Incredible outback events worth travelling for

Megan Arkinstall 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)

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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.

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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)

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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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Farm fresh produce to a trail of lights: the ultimate guide to Mildura

    Rachel Lay Rachel Lay
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    The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

    From the moment you arrive in Mildura, the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

    Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura.
    Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

    Taste Mildura’s produce

    It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

    Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey. Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

    Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers, a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

    Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

    Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

    Hatted dining & Italian history

    Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

    To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s. Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

    Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel.
    Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

    Discover a thriving culture scene

    The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

    The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

    Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project. Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

    Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

    Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery.
    Find culture around every corner.

    Wonder at ancient landscapes

    The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

    The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

    Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

    Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park. Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

    Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity.
    Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

    Meet your home away from home

    On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

    Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama. A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

    When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats. Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

    A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura.
    Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

    Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com.