Sydney Festivals

Sydney is considered the cultural hub of Australia, and has some of the most diverse festivals throughout the year to prove it.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras witnesses people from all over the world travel to Sydney to take part in and watch the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Pride March, while the Living in Harmony Festival, which runs for over a month, celebrates Sydney’s cultural diversity and is aimed at strengthening ties and shortening cultural divides.

For food and drink lovers, there is the NSW Wine Week – hosting outdoor performances and a plethora of fine wines from New South Wales’ 14 wine regions, or there’s the Feastability Food and Wine Festival, held in September every year, where you can experience the eclectic international cuisines of the Newtown precinct, along with Australian wines, boutique beers, bakers and ice-cream makers while you enjoy the free performances and festive atmosphere.

Add to these several huge music festivals such as the Big Day Out, Good Vibrations, St Jeromes Laneway Festival, and the Thredbo Blues Festival and Byron Bay Blues Festival, and you start to maybe get a small picture of what we’re talking about. To get the bigger picture, scroll down the list below, baring in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Annual Sydney Festivals

• Soundwave

• Sydney Festival
• Chinese New Year Festival
• Human Rights Film and Arts Festival Launch
• Narrabeen Summer Festival at Berry Reserve
• Big Day Out
• Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
• Good Vibrations
• NYE Outdoor Doof Experience
• St Jeromes Laneway Festival Sydney
• Classic & Wooden Boat Festival
• The Rocks Aroma Festival
• Thredbo Blues Festival
• South American Festival
• The Byron Underwater Festival
• Byron Bay Schoolies Week
• Springwood Foundation Day
• Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli
• Grey Fergie Tractor Muster Bendemeer
• Cronulla Spring Festival
• Illawarra Jazz Club’s Annual Easter Festival
• St Patrick’s Day
• Byron Bay Bluesfest – Blues & Roots Music Festival
• Orange Christmas Street Festival
• Sydney Writers’ Festival
• Manly Jazz Festival
• Surry Hills Festival
• Sydney Future Music Festival
• ConFest
• Ironfest
• Coastfest
• Moon Festival Chinese Garden
• Dingofest
• Darling Harbour Jazz and Blues Festival
• Farm Sunday at Belgenny Farm
• Primo Italiano Festival
• Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival
• World Shakuhachi Festival
• Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival of Arts
• Wintersun Rock n Roll Revival Festival
• Mind Body Spirit Festival
• UTS in-fusion festival
• Under The Blue Moon Festival
• Liquid Architecture
• Blue Mountains Festival of Folk Blues and Roots
• Live Green
• The World Shakuhachi Festival
• Milton Settlers Fair
• Country Energy Mulga Bill Festival
• Australia Day in Gloucester
• GPA Swim-in and Military Vehicle Rally
• Australian National Goanna Pulling Competition
• Chinese New Year Festival
• Echuca-Moama Winter Blues Festival
• Timbertown Steam Festival
• Stroud Brick and Rolling Pin Throwing
• FreshArt Festival
• Australia Day in Cooma
• Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival)
• Yulefest in the Blue Mountains
• Danks Street Festival
• Dog On The Tuckerbox Festival
• The Bowraville Hinterland Festival
• Jerilderie Letter Event
• Jacaranda Festival
• Goulburn City Of Roses – Annual Rose Show
• Crookwell Country Festival
• Gilgandra Cooee Festival
• Tallong Apple Festival
• Annual Goulburn Lilac City Festival
• Hunter Valley Steamfest
• Irish Woolfest
• National Maritime Festival
• Snowy River Festival
• Illawarra Scottish Fair
• Telstra Countrywide Sapphire City Festival
• Australia Day in Ballina Shire
• Festival of the Sun
• Dubbo Jazz Festival
• Annual Gathering of the Clans in Toukley
• August Rock by the River Festival
• Sydney Harbour Week
• Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival
• ArtFEST
• Wakakirri National Story Festival
• National Trust Heritage Festival
• Vibe Alive
• Hazelbrook and Woodford Garden Festival
• 2PK Parkes Country Music Spectacular
• Culcairn Heritage Festival
• Australian Springtime Flora Festival
• Spring into Corrimal
• Millers Point Festival
• Turning Wave Irish Festival
• Festival in the Forest
• Tyalgum Festival of Classical Music
• Wagga Wagga Jazz and Blues Festival
• Bowral Tulip Time
• Moorambilla Festival
• Walk on the Wild Side Festival
• Red Desert Live!
• Berry Gardens Festival
• Corowa Festival Of Dance
• Tweed River Festival
• Festival of the Stars
• Myall River Festival
• Griffith Festival of Gardens
• Bathurst Spring Spectacular
• Picton Show
• Leura Gardens Festival
• Darling Harbour Fiesta
• Terrigal Food and Wine Festival
• Applause Street Theatre and Buskers Festival
• Port of Echuca’s Heritage Steam Festival
• Moree Multicultural Festival
• Deni Play on the Plains Festival & World Record Ute Muster
• Viva La Gong Festival
• Booligal Sheep Races
• Hyne Tumbafest
• Ferragosto
• Malaysia Fest – MFest
• Children’s Festival
• The Great Escape Music Festival
• Live Green for Children
• Trunkey Creek Annual Wool and Horse Festival
• Festival of the Winds
• Davistown Putt Putt Regatta and Wooden Boat Festival
• Fleadh Nua Festival of Traditional Irish Music Song and Dance
• Peak Hill Spit and Spud Ulysses Motorcycle Event
• Taralga Heritage Rally
• Ballina Rivafest
• V Festival
• Australia Day in Bombala
• Back to Bowra Hinterland Festival
• Sydney Children’s Festival
• Don’t DIS My ABILITY
• Kogarah Fair & Charity Bed Race
• State of Play – Australian Poetry Now – The Australian Poetry Festival
• Verge Arts Festival
• Chalk Urban Art Festival
• Shoal Bay Jazz Wine & Food Festival
• Sydney Architecture Festival
• Oatley Lions Village Festival
• smARTarts Festival
• Earthdance Sydney
• Glebe Music Festival
• Carnival of the Pines
• Oaks 150th Anniversary
• Port Macquarie Heritage Festival
• Central Coast Country Music Festival
• Maitland Busking Festival
• Maclean Highland Gathering
• Batlow Apple Blossom Festival
• Riverboats Jazz Food and Wine Festival
• Tuggerah Lake Mardi Gras Festiva and Ducks for Bucks
• Monaro Wool And Wood Festival
• Cathedral Week at St Saviours
• Campbelltown City Show
• Blessing of the Fleet Tuncurry
• Thirlmere Festival of Steam
• Thredbo Jazz Festival
• Hunter Christmas Festival
• This Is Not Art Festival
• Warragamba Dam Fest
• Australia Day Breakfast by the Lake
• Womens Room – EarthSpirit Festival and Exhibition
• Port Stephens Country Music Festival
• Australian Blues Music Festival
• Camden Haven Music Festival
• Folk in the Foothills
• Oktoberfest at Buttai Barn
• Flowing Festival
• Australia Day in Gunnedah
• Numeralla Folk Festival
• Ulladulla Blessing Of The Fleet Festival
• Australian Great Goat Racing Championships
• Australian Billy Cart Championships
• Thredbo Winter Opening Weekend
• Rainbow Visions Festival
• Old Bar Beach Festival
• Autumn Colours
• Goulburns Heritage and Roses Festival
• Campbelltown City Festival of Fishers Ghost
• Ballina Shire Australia Day Celebrations
• Fete of the Earth
• Tamworth Country Music Festival
• Tullamore Irish Festival
• Ceilidh at Segenhoe Inn
• Silver City Show
• Manly Arts Festival
• Family Fun Fest at Richmond Vale Railway Museum
• John OBrien Bush Festival
• Gunning Explodes in Spring
• Big Scrub Rainforest Day
• Walcha Garden Festival
• WPS Bathurst Motor Festival
• Gundaroo Bush Festival
• Australia Day in Narrandera
• St Marys Spring Festival
• Australia Day in Newcastle
• Mattara – Festival of Newcastle
• Australia Day at the National Maritime Museum
• Earth Festival
• Snake Gully Cup Festival
• Mid North Coast Bellydance Festival
• Bundanoon Highland Gathering
• Australian Olympic Team Homecoming Parade
• Palmers Lane Festival
• Ivy Street Party
• Korea Sparkling Festival
• Ritmo Brazilian Festival
• Sydney Region Music Festival
• Danks Street Festival
• Musica Viva Festival
• Slow Summer
• Reportage Festival Weekend
• Global Gathering
• Freshwater Festival of Chamber Music
• Australia Day in Temora
• Australia Day in Glenbrook
• Woolbrook Festival
• Kurri Kurri Nostalgia Festival
• Walcha Festival and Westpac Teams Mountain Bike Challenge
• Waratah Festival – Mount Tomah Botanic Garden
• CMC Rocks the Snowys
• Oktoberfest
• Barham Balladeers & Country Music Festival
• Peats Ridge
• Barham Jazz Festival
• Splash Festival
• Newtown Festival
• Australia Day on The Rocks
• Mardi Gras Parade and Party
• Summer Gay Day
• Riverbeats
• Australia Day in Wagga Wagga
• Australia Day in Oberon
• Boys of Summer Tour
• Crank Under 18s Summer Festival
• All Tomorrow’s Parties
• Sydney Living in Harmony Festival
• Ministry of Sound NYD
• World Culture Concert & Arts Festival
• Social Summer Festival – Toukley
• Australia Day Fair

So I think you get what I’m saying. It’s pretty much a given that there’s a festival taking place every minute somewhere in Sydney. Visit this Sydney festivals page for more information on the any of the festivals above and for a list of festivals throughout the year.

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