the Big Sing, a massive free event where everyone is encouraged to lend their voice.
Victoria
Woodend Winter Arts festivalFriday 6 June to Monday 9 JuneNow in its 20th year, the Macedon Ranges festival has highbrow energy, with classical and jazz music and lectures on literature, design and visual arts. Highlights include an eight-cello ensemble playing Bach, Tchaikovsky and Philip Glass, and a talk by Beatrice Faust biographer Judith Brett. Most events are individually ticketed, with concerts priced at $48 for adults and talks at $25; but there's also a free exhibition with demonstrations from local artists.
East Gippsland Winter festivalFriday 20 June to Sunday 20 JulyNow in its fifth year, this month-long festival spans the entire East Gippsland region, combining lantern light and projections with an expansive and eccentric program of events. The full lineup will be announced in May, but highlights so far include a medieval fire festival (complete with costumes) an op-shop ball and a scarecrow-making competition.
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Western Australia
Ningaloo Sky festival, ExmouthFriday 27 June to Sunday 29 JuneRight in the middle of whale shark season, the Coral Coast has a new biennial festival. While the lineup is yet to be announced, the event is set to include food stalls, live music, ticketed dinners, a night-time drone show and talks about astronomy.
Queensland
Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair Thursday 10 July to Sunday 13 JulyYou don't have to be in the market for a masterpiece to get something out of Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair – although with 600 visual artists participating, there will be plenty of options to buy art. The festival also features live music, food stalls, fashion, performances, talks and workshops. Much of the programming is free, while tickets to the opening night party and weekend performances are all $50 and under.
Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Townsville Friday 25 July to Saturday 2 AugustFeaturing 20 ticketed concerts, including seven full-length evening performances at Townsville's Civic theatre, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music also has free programming all week on the Civic theatre's forecourt. Most tickets are priced between $40-$100, but under-30s can access $30 tickets for many shows. In addition to a broad repertory from baroque to contemporary classical, there are lectures paired with music on topics like the ageing brain and the connections between music and the natural world.
BLEACH* Festival, Gold Coast Thursday 31 July to Sunday 10 AugustHeld at public art gallery Hota, what started as a surf festival has now expanded into a major contemporary arts event. This will be the first year visual artist Michael Zavros takes the helm as guest creative director. While the program is yet to be announced, you can expect free and ticketed shows and exhibitions, including some by international artists, accompanied by an extensive food and drink offering.
Victoria
Island Whale festival, Phillip IslandFriday 11 July to Sunday 13 JulyWould-be marine biologists of all ages can get their cetacean fix on shore at this festival, which features educational exhibits, talks from researchers, film screenings and of course the chance to watch passing humpback and southern right whales. The event's full program is yet to be announced, but weekend-long entry to the main festival hub is $30 for a family of four. If you're really lucky, you may even spot an orca during your visit.
New South Wales
Byron writers festivalFriday 8 August to Sunday 10 AugustA writers festival that's structured like a music festival; instead of buying tickets to individual events, you buy day or weekend passes that give you access to all the talks. This lets you take a punt on authors you might not be familiar with, or hop from talk to talk. This year's program is still to be announced, but last year's event featured Irish writer Caoilinn Hughes, Richard Flanagan, Bob Brown and the launch of Rebecca Huntley's memoir Sassafras.
Northern Territory
Country to Couture and Darwin Aboriginal Art fairTuesday 5 August and Thursday 7 August to Sunday 10 August The Northern Territory's massive showcase of First Nations creativity kicks off with a runway show like no other, Country to Couture, where art centres, designers and creatives come together from across Australia to stage a catwalk that features song, dance and one-off pieces of wearable art. This is followed by an art fair featuring works from more than 70 art centres, held in the Darwin Convention Centre. The event also takes in the National Indigenous Fashion Awards, and includes talks, demonstrations and kid-friendly activities. The fashion portions of the event are ticketed, but Daaf is free to attend.
Queensland
Moreton Bay Food + Wine festivalFriday 22 August to Sunday 24 AugustFor three days, the waterfront at Woody Point will transform into a sprawling outdoor market with food and drink from some of the region's best restaurants and bars. Visitors can expect demonstrations and talks by well known chefs, headlined by Ready Steady Cook's Miguel Maestre, plus live music and degustation dinners. Tickets for this year's festival go on sale in May, and it is worth planning ahead as two of the event's three-day run sold out in 2024.
Tasmania
Beaker Street, HobartTuesday 12 August to Tuesday 19 AugustMixing science and art, Beaker Street features talks, performances, markets and hands-on demonstrations. Previous years have included pop-up Finnish sauna tents, talks by Tim Flannery, Phillip Adams and the team from podcast Science Vs, and a stage show about menopause. The festival mixes free and ticketed events, with the annual highlight a selection of field trips that explore the nature surrounding Hobart, from glow worm caves to platypus walks.
Victoria
Winter Sounds, DaylesfordThursday 14 August to Monday 18 AugustThe producers behind Riverboats Music festival (which was headlined by the Cruel Sea and Dan Sultan last year) will take over small venues across Daylesford and surrounds – from churches to country to halls to a vintage train – for a series of intimate concerts at this new festival. The lineup will be announced in June.
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Daily Mail
29-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Conservative star Robby Soave's ex-wife breaks her silence on his engagement to gay lover
The ex-wife of political pundit Robby Soave has broken her silence after the Rising host publicly announced his engagement to his gay lover last week. Carrie Soave was married to Robby, her high school sweetheart, for almost a decade until they quietly divorced last year.
Daily Mail
29-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Robby Soave's ex-wife breaks her silence after her conservative star husband left her for his gay lover
The ex-wife of political pundit Robby Soave has broken her silence after the Rising host publicly announced his engagement to his gay lover last week. Carrie Soave was married to Robby, her high school sweetheart, for almost a decade until they quietly divorced last year. Last week, Robby, who turns 37 next month, shocked the Washington D.C. social set when he abruptly announced that he was engaged to his new boyfriend, a Korean-American med student named Jie Jung Shih. Publicly, Carrie has kept a low profile since Robby's proclamation, but the HR specialist finally addressed the scandal in an exclusive statement to on Tuesday. Carrie, 35, shared that she's 'healing' and has been focused on her new life in Michigan since the dissolution of her nine year marriage. 'I am not as well-known as my former-husband, but I don't need to be. I know exactly who I am and what I am and am not,' she said. 'I am not someone who needs attention and external validation to prove that I am important. 'Am I loved' is a question that I stopped asking myself a long time ago and I think that says a lot about the life I have now,' she continued. 'The love I have in my life is very real, and the things in it are very fulfilling. I don't ever wonder whether I matter because that is clear to me every day.' Carrie also pushed back against some of the homophobic abuse that Robby has received online since his engagement was announced. 'I firmly believe that people should be defined by their actions and how they regard others and not by sexual preference,' she said. As for the future, Carrie admitted that her divorce had been difficult, but that she was thankful to be moving forward. 'Hurt is real. But so is healing. Divorce is a difficult thing, but it doesn't have to be devastating when you have love and strength behind you,' she said. 'Moving on with my life came with a lot of clarity about myself and I only wish the same for anyone going through it. I am happy that that chapter in my life is closed and I'm enjoying the new one I'm in,' she continued. 'I don't need anything else from the world because I already have the people and the things I need to feel whole. For me, that is a true blessing.' Carrie left Washington after her divorce was finalized last year and is now spending time with her family in her home state of Michigan, where she is rebuilding her life from scratch and has opened a consulting business. Carrie's full statement I don't know why this conversation is occurring, because it isn't important. This only registered in my life to the extent that people in it, who were there for me through my divorce, did not want to see me hurt by anything further with regard to that situation. For me, the saddest part about this story is that the conversation surrounding it was very hurtful to a lot of people who had nothing to do with it. For that pain, I am very sorry. I firmly believe that people should be defined by their actions and how they regard others and not by sexual preference. I am not as well-known as my former-husband, but I don't need to be. I know exactly who I am and what I am and am not. I am not someone who needs attention and external validation to prove that I am important. 'Am I loved' is a question that I stopped asking myself a long time ago and I think that says a lot about the life I have now. The love I have in my life is very real, and the things in it are very fulfilling. I don't ever wonder whether I matter because that is clear to me every day. Hurt is real. But so is healing. Divorce is a difficult thing, but it doesn't have to be devastating when you have love and strength behind you. Moving on with my life came with a lot of clarity about myself and I only wish the same for anyone going through it. I am happy that that chapter in my life is closed and I'm enjoying the new one I'm in. I don't need anything else from the world because I already have the people and the things I need to feel whole. For me, that is a true blessing. This comes after Carrie issued a private statement to her close friends on Instagram earlier this week, which was obtained by In the emotional post, Carrie admitted that she hadn't looked at her ex-husband's engagement photos and wanted to keep it that way 'for her own peace.' 'I have really tried to handle this with as much care and grace as I can muster,' she told her friends and family. 'Being early in the first wave of divorce for my peers, I wanted to set a tone that is respectful and dignified - two things that I believe everyone deserves, no matter what,' she continued. Taking the high road, Carrie also spoke out against the 'bigotry, cruelty and vitriol' that had been sent Robby's way online. Due to Robby's prominence in conservative media, the libertarian pundit has received waves of homophobic abuse from right wing trolls since going public with his same-sex relationship. 'The online world is not real life, but it contains real people and I am so sorry to anyone who felt hurt, unseen, or disrespected in the wake of this,' Carrie wrote. 'Please hear me - you matter, you are valuable and loved and you deserve care and respect,' she continued. 'I am sorry if this reopened wounds or brought ugliness into your feed or your heart. And I mean that for the two people in the post too. I would never want to inflict anyone with that kind of pain.' Robby is best known as the co-host of The Hill's morning show Rising, as well as for his regular appearances on Fox News and his role as a senior editor at the libertarian magazine Reason. Last week, he shocked his followers when he abruptly announced his engagement to male med student Jie Jung Shih. Soave popped the question with a Tiffany and Co. ring over candles and champagne in Taormina, Sicily, while the pair were on a romantic getaway together. Announcing the news on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote, 'Some personal news from my Sicily trip earlier this month, in case anyone missed it: I got engaged!' There was no mention of Soave's longtime wife Carrie, who he celebrated his ninth anniversary with in Positano, Italy, back in October, 2023. Robby and Carrie were high school sweethearts who went on their first date back in 2004. The Rising host often posted photos with Carrie on Instagram, and was never shy when it came to gushing about their marriage. In a 2019 post, he wrote, 'Today, five years ago, @carriesoave and I got married, following just over 10 years of dating that began when we were in high school and continued through college and after. 'Despite having to spend years and years and years apart from each other, we always knew where we wanted to end up: Together. I love you so much babe!' While celebrating their wedding anniversary in 2023, Soave gushed, 'Could not be more overjoyed to celebrate nine years married to @carriesoave! 'The most wonderful woman on earth, and the love of my life. Of course it's actually been a lot longer… we fell in love as high schoolers in the early 00s. There's no one else I'd rather travel the world with. Italy is almost as beautiful as you!' The former couple were often seen out at events in Washington, D.C., and would dress up together on Halloween. Robby hasn't posted anything with Carrie since their ninth wedding anniversary in late 2023. Last fall, Carrie officially left D.C. to return home to Michigan to be with her family and to open a consulting business. Discussing her move with the Grosse Pointe News in March, Carrie said, 'My family is here and I'd been wanting to come back.' hears that the Soaves' split has been the talk of the town in D.C.'s social circles since the news got out. While some are happy to see Robby out of the closet, the overwhelming sympathy is with Carrie, who was with Robby for 17 years before fleeing D.C. for a 'fresh start' in Michigan after their divorce was finalized. Others have said that Robby's sexuality has been part of the D.C. gossip mill for years, so few people were surprised to see him end up with a man. One insider said, 'He's acting like we should all be celebrating his engagement less than a year after his breakup with Carrie!' They added, 'Everyone here in D.C. is talking about it and none of it's good.' Robby hasn't shared much about his relationship to fiance Shih, but he did tell Politico that they met at a bar on U Street in D.C. and that it was 'love at first sight.' contacted Robby and Carrie for comment. Since publicly sharing his engagement, Soave has been inundated with cruel and often homophobic comments from his followers. 'The amount of extremely homophobic comments this is getting is truly astounding and disgusting,' wrote one person. 'Why can't people just be happy for other people's happiness? The haters had no call to spew their irrational hatred like that. Very disappointed. Idiots never stop to amaze.' Despite the backlash, Soave has received support from a number of other prominent political pundits, including former Rising co-hosts Kim Iversen and Ryan Grim. 'Congratulations Robby! Wishing you both many great years ahead!' Iversen gushed. Soave is a decorated journalist who made it onto Forbes' 30 under 30 list in 2016. He's published two books, is a regular on Fox News and is currently the longest-serving co-host on Rising, which is one of YouTube's biggest political talk shows. His partner Jie Jung Shih is a student at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Shih is active in the LGBTQ+ community, and was one of a group of med students who volunteered at Capital Pride Festival in Washington last year.
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Conservative host Robby Soave splits with longtime wife to get engaged to gay lover
A popular political pundit has become the talk of D.C.'s social scene after splitting with his wife of almost ten years to get engaged to his younger gay lover. Robby Soave, who turns 37 next month, is best known as the co-host of The Hill's morning show Rising, as well as for his regular appearances on Fox News and his role as a senior editor at the libertarian magazine Reason. Earlier this week, Soave shocked his followers when he abruptly announced his engagement to male med student Jie Jung Shih. Soave popped the question with a Tiffany and Co. ring over candles and champagne in Taormina, Sicily, while the pair were on a romantic getaway together. Announcing the news on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote, 'Some personal news from my Sicily trip earlier this month, in case anyone missed it: I got engaged!' There was no mention of Soave's longtime wife Caroline 'Carrie' Soave, who he celebrated his ninth anniversary with in Positano, Italy, back in October, 2023. Robby and Carrie were high school sweethearts who went on their first date back in 2004. The Rising host often posted photos with Carrie on Instagram, and was never shy when it came to gushing about their marriage. In a 2019 post, he wrote, 'Today, five years ago, @carriesoave and I got married, following just over 10 years of dating that began when we were in high school and continued through college and after. 'Despite having to spend years and years and years apart from each other, we always knew where we wanted to end up: Together. I love you so much babe!' While celebrating their wedding anniversary in 2023, Soave gushed, 'Could not be more overjoyed to celebrate nine years married to @carriesoave! 'The most wonderful woman on earth, and the love of my life. Of course it's actually been a lot longer… we fell in love as high schoolers in the early 00s. There's no one else I'd rather travel the world with. Italy is almost as beautiful as you!' The former couple were often seen out at events in Washington, D.C., and would dress up together on Halloween. It's unclear when exactly they split, but Robby hasn't posted anything with Carrie since their ninth wedding anniversary in late 2023. Last fall, Carrie officially left D.C. to return home to Michigan to be with her family and to open a consulting business. Discussing her move with the Grosse Pointe News in March, Carrie said, 'My family is here and I'd been wanting to come back.' hears that the Soaves' split has been the talk of the town in D.C.'s social circles all week. While some are happy to see Robby out of the closet, the overwhelming sympathy is with Carrie, who was with Robby for 17 years before fleeing D.C. for a 'fresh start' in Michigan after their divorce was finalized last year. Other have said that Robby's sexuality has been part of the D.C. gossip mill for years, so few people were surprised to see him end up with a man. As for Carrie, she hasn't publicly offered any details about her personal life and appears to be going to great lengths to fly under the radar and move on from her failed marriage. Soave hasn't shared much about his relationship to fiance Shih either, but he did tell Politico that they met at a bar on U Street in D.C. and that it was 'love at first sight.' has contacted Robby and Carrie for comment. Since publicly sharing his engagement, Soave has been inundated with cruel and often homophobic comments from his followers as well as countless right wing figures. 'The amount of extremely homophobic comments this is getting is truly astounding and disgusting,' wrote one follower. 'Why can't people just be happy for other people's happiness? The haters had no call to spew their irrational hatred like that. Very disappointed. Idiots never stop to amaze.' Despite the backlash, Soave has received support from a number of other prominent political pundits, including former Rising co-hosts Kim Iversen and Ryan Grim. 'Congratulations Robby! Wishing you both many great years ahead!' Iversen gushed. Soave is a decorated journalist who made it onto Forbes' 30 under 30 list in 2016. He's published two books, is a regular on Fox News and is currently the longest-serving co-host on Rising, which is one of YouTube's biggest political talk shows. His partner Jie Jung Shih is a student at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Shih is active in the LGBTQ+ community, and was one of a group of med students who volunteered at Capital Pride Festival in Washington last year.
