Alice Springs Festivals & Events

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
- FABalice Festival — early 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
- Finke Desert Race — Held June
- Alice Springs Beanie Festival — Held June
  — check out our article Snapshots: Alice Springs Beanie Festival and blog Birds Watching at the Beanie Festival
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
- Red Centre Bird Festival — held early September
- Red Centre Nats — held early September
- Desert Mob Exhibition & MarketPlace — held between September – October.
- Desert Song Festival — usually held around September. See their website for details of the festival activities planned.
- 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.
- Earth Sanctuary — they often host events open to the public, bookings required.
- Todd Mall Markets

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

Alice Springs Events
- Alice Springs Town Council — community and events.
- Araluen Arts Centre — the centre for visual and performing arts in Central Australia.
- Red Hot Arts — check out their calendar for current art and related events.