Alice Springs Festivals & EventsAdvocate Art Award Alice Springs Beanie Festival Alice Springs Show Alice Springs Street Art Big Mob of Dogs Desert Mob Exhibition & MarketPlace fabALICE Festival Henley-on-Todd Regatta Parrtjima Festival Red Centre Bird Festival Red Centre Nats

Alice Springs and Central Australia offers not only spectacular scenery and adventure, but also some wonderful, as well as unique annual festivals and events throughout the year. Whether your interest is motor vehicle or sports, to creative crochet and beanies, or even playing at boating related sports on a dry river bed, there is sure to be something that tickles your fancy.

Most of these activities are supported by a loyal band of volunteers and friends, both local and interstate visitors who travel especially for the event.


What’s happening this month

  • To see what is happening this month and through the year, check out some of the listed festival and events.

We will be adding more information about festivals and events over time. Some other sources for current events are the Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre, Araluen Arts Centre, Red Hot Arts, or the website of the individual festival and event.


ALICE SPRINGS

  • Annual Festivals / Events Throughout the year
    • Araluen Arts Centre – What’s on — throughout the year
      The Araluen Arts Centre for visual and performing arts in Central Australia – a world class theatre and art gallery situated in the heart of Alice Springs.
  • March
  • April
    • Central Australia Rough Riders — early April
    • Parrtjima Festival — early April
    • Wide Open Space Festival — Held April/May
      Head to Central Australia for a feast of music, arts and performance in the incredible MacDonnell Ranges. Inspired by desert culture (both traditional and contemporary) and the ancient landscape, Wide Open Space is a celebration of creativity, connection and the irrepressible human spirit!
  • May
    • Dark Skies Festival — Held May
      Central Australia’s Dark Skies Festival is a nine-night celebration of humanity’s connection to the Night Sky, and held at Earth Sanctuary.
    • Alice’s Longest Luncheon — Held May
      Alice’s Longest Luncheon is Alice Springs premier annual foodie event! The main fundraiser for the Hamilton Downs Youth Camp, lunch is catered by several of Alice’s leading restaurants and catering firms.
    • Pets on Parade — Held May
      Alice Springs Town Council invite you to the annual Pets on Parade, promoting responsible pet ownership to the local community.
  • June
  • July
    • Alice Springs Show — this event is held in early July.
    • Advocate Art Award — July – August, Araluen Arts Centre
      The Advocate Art Award is presented by the Central Australian Art Society (CAAS), a volunteer-run organisation in Alice Springs that has supported art and artists since 1963. It is an all-inclusive exhibition, bringing together works by artists new, emerging and established, working across any medium.
  • August
    • Henley-on-Todd Regatta — held in August
    • Anpernirrentye | Everything is connected — August
      — NT Writers Festival at the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens.
      This 4 day event, draws from the Arrernte concept of anpernirrentye, the Arrernte relationship system, which describes the way in which everything is connected to everything else
  • September
    • Alice Desert Festival — September – October
      The Festival first began in the heart of Australia over a couple of decades ago. Today, the Festival runs over 10 days and features a broad program of events including music, theatre, art, film, workshops, talks and more.
  • October
    • The Olive Pink Opera — a one time event (that was held in October 2022).
      — for the first time time there was the unique experience of ‘Opera in the Botanic Garden’. Bringing together an internationally recognised composer, an iconic Central Australian music festival, the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, Master Musicians and a local classical ensemble, to present an a uniquely Central Australian story through opera, to celebrate the extraordinary life of Olive Pink, a woman ahead of her time and who was an outspoken advocate for Aboriginal rights.
    • World Solar Challenge — usually held every two years around October.
  • Other Events – Alice Springs
    • Alice Springs Street Art — held around July – August
      Presented by Red Hot Arts – selected local and interstate artists will work together over 10 energetic days at different sites to bring vibrant, original works of art to the town’s streets.
Parrtjima 2019 - The Language of Kin
Parrtjima 2019 – The Language of Kin

Following are other resources providing information about events in Alice Springs.


Alice Springs Street Art Festival
Alice Springs Street Art

Alice Springs is renowned for some quirky festivals and events. From our archive, are these wonderful images of dogs from some very talented artists.



Alice Springs Festivals & EventsAdvocate Art Award Alice Springs Beanie Festival Alice Springs Show Alice Springs Street Art Big Mob of Dogs Desert Mob Exhibition & MarketPlace fabALICE Festival Henley-on-Todd Regatta Parrtjima Festival Red Centre Bird Festival Red Centre Nats

NT Festivals & EventsAlice Springs Festivals & Events Darwin Festivals & Events

Festivals & EventsNSW Festivals & Events NT Festivals & Events Australia Festivals & Events

Northern TerritoryCentral Australia Aileron Alice Springs Binns Track Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve Ernest Giles Road Finke Gorge National Park Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve Hermannsburg Historic Precinct Ilparpa Claypans Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve MacDonnell Ranges Mount Connor Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary Owen Springs Reserve Red Centre Way Drive Standley Chasm Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Watarrka National Park & Kings Canyon Wurre / Rainbow Valley