This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2021. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
A decade ago, hardly anyone considered visiting Hobart during the coldest months of the year.
But Tasmania’s winter tourism has undergone a dramatic transformation. Today, Dark Mofo — Hobart’s biggest winter festival — has become one of Australia’s most fascinating and wildly popular seasonal events, and it draws thousands of interstate travellers south every June.
I’ve now been to the festival twice: first in 2021, then again last winter (2025) with my entire family. It was the perfect excuse to visit Tasmania in winter, and honestly, Dark Mofo is worth travelling for if you enjoy being weirded out by art that doesn’t fully make sense (in the best possible way).
If you’re planning a trip to Hobart for Dark Mofo 2026, here’s everything you need to know for attending Tasmania’s most unique winter festival.
Quick summary:
Dark Mofo transforms Hobart into a glowing, atmospheric winter festival filled with art installations, fire pits, food, music, and late-night events. This guide covers 2026 dates, tickets, Dark Park, the Winter Feast, MONA, transport, recommended tours, and tips for planning the ultimate Dark Mofo trip.
Recommended tours:
🚃 Hobart Sightseeing Tour + MONA Entry – See 40+ Hobart attractions on a historic tram tour before an afternoon at MONA.
🏔️ Mt Wellington & MONA Day Trip – Enjoy summit views, historic stops, and a ferry ride to explore MONA at your own pace.
🚌 Hobart Hop-On Hop-Off Bus – Discover Hobart’s best landmarks and lookouts with flexible sightseeing stops
What is Dark Mofo? (Hobart’s biggest winter festival)
Dark Mofo is an annual winter solstice festival in Hobart, created by the team behind the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Held every June, it completely transforms the city into an atmospheric celebration of art, music, light, and fire.
The program changes each year, but it usually includes large-scale outdoor installations, experimental performances, light shows, provocative exhibitions, concerts, film screenings, and the beloved Winter Feast. The whole city centre comes alive after dark as crowds wander between venues, fire pits crackle along the waterfront, and Hobart takes on a mysterious, otherworldly red glow.
I first visited Dark Mofo in 2021 and was instantly hooked. It’s the kind of festival where you never quite know what you’re about to encounter, and that unpredictability is half the fun. When I returned in winter 2025 with my whole family, the atmosphere was just as exciting — this strange, creative energy that takes over Hobart for two weeks and makes the city feel alive in the depths of winter. If you enjoy experiences that are immersive, a little weird, and deeply memorable, Dark Mofo is absolutely worth travelling for.
When is Dark Mofo 2026 held?
The festival typically runs for two weeks in mid-June, finishing around the winter solstice. In 2026, Dark Mofo is set to run from 11-22 June.
The Dark Mofo program usually drops in April, revealing all the major installations, ticketed shows, and special events. This is also when tickets go on sale, and if you’re hoping to attend a concert, performance, film screening or one-off experience, you’ll need to book quickly — many events sell out within hours.
The Winter Feast requires its own ticketed entry. It doesn’t usually book out, but it’s still a good idea to reserve your tickets a few days in advance, especially over weekends.
How long to spend in Hobart for Dark Mofo
You can experience the highlights of the Dark Mofo festival in just two days, but staying longer gives you time to explore installations at a relaxed pace and fit in a visit to MONA.
- 2 days: Dark Park + Winter Feast + CBD art walk
- 3–4 days: Add MONA, more installations & a ticketed event
- 5+ days: Best if you want to dive deep into the full festival program
Downtown Hobart is compact and very walkable, which makes the festival feel manageable even when you’re hopping between multiple venues. If you’re heading to the MONA museum, you can easily get there by catching the MONA ferry from the CBD.
Things to do at Dark Mofo 2026
Below are the signature Dark Mofo experiences that appear in the program every year, even though the specific installations and events change.
Dark Park: Free art installations at Dark Mofo
Dark Park is the beating heart of the festival. It’s an enormous area of large-scale art installations, interactive works, light displays, and experimental pieces. Entry is free and does not require a ticket, so you can just wander in off the street.
In 2025, the Dark Park precinct was located mostly around Hunter Street and Evans Street, near MACq01 and Hobart Brewing Co. I explored it with my family and it was one of the most bizarre and entertaining festival nights we’ve had.
Here’s what we encountered last year:
- Coffin rides, where you lie inside and they close the lid for a few minutes (I did not have the guts to do this!!)
- A huge neon artwork with the words “Take a knee and scream until you can’t breathe” — my two nephews and I absolutely did it, and yes, it felt incredible
- A smoking car suspended from a crane
- A mesmerising light show illuminating the inside of an empty warehouse
- A deeply strange hand-man sculpture (a giant human hand with a face on it), looming over the crowds
- A large warehouse bar serving mulled cider, wine and beer, which we used as a shelter from a typical Tassie rain shower
- Scattered Moo Brew pop-up bars throughout the precinct
Dark Park changes every year, but the atmosphere remains the same: wild, inventive, surprising, and wonderfully unhinged.
Winter Feast: The best food & wine experience at Dark Mofo
Held at Princes Wharf Shed on Salamanca’s waterfront, the Winter Feast is one of the most popular Dark Mofo events. It’s a huge celebration of Tassie food, local drinks, and seasonal produce, all served among fire pits, long communal tables, and live music.
I’ve been to the Dark Mofo Winter Feast on both of my visits. We spent a few hours wandering between food stalls, snacking on local dishes, and sipping Tasmanian wine underneath the strings of red-tinged festoon lights outside.
Do you need Winter Feast tickets?
Yes — and while they don’t always sell out, weekend nights can be busy. Booking a few days ahead is a safe option.
Other Dark Mofo ticketed events
Alongside the free outdoor installations, Dark Mofo hosts a huge line-up of ticketed events, from concerts and theatrical performances to immersive art encounters, film screenings, and late-night shows.
These events often sell out incredibly quickly. For example, I tried to book a bizarre-sounding thriller movie screening in 2025 (about a man being attacked by beavers — classic Dark Mofo content), but by the time I logged in, every ticket was gone. If something in the program catches your eye, book immediately!
The Dark Mofo nude solstice swim
Although I’ve never done it (I’m far too much of a baby about swimming in cold water) the Dark Mofo nude solstice swim is a bucket-list event for many Dark Mofo travellers. The swim usually takes place at Long Beach in Sandy Bay, just south of Hobart’s city centre.
At sunrise on the winter solstice, hundreds (sometimes thousands) of naked participants gather on the sand before sprinting into the icy waters of the River Derwent to mark the shortest day of the year. The swim is well organised and supervised, with safety staff on hand.
If you want to participate in the swim, you do need a ticket. Tickets are released as part of the Dark Mofo program and usually sell out in advance, as participant numbers are capped for safety reasons. If the swim is on your Dark Mofo bucket list, it’s important to book as soon as tickets go on sale.
If you’d rather watch than swim, no ticket is required. Spectators are allowed to gather along the beach and surrounding foreshore to watch the event unfold, soak up the atmosphere, and cheer on the swimmers as the sun comes up. It would be a memorable experience even if you stay fully clothed and firmly on dry land.
Visiting MONA during Dark Mofo (Museum of Old and New Art)
Because MONA runs Dark Mofo, the museum often features complementary exhibitions, special winter programming, and installations that align with the festival themes. Even outside the festival, MONA is one of Australia’s best art museums, and it’s absolutely worth adding to your Dark Mofo itinerary. Here are two excellent ways to combine MONA with Hobart sightseeing:
Hobart City Sightseeing Tour + MONA
🚃 Hobart City Sightseeing Tour including MONA Ticket – See 40+ Hobart attractions on a historic tram tour before spending an afternoon at MONA.
This tour begins with a 3-hour guided city circuit in a historic converted tram, covering more than 40 major Hobart landmarks — from Salamanca Place and Parliament House to Sullivan’s Cove, Cascade Brewery, the Female Factory, and the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. In the afternoon, you’ll head to MONA with your included entry ticket, before returning to Hobart on a scenic ferry.
Mt Wellington + MONA Day Trip
🏔️ Hobart: Day Trip to Mt Wellington and MONA with Ferry Ride – Enjoy summit views, historic stops, and a ferry ride to explore MONA at your own pace.
This full-day adventure starts with a scenic drive to Mount Wellington / kunanyi, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views and a guided walk at the summit. You’ll then visit Cascade Gardens and see the exterior of Cascade Brewery and the Female Factory before cruising along the Derwent River to MONA. Finish the day with a relaxing ferry ride back to the CBD.
Where to stay in Hobart for Dark Mofo (best areas)
To make the most of the festival, I would suggest staying close to the CBD or waterfront area so that you can walk between venues easily. Here are the best areas to stay for Dark Mofo:
Hobart Waterfront: Hotels in Salamanca, Battery Point, or Hunter Street would be good choices. These areas are closest to Dark Park and the Winter Feast — ideal for festival-goers who want to be in the middle of the action.
Hobart CBD: The downtown area is central and convenient for ticketed events and for Dark Park.
How to get around Hobart during Dark Mofo
Downtown Hobart is compact and walkable, which makes navigating the Dark Mofo festival easy. Most festival venues, including Dark Park and the Winter Feast, are located close together in the CBD and waterfront precincts. Here’s how to get around during your trip:
Walking (best for festival nights)
Walking is the easiest way to explore the festival. Hobart’s city centre is flat, well-lit, and lively during Dark Mofo — perfect for strolling between installations.
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus (great for daytime exploring)
🚌 If you want to make the most of your daylight hours, the Hobart Hop-On Hop-Off Bus is a convenient way to see top attractions like Salamanca Place, Battery Point, Cascade Brewery, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
Renting a car (only needed for day trips)
You don’t need a car for Dark Mofo itself, but a rental car could be useful if you’re planning to explore beyond Hobart — to places like Mount Wellington / kunanyi, Richmond, Huon Valley, the Tasman Peninsula, or Mount Field National Park.
Uber & taxis (limited during peak times)
Uber and taxis run throughout Hobart but can be scarce on busy festival nights, especially after the Winter Feast. Expect wait times or surge pricing after 9PM.
Dark Mofo FAQ
When is Dark Mofo 2026?
The 2026 festival will be held from 11-22 June.
When do Dark Mofo tickets go on sale?
Usually April — book early for ticketed events as they do sell out.
Is Dark Mofo worth visiting?
Absolutely. It’s one of Australia’s most unique winter events.
Is Dark Park free?
Yes — free entry.
Does Winter Feast require tickets?
Yes. Book a few days ahead if possible.
Is Dark Mofo family-friendly?
Mostly, though some artworks may be loud or confronting.
How cold is Hobart in winter?
Expect 4°C to 12°C, with changeable weather – can involve wind and drizzle.
What should I wear to Dark Mofo?
Warm layers, an insulated jacket, comfortable shoes, a beanie, and gloves.
Do I need a car?
No — Hobart is walkable during the festival.
Is the nude solstice swim safe?
Yes (but extremely cold!).
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