Festival Events in Wollongong and the Illawarra. Best Music, Arts & Culture, Food & Wine Festivals on the South Coast NSW

Live Music Festivals Wollongong Illawarra

Oh you’re on the hunt for the ultimate festival experience in Wollongong and the Illawarra? Well look no further, baby! We’ve rounded up the most vibrant and diverse festivals on the South Coast. From music parties that move your body, to folk gatherings that soothe the soul. From celebrations of Art and Culture to heavenly Food, Beer & Wine extravaganzas. Wollongong’s best festivals are a fusion of creativity and community. The South Coast region is a festival paradise, and something wonderful is happening all year round. Read on as we line-up Wollongong and the Illawarra’s most unmissable festival events!

Albion Park Show – Albion Park Showground – 19th – 21st January 2024

Affectionately known as “The Biggest Little Show on the Coast”, The Albion Park Show has been an highlight for the local community since 1887! They’ve really kept the charm of the old-school agricultural shows we remember from childhood. Think demolition derbies, show jumping, wood chopping and the best local produce on show. Unmissable family fun right here.

The show runs from 8:30 til 9:30 every day.

Get your tickets here

HONK! Oz Street Music Festival – Wollongong CBD – 11th -13th January 2024

*Wonderful and weird Honk! Oz Street Music Festival is a delight for all ages*

HONK! Oz Street Music Festival is an outdoor spectacle featuring alternative community bands and related arts. Completely free, and volunteer run, Honk Oz is a Parade and a Party! It’s always lots of fun and has a very welcoming vibe. The energy and celebration in the air is really contagious, you might even find yourself part of an impromptu jam! The bands bring their passions forward with their music — activism, protest, expression and community spirit are all alive at Honk. (And everyone plays to have fun!) 11/10 recommend, especially for those who need to let their weirdness out for the day!

See updates on their site here

Illawarra Folk Festival 2024 – Bulli Showground – 19th – 21st January 2024

Illawarra Folk Club presents the 37th ILLAWARRA FOLK FESTIVAL! Get ready for three days of concerts and events featuring artists from around the world as well as from the neighbourhood.

In 2024 we’re going to see a smaller festival that still brings everything you need for a summer weekend of the best music to be heard, anywhere. Folk, world, roots, bluegrass, gypsy and Celtic music rubbing shoulders with poetry, dance, comedy and lots of good food and drink.

You can even camp onsite!

Full line up and more info on their website

The Berry Show 2024 – Berry Showground – 2nd – 3rd February 2024

The Berry Show is back! In 2024 they are bringing a 2 day program featuring all the classic agricultural highlights we love. Award winning cattle, horses & showjumping, goats & poultry, hay-stacking. Look out for the Young Farmer Challenge and woodchopping. Plus the children’s pet show, local arts & crafts, food, fun, fireworks and more! The ultimate family friendly day out.

The show runs from 7:30 am on the Friday til 10:00 pm on Saturday night.

Keep an eye on their website for updates here

Shellharbour Rocks 2024 – Albion Park, Shellharbour Village, Oak Flats & Lake Illawarra – Dates TBA

Shellhabour puts all its heart into this celebration of four unique town centres with their annual music and arts festival series. This free, family friendly festival is the largest community music and arts festival series Shellharbour City Council has ever produced. And it’s wonderfully weird too, with lots of street theatre, sideshows, circus acts and lots of colourful surprises!

This year they’re going all out, bringing 120 homegrown music acts, as well as local artists, creators, performers, and plenty of delicious food across 4 distinct events.

Check out their pages for more info here

Get Together Music Festival 2024- Wombarra Bowling Club – Dates TBA

The Get Together Music Festival is back for another year at the iconic Wombarra Bowling Club. Once again they’ve really bringing their A-game with their line-up. Expect to see a cool mix of reggae, blues, rock, soul, folk, electro Latin, Afro-Colombian roots, funk, hip-hop, dancehall and singer-songwriters playing across three stages from Friday through to Sunday night.

Don’t miss this unique celebration of culture and community at what is set to be the Coal Coast’s biggest party of the year! Punters are always a big variety of ages, and everyone wears their dancing shoes!

Keep an eye on their socials for date confirmation: here

Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival – Multiple venues in Kiama area – 8th -10th March 2024

*Dance your heart out, Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival brings the groove*

Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival is an annual community run festival which takes place in March each year — 36 years and counting! The festival brings a big mix of very talented musos together for three days of music bliss! The event has always been volunteer run and continues to centre the local community in everything it does. These guys have got a lot of love. Generous vibes all around. In 2023 the festival brought the party to the street on the Sunday and things really went off. You can expect a variety of shows – with both traditional and modern interpretations of jazz and blues. The festival offers a mix of free and ticketed performances in their program — venues range from in funky hideaways, alleyways, main stages and everything in between.

Check them out at here

Lazy Mountain Music and Arts Festival – Berry Showground – 8th April 2024

The team behind Yours and Owls are putting together a stellar one day fest down in Berry this Easter. The Lazy Mountain Music and Arts Festival is an all-ages event at Berry Showground. With a mid-morning start and only one stage, expect this day to have all the easy vibes — plus they’ve partnered with the South Coast Food and Wine Festival for yum yums. The latest line-up announcement sees Adelaide’s favourite sons Bad//Dreems join Gang Of Youths, Tash Sultana, Middle Kids, Slowly Slowly, Tyne James Organ and Merci, Mercy. Damn, impressive. Lazy Mountain is kid friendly too, which we love.

They also have camping and glamping packages are available, check it out here

Port Kembla Festival – Wentworth Street, PK – 2024 Date TBA

Port has its own special vibe, and the best way to soak it up is at the festival of light and sound. Like a cool mini Vivid — the Port Kembla festival is as eclectic and grassroots as PK itself.

This free-entry event is hosted across multiple venues — including live music venues, alleyways, gardens and even the vintage motorcycle store. This year will feature more than 20 artists from around Australia, immersive art experiences, markets, exhibition and, of course, light installations that bathe the in the streets in colour. The festival is designed to encourage exploration of Port, and having lived there I can confidently say, this steel town has plenty of adventure to offer.

Keep an eye on their socials for updates here

Comic Gong – Wollongong Arts Precinct – 11th May 2024

*Cosplay and celebrations of everything popular culture at Comic Gong!*

Wait, Wollongong has its own mini Supernova? Heck yeah it does! Welcome to the popular Comic Gong, Wollongong’s comic and pop culture festival! Held over one day, Comic Gong celebrates everything cosplay, comics, gaming and pop culture. Expect workshops, artists talks and interactive activities. 2023 included a blow out cosplay ball for adults, a hangout space for teens and lots of family friendly activities for kids. We can’t wait to see what this year will bring!

Head to here for more information.

Berry Celtic Festival – Berry Showground – 25th May 2024

*A fantastic day out for the whole family, The Berry Celtic Festival*

The sound of the pipes across the meadow…“stirs your Scottish blood” as my dear grandpa used to say! But you don’t need any Celtic blood to enjoy Berry’s awesome Celtic Festival. This annual festival is a fantastic family day out, and a bit like steeping through time… Come to hear the pipe bands march, see the Clans in their colours and medieval villagers walking around. There are also medieval knight battles, Scottish Terrier dogs lots of unique Celtic stalls, and of course, lots of singing, music and dancing. The Jousting has been a huge draw the last couple of years, and it really is exciting to see the heavily armoured knights go at each other!

The festival is a fundraising project of the Rotary Club of Berry supported by Shoalhaven City Council. The day starts at 9:30 with a parade and runs until around 4pm.

Info here

Thirroul Seaside & Arts Festival – Multiple venues, Thirroul – 2 – 4 June 2024

*Little ones can’t get enough of the carnival rides in Thirroul Park at the Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival!*

Thirroul Seaside & Arts Festival is a big one on the calendars of local artists and families alike. The weekend festival is a celebration of art and community and supports emerging and established local artists. The art scene on the coal coast is very healthy thanks to the enthusiasm of the locals! This year’s festival will showcase a variety of local visual art, photography and performance art, alongside international foods, market stalls and the ever popular carnival Sunday in Thirroul park, where your kids can run amok!

Grab your picnic blanket and head down to the beach on Saturday night for a free moonlight cinema! The festival is a real celebration of the community, and what it means to us all to live by the sea.

The festival is run by Austinmer Thirroul Lions Club – supporting the needs of the community.

See their website for updates here

The Berry Camellia and Floral Show – Berry School of Arts – 27th – 28th July 2024

The annual Camellia and Floral Show in Berry is a celebration of winter blooms that will fill your senses with beauty! Held in the elegant 19th century School of Arts building on Alexander Street, the show brings the best of the best in a raucous display of all varieties of cut flowers, not only Camellias! Along with private judging, fresh flowers will be on sale at the show.

The show runs from noon on Saturday until 4pm with a presentation of trophies at 12.30pm, and on Sunday from 10am – 2pm. A gorgeous way to bring colour into a winter day!

Admission is $5 for adults. Children under 18 are admitted free.
Light lunch and afternoon tea are available at the show, (or you are spoiled for cafes in Berry village.)

Head to their page here

KISS Arts Festival – Black Beach, Kiama and surrounds – October 2024, dates TBA

The KISS stands for ‘Kiama International Sea Side’ Arts Festival – a big, silly, funny celebration of spectacle and performance. Decidedly ‘fringe’ – this fun weekend festival is full of music, street performance and interactive experiences. They’re always experimental, welcoming local and international talent in a program that is bursting at the seams. (Seriously, there is a hula hoop or a magician or comedian on every corner!) The kids absolutely love it and the days are full of laughter. The KISS Arts Festival is super inclusive and folks from all walks of life come down Black Beach to enjoy the silliness and mayhem. Best of all? This event is free for all ages!

Check out their story at here

Yours & Owls Festival – UOW – October 2024 Dates TBA

*Absolute party. The crowd gives love at Yours & Owls Festival in Wollongong*

The big daddy of premium music festivals! Yours & Owls Festival is (in my opinion) the highlight of the Wollongong festival calendar. Last year a venue move to the University of Wollongong campus was an all-weather solution that worked out so well. Yours & Owls Festival features multiple stages, food and market stalls, branded activations, art installations, with pre and post-festival community events. Their line ups are hot stuff, with a mix of freshness and iconic Aussie and International acts to please everyone. It’s an 18+ event, and the demographic is skewed to the younger persuasion. Lots and lots of fun and dancing!

Check out their site for updates as they’re released here

Craft Beer Market Festival – Bulli Showground – October 2024 Dates TBA

*Good beer and hilarious jokes? Sign me up for a day at the Craft Beer Market Fest in Bulli*

Are you a craft beer enthusiast — or maybe just up for a fun day out with mates? The Craft Beer Market Festival at Bulli Showground might be just up your alley. Think Spring weather, smiling vibes and all things beer, baby. This little festival is a celebration of all things craft beer, from the artistry and technical skill of brewing to appreciation of flavour profiles. Whether you’re a bit of a beer connoisseur or just curious about the craft beer scene, this event has been a hit the last 2 years and promises to be a real good time.

Click here for more What’s on in Wollongong Illawarra, Wollongong & South Coast NSW festival and event inspo

After more events and businesses near you? Never suffer FOMO again with our Weekly Newsletter sent straight to your in-box! Sign up HERE

You might also like:

Explore