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Whatever the season, you can always find something exciting happening in Tasmania, so deciding when to travel to Tassie depends entirely on what your perfect holiday looks like.
To help you decide, we’ve put together a list of the top events in the state; from local chocolate festivals to state-wide arts festivals, there’s something for everyone all year round.
Of course, the ultimate dream is to find great flight prices which align with the experiences you want to have in Tasmania. Check out the links below for the latest prices, and start your adventure today! ✈️
Tasmania’s four distinct seasons
Tasmania is fortunate to have a truly diverse landscape that allows each season to shine. An island with four distinct seasons, a raw natural environment and changeable weather, you can expect that all this will play a large part in making your holiday memorable. Warm sunny east coast beaches, wild windswept oceans under wide open skies, moss covered rainforests, snow-dusted mountains and misty valleys. It’s an emotive landscape that will capture your imagination.
Rainfall varies dramatically across the island. Hobart is Australia’s second-driest capital city (after Adelaide), while on the west coast the annual rainfall stays high, ensuring a thriving cool-climate rainforest. Regardless of where you travel in Tasmania you should be prepared for sudden, temporary deterioration in the weather, especially if bushwalking. Always carry additional warm clothing, including a waterproof outer layer.
You can expect the mercury in summer to sit between 17 and 23 degrees Celsius and winter will bring on cosy fireside chats with temperatures between 3 and 11 degrees Celsius. The warmest months are from December to March and the coolest tends to be July.
What to do in Tasmania in autumn
Autumn is a great time for touring, walking and waking early for farmers markets to pick out local, seasonal produce, it’s also a time for Tasmania’s colourful landscape and creative artists to shine.
Ten Days On The Island, statewide
Ten Days On The Island is an arts festival held across the state that showcases Tasmania’s creative folk alongside some of the world’s best-known names in the arts. Watch circus performers, listen to opera singers and see theatre productions all in one day, before moving on to see artists in other parts of Tassie . Held over ten days, over three weekends the festival starts in the north west from 8-11 March, moving to the north east 15-17 March and wrapping up in the south 22-24 March.
Find Flights to Hobart in March
Find Flights to Launceston in March
International Mural Fest, Sheffield
Listed as one of our top ten places to visit in Tasmania, Sheffield is a place that lives up to its billing of the Town of Murals. Every Easter, the town adds to its impressive collection of more than 60 murals by inviting nine artists to bring a poem to life in paint. From Easter Sunday, these artists will work in the open, allowing the public to watch them create their work. If you can’t make it for Mural Fest in April, you can visit in winter or later in the year to see the nine entries proudly displayed in the fittingly named Mural Park.
Fly to Tasmania for Mural Fest
What to do in Tasmania in winter
Winter days are bright, clear and although sometimes crisp, Tasmanians are pretty good at warming up in the cooler months. It’s the season for brisk alpine walks finished in deep hot tubs and evenings spent by a log fire with hands cupped around heart-warming whiskies and mulled ciders. There are events that bring people out into the night to celebrate the season and bring light to long nights.
Dark Mofo, Hobart
Dark Mofo is the celebration of the winter solstice, the longest night in the calendar and the darkest day of the year. To ward off the dark spirits, for centuries people have been lighting the night however they can – think bonfires, fireworks and lantern parades. Hobart’s iconic Mona have adapted these ritualistic activities into a week-long celebration of the dark, culminating in a nude swim across the Derwent to celebrate that passing of the night and to welcome the return of the light.
Tasmanian Whisky Week
Tasmania has developed a strong reputation for producing not only Australia’s best drops but also some of the best spirits in the world. Every August, the state puts on a week-long celebration of the dram, with distilleries, bars, hotels and speak-easies uncorking their best bottles. Distillers open their doors, demonstrating their craft at working distilleries, some not normally open to the public… Dates for 2019 are yet to be announced, so keep an eye on the Whisky Week website to stay up to date.
Find Flights to Tasmania in August
Chocolate Winterfest, Latrobe
Just a ten-minute drive from Devonport, on the edge of the Mersey River is the heritage town of Latrobe, home to an annual chocolate festival. This indulgent festival, held in August each year, mixes chocolate tastings, competitions, chocolate sculpting and guest events such as slam poetry, lantern parades and chocolate henna tattooing.
Find Flights to Devonport in August
What to do in Tasmania in spring
Spring brings longer, warmer days and cool nights. It’s the season of cool-climate wines in alfresco vineyards, tulips in bloom and walks amongst leafy historic estates. Spring also triggers an explosion of trout in the highlands and an abundance of cute fluffy marsupial babies.
Great Eastern Wine Weekend, Freycinet
As well as being one of the most scenic coastlines in Australia, Freycinet is also home to an annual celebration of wine each September. The Great Eastern Wine Weekend showcases some of the best tipples produced in Tasmania. Participants are invited to talk with winemakers, visit local vineyards (each with events and special discounts) or visit the aptly named Wineglass Bay for a cruise.
Find Flights to Hobart in September
Find Flights to Launceston in September
Three Weeks of Events, Wynyard
In the north-west of the island is Wynyard, the centre of an area that erupts in colour every spring. Every year they celebrate with a three-week festival that pulls together everything that makes the area special. The highlight of the event is the Bloomin’ Tulips Festival, but there’s plenty of other entertainment options on show – a colour fun run, music shows, art exhibitions, markets and flower lovers can also enjoy the exhibition of orchids and the cherry blossom celebration.
Fly to Tasmania for the Bloomin’ Tulips Festival
If you’re looking for somewhere a bit different to stay in the region, consider the Coastal Pods at Wynyard. Don’t be fooled by their shipping container exteriors, these private, self-contained apartments are luxurious contemporary escape pods.
What to do in Tasmania in summer
Summer brings long warm days and gentle coastal breezes. It’s the season of festivals and coastal escapes as locals and visitors seek out beaches and alfresco hotspots to relax and unwind and enjoy the island’s food and wine.
Festivale, Launceston
A three-day event that showcases some of Tasmania’s best food, drink, art and entertainment. Festivale is held annually in February, with some of Australian’s biggest names on show. In 2019, TV chef Matt Preston hosted cooking demonstrations, Hoodoo Gurus headlined the music and Sammy J appeared in the comedy line up. Tasmanian beer, wine and cider are available from the bar, and families can make use of the kid-friendly areas.
Fly to Launceston for Festivale next year
Australian Wooden Boat Festival, Hobart
Taking place every two years, The Australian Wooden Boat Festival is the largest maritime event of its genre in the Southern Hemisphere, bringing together more than 500 wooden boats from across the world created in traditional and modern styles. In February, beginning with the colourful Parade of Sails, the waterfront is awash with maritime culture. Enjoy buskers, great food and drink, boat building, handmade kayaks on display and dockside entertainment.
Fly to Hobart for the Antique Wooden Boat Festival
Related articles:
10 must-do experiences in Tasmania
Road trip your way around Tasmania: Part 1
Road trip your way around Tasmania: Part 2
Tasmania in pictures – 10 of Tassie’s best experiences
