28 November 2024
18 mins Read
November is the month to dive into Australia’s hottest events! With the sun shining and daylight savings in full swing, there’s no shortage of epic things to do across the country. From live music and foodie festivals to community gatherings and art showcases, you won’t want to miss out on these incredible experiences.
NSW | Vic | Qld | Tas | WA | SA | NT | ACT
As part of the first-ever NSW Wine Month, Sydney Cellar Door is returning to the NSW capital for a weekend of top tipples. Over 40 wineries from across the state are heading to The Rocks near Circular Quay, making for the perfect spring day out!
The pop-up event is free to attend, but guests can purchase their own tasting glasses and tokens to sample their way through each offering. Oenophiles are encouraged to check out the rest of the month-long program, featuring tastings, degustation dinners, long lunches and happy hours.
Taste your way around 40 different producers.
Calling all bookworms! The cool and cosy town of Katoomba is hosting the Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival this month, and the jam-packed program is sure to delight all bibliophiles.
Over 80 amazing Aussie writers are attending, from big names like Marcus Zuzak and Liane Moriarty to up-and-coming authors such as Winnie Dunn and James Jiang. There will be panel talks, live readings, workshops, book swaps and writing sessions. While you’re there, be sure to hit up the Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail – it’s a must for all book lovers.
Hear from some of Australia’s best authors at panel talks. (Image: Maja Baska)
For the first time ever, a selection of highly lauded works by Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte are being showcased in Australia. Held at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney, the exhibition, aptly titled Magritte, includes over 80 paintings, as well as examples of his experimental foray into publishing, film and photography.
Exploring everything from his commercial works of the 1920s to his poignant final paintings before his death, Magritte will only be in Australia for four months, a rare opportunity for art lovers to learn about the artist’s profound impact on contemporary visual arts and culture.
Installation view of ‘Magritte’ at the Art Gallery of NSW, 26 Oct 2024 – 9 Feb 2025, artworks © Copyright Agency, Sydney 2024, photo © Art Gallery of NSW, Mim Stirling.
Take a delicious journey through this stunning northern NSW region this November with Savour The Tweed. The inaugural five-day celebration of regional food and wine is all about showcasing local producers and fresh-grown goodness.
The mouth-watering program is made up of over 20 events, including cooking masterclasses and workshops, food markets, open farms, degustations, brewery tours and more. Meet friendly makers, dine at local restaurants and really savour all the Tweed has to offer.
Dine at local restaurants like Pipit in Potsville.
Held on Yorta Yorta Country on the northern bank of the Murray River in NSW, you’ll find Strawberry Fields Festival. Combining art, music and camping, the festival is all about celebrating and protecting the wild Australian bush.
Alongside an absolutely epic line-up of music artists, guests can also look forward to markets featuring hand-made goods and trinkets, a range of creative and wellness workshops, art exhibitions, yoga sessions and an exclusive bush spa.
Grab your cowboy hat – country music is coming to the city with Ridin’ Hearts at Sydney Showground. After a successful inaugural event in 2023, the fun festival is back again, promising plenty of good vibes and great tunes.
A star-studded line-up of country music’s hottest local and international acts is sure to have you quaking in your (cowboy) boots. Think Riley Green, Tanner Adell, Josh Ross, Casey Barnes, Bella MacKenzie and more. There will also be food trucks and market stalls!
Kentucky-based singer-songwriter Tanner Adell will be performing.
Returning to Melbourne for another round, the ISPS Handa Australian Open is an unmissable event for golf lovers and sporting enthusiasts. Witness some of the world’s best golfers, including Cam Smith, Marc Leishman and Min Woo Lee take to the green in hopes of scoring a title.
Last year’s champions, Joaquin Niemann and Ashleigh Buhai, will also be present to defend their titles. Guests can also enjoy shaded lounges with bars offering gourmet food and refreshing drinks, as well as live music and family-friendly entertainment zones.
Nothing says spring more than seasonal fruit picking, especially when it comes to cherries! So, pack a picnic and head to the rural surrounds of Victoria to pick some of the biggest, sweetest cherries straight from the tree at the Cherry-Picking Festival.
CherryHill Orchards is once again welcoming visitors to its two orchards in the Yarra Ranges to get their hands on its divine, home-grown cherries. Head to Coldstream from 2 November and Wandin East from 25 November to get picking! There will also be special guests, activities, food trucks, live music and grazing platters from Yarra Valley Dairy.
Pick your own delicious cherries at CherryHill Orchard.
Vino lovers, this one’s for you! Macedon Ranges winemakers will return this spring for the Budburst Wine Festival, which showcases the region’s delicious cool-climate wines.
Budburst offers the perfect opportunity to meet the family-owned and small-batch makers that shape mainland Australia’s coolest wine region. Across the weekend, more than 20 Macedon Ranges winemakers will open their cellar doors for wine tastings, along with curated food menus championing local produce.
Fan of wine? The Budburst Wine Festival is for you!
The Great Vic Bike Ride is Australia’s most iconic riding holiday. The nine-day rolling bike festival pedals to a new town each day, setting up camp each evening for entertainment and activities, including live music, comedy and yoga.
This year will be the last opportunity for attendees to experience the event in its current format, so in 2024, the ride will be held where it all began in northeast Victoria. The ride will begin in Wodonga and finish in Healesville. On your bike!
Witness some of northeast Victoria’s stunning landscapes.
After a long and cold winter, what better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than the State Rose & Garden Show in the up-and-coming suburb of Werribee Park? Now in its 10th year, this free event takes place over one colour-filled weekend in November.
Head to the Gardener’s Dome for talks by gardening experts, or the Green Hub to learn about sustainability. Visitors can also expect over 5000 blooming rose bushes, with stunning manicured lawns playing host to garden exhibits, workshops, plant stalls, food trucks and live music.
Watch aerial performers at the State Rose & Garden Show.
Did somebody order a belly full of laughs? Comedy in the Vines is back this month at Mitchelton Wines in the Victorian town of Nagambie, the perfect springtime event combining two of life’s greatest pleasures – comedy and wine.
Awesome comedians like Joel Creasey, Merrick Watts, Claire Hooper and Lou Wall will take to the stage, alongside musical acts and other special guests. There will also be food trucks, wine masterclasses, cooking demonstrations and a variety of bars.
Get ready to have a good giggle at Comedy in the Vines.
Now in its 12th year, the Airlie Beach Festival of Music has become one of Queensland’s premier live music events, crowned ‘People’s Choice’ Festival of the Year at the 2022 Queensland Music Awards.
With jaw-dropping views across Airlie Beach and beyond from the main tent at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, it’s a summer party like no other. Expect performances from Sweet, Jebediah, Thirsty Merc, Christine Anu, Pseudo Echo, Ash Grunwald and more. Local bars and restaurants are also hosting intimate gigs, meaning the party extends across the whole town!
Back for its fifth year, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra is performing its crowd-favourite show, Cinematic, at QPAC’s Concert Hall this November. With three shows across two days, attendees can choose between a Friday evening, Saturday matinee or Saturday evening show.
With film scores from Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar to Carl Davis’s soul-stirring Pride and Prejudice, plus iconic themes from Forrest Gump, Batman, Downtown Abbey and more, you’ll be mesmerised from beginning to end.
Head to QPAC for Cinematic. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)
It’s finally time – Bluey’s World in Brisbane is opening to the public! After much anticipation, this one-of-a-kind immersive experience is welcoming guests into the world of loveable blue heeler Bluey and her friends and family.
Bring the whole family along to explore life-sized sets, interactive installations and plenty of fun activities at Brisbane‘s new 4000-square-metre Northshore Pavilion in the suburb of Hamilton. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to meet Bluey and Bingo!
It’s (finally) time to meet Bluey in Brisbane.
With summer just around the corner and the weather already heating up, what better way to cool off than an ocean swim on Queensland’s favourite tropical island? Enter the Hamilton Island Ocean Swim, an annual activity that brings the community together to cool off.
Starting and finishing at Catseye Beach, participants can choose from a 750-metre or two-kilometre swim. Whether you’re ready to race, keen to beat a personal best or just looking to escape the heat, get on down and make a splash!
The swim starts and ends at Catseye Beach. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)
Effervescence is defined as the bubbles in a liquid; also vivacity and enthusiasm. It’s this fun personality trait, and distinct property of bubbly, that Effervescence Tasmania takes its name from.
Held over three days in and around the happening city of Launceston, the wine-focused weekend celebrates some of Tasmania’s best sparkling winemakers, including Josef Chromy, House of Arras and Jansz. Sip your way across the region at tastings, workshops, dining experiences and more.
Cheers to good sparkling at vineyards like Josef Chromy. (Image: Andrew Wilson)
Presented by Wine South Tasmania, Spring in the Vines, unsurprisingly, spotlights a variety of delicious wines from across the region. From Hobart to the Derwent Valley and plenty of vineyards in between, you’re promised the full experience of southern Tassie wines.
Over 35 of the best wine producers from across southern Tasmania will be participating, opening their cellar doors to the public for tastings, workshops and more. Along with the opportunity to meet local growers and makers, you can also expect food, music and art.
The quaint, historic town of Deloraine in Tassie‘s central north will play host to the Tasmanian Craft Fair in November, as it has done since 1981. The art fair is known as the largest working craft fair in Australia, making it a must for all artsy folk.
Over 240 exhibitors will participate this year, touting everything from hand-crafted ceramics and textiles to glasswork and woodcraft. Visitors can also enjoy interactive entertainment, live arts displays, workshops and masterclasses. This year, Gardening Australia’s Hannah Maloney will be teaching the art of permaculture!
Witness a variety of talented artists at work.
As part of the City of Hobart Floral Shows, the Rose & Iris Show is the council’s instalment focused on, you guessed it, roses and irises. Following on from the Spring Show and the Orchid Show (and preceding the Dahlia Show in March 2025), the event is a stunning display of blooms, bulbs and buds.
Green thumbs will have a fabulous time browsing the captivating displays, which will go on to be judged professionally, and learning about the time-honoured tradition of showcasing flowers. held by the Hobart Horticultural Society, the Rose & Iris Show is at the city’s town hall.
Fremantle Beerfest is one of WA’s best beer festivals and it is back and better than ever in 2024. Enjoy a full weekend in Fremantle packed with over 500 world-class beers, ciders, artisan spirits, feature cocktails and premium wines, all complimented by gourmet street eats.
There will also be lots of live entertainment, from roving performers and acrobats to tribute bands and stand-up comedy shows. Guests can also participate in workshops, masterclasses, tastings and pairings run by local brewers.
Freo Beerfest is back and better than ever this November.
This year, the Perth International Jazz Festival will be presenting an array of exciting performances across the WA capital (26 October – 3 November) and the south-west city of Busselton (9–10 November).
This year’s program ranges from free to ticketed events, making it accessible to the whole community. Whether you’re keen to witness the Paper Tiger Album Launch at The Rechabite or keen to just hang in the laid-back RTR FM Courtyard Club, the program is sure to delight all musos.
Fusing the Margaret River’s extraordinary landscapes with the best of its diverse produce and wine is Pair’d, the latest foodie festival out of Western Australia. The plentiful program, which has been curated through the lens of a sommelier, is overflowing with epic events.
Think wine tastings masked as pottery workshops and Sunday sessions fuelled by good food, great wine and live music to match. Hosted by the region’s top producers, makers and shakers, Pair’d will make you fall in love with this charming WA region.
Delve into Margaret River’s regional food and wine at Pair’d.
Iconic performance-art duo Will and Garrett Huxley are bringing their very first retrospective exhibition to the Fremantle Arts Centre. Opening on 9 November (and until 27 January 2025), the exhibition features 10 incredible years of artwork by the creative couple.
Titled Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, the collection includes 58 works consisting of photography, film, craft, costume and performance art from The Huxley’s numerous series. In a beautiful case of synchronicity, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams opens in time for PrideWA’s 2024 PrideFest.
Don’t miss the creative couple’s first ever retrospective exhibition.
Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival is Australia’s leading contemporary arts festival engaging with Asia. The immersive arts and culture event is all about showcasing the best in both Asian and Australian theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literature, film and food.
This year, the program is brimming with unmissable shows and events across South Australia’s vibrant capital. From workshops and masterclasses to live music, family-friendly performances and a huge dumpling market, this is one the whole family can enjoy.
There’s so much to see and do at Adelaide’s OzAsia Festival.
Sway in time with the ancient gum trees to the sound of Aussie musicians at Handpicked Festival. Held on the picturesque grounds of Lake Breeze Wines near two of the state’s best wine regions, it’s one of the best spring festivals in the country.
Beginning as a small backyard concert, the family-run event has become a stalwart of the region. Sprawl out a picnic blanket, sip the vineyard’s wine, sample local produce and listen to a stellar line-up, which includes Angus and Julia Stone, Matt Corby, Pete Murray and more this year.
Cheers to good times at Handpicked. (Image: Ella Germein)
Pizza, pasta, polenta, oh my! The fifth instalment of the Adelaide Italian Festival invites you to immerse yourself in authentic Italian culture this month. Experience world-class Italian food and wine, art, fashion, culture, music and traditions right in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD.
This year’s program features a range of exciting events, from movie nights and degustation dinners to culinary tours and creative workshops, plus so much more. All in all, those in attendance can choose from over 50 fun events – Bellissimo!
The streets of Adelaide transform into an Italian fiesta. (Image: Futuro Avenue)
On display at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Radical Textiles explores social, political and cultural stories through intricately woven tapestry, embroidery, quilting and tailoring. Over 100 local, international and First Nations artists are featured in the exhibition.
Overall, the masterful collection has an underlying focus on ‘slow making’ as an antidote to the rapidity of the digital age, making it the perfect activity for those wanting to disconnect. Each of the handcrafted pieces is also dispersed among topical sculpture, painting, photography and audiovisual art.
Kate Just, I Can’t Believe I Still Have to Protest this Shit 2021, Melbourne; Gift of Shane Le Plastrier through AGSA Foundation 2022, AGSA, Adelaide, © Kate Just, courtesy Hugo Michell Gallery.
This curious tropical plant comes in hundreds of shapes and sizes, and the Northern Territory Caladium Festival in Darwin celebrates them all. The particularly intriguing-looking plant is native to South America and comes in shades of green, white, red and an especially vibrant pink.
This isn’t just your average plant festival, either. Check out the fierce entries in the Caladium Growing Competition or peruse the market stalls, where you can take home caladium-themed products like jewellery, art and pots.
Caladiums come in a gorgeous variety of colours, shapes and sizes.
Darwin-based artist Winsome Joblong’s Where There’s Fire will hold space at Outstation Gallery in the happening suburb of Parap this November. The flora of Australia’s Top End is the artist’s muse, her deep love of nature revealing itself through her work.
Where There’s Fire falls during Gurrulwa in the Larrikia calendar – the end of the dry season when kapok, kurrajong, cycad and grevillea are all flowering and producing seeds in preparation for the upcoming wet season.
Winsome Jobling, Female Cycad, 2022, candle soot and Indian ink on paper.
If you’re sad Halloween is over, don’t cry just yet. Instead, head to Mindil Beach for the Electric Storm Halloween Music Festival. Festival-goers are encouraged to go all out by getting dressed to the nines in their spookiest of costumes and dancing the night away.
The line-up this year is not one to miss, with the likes of Cyril, Golden Features, Will Sparks, Riton, Switch Disco and Latifa Tee all taking to the stage. There will also be food trucks, bars and a Psycho Circus premium area for those over 18, with a private bar, comfortable seating a drinks deal. Let’s get spooky!
Get dressed up and boogie into the night at Electric Storm.
Held at the University of Canberra, the Canberra Spirits Festival will host over 40 of Australia’s best distillers, alongside over 200 boutique spirits for guests to sip and sample over two days. There will also be guided tastings, private classes and bottles available for take-home purchases.
Three exciting tasting sessions will fall across two days. The first, on Friday, will be dedicated to whiskey. The second and third will be held on Saturday, focused on rum in the morning, then vodka and gin come the afternoon. Each session runs for three hours.
It’s time to get sipping at the Canberra Spirits Festival.
SpringOUT is a month-long celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community that calls the country’s capital home. The only festival of its kind in Canberra, SpringOUT rivals any pride event across the country, with thousands of people turning up to celebrate.
And there’s so much to look forward to this spring. Guests can look forward to a throwback with the Heaven Nightclub Reunion. Or while their time away at the epic Fair Day. Whatever you choose, it’s time to celebrate!
Held in Canberra’s Stromlo Forest Park, the Stromlo Running Festival was created back in 2009 by Australia’s marathon great, Robert De Castella, 28 Sporting Innovations and the YMCA of Canberra Runners Club. Now in its 25th year, the running event is known as one of Australia’s best.
Everyone is encouraged to participate, with races ranging from five, 10 and 15 kilometres to 30 and 50 kilometres, plus kid-centric races too. Participants can also enjoy the SRF Expo, with a dynamic DJ and marathon legend Rob de Castella as MC.
Stromlo Forest Park is only 15 minutes from the city centre. (Image: VisitCanberra)
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