Party time

When Launceston's Festivale returned to the City Park in 2023 after a two-year absence, supporters of the annual celebration of Tasmania food, beverage and entertainment were almost jumping for joy when details of its summer program were first released in September 2022.

No longer physically and mentally constrained by COVID-19 lockdowns and fears of the global pandemic, patrons went big and early buying tickets to the city's renowned 'party in the park.'

The February 2023 event sold out days before its gates opened.

Tickets for Festivale 2024 sold out a week before opening. Sales for the following year ended seven weeks ahead of schedule and it was much the same story for Festivale 2026.

All of which is a roundabout way of saying that this week's release of tickets for 2027 is likely to be equally frenetic. Get in quick if you don't want to miss out.

Festivale ticket sales begin on Friday 2 October 2026. There will be no gate sales if all tickets sell-out online before the event.

Some 70 stallholders will participate in Festivale 2027, showcasing a wide cross-section of the State's best produce and beverages.

Local talent will be on hand to provide entertainment throughout the day, while celebrity chef Adam Liaw and a handful Tasmanian chefs will present five one-hour cooking demonstrations across the weekend.

The dates/times in brief are:

• Friday 29 January 2027 – 4pm to 11pm
• Saturday 30 January 2027 – 11am to 11pm
• Sunday 31 January 2027 – 11am to 4pm

Venue: City Park, Tamar Street, only a few minutes' walk from the Launceston CBD.

General admission tickets are valid for one entry for the date purchased:

• Friday 29 January 2027 – $45
• Saturday 30 January 2027 – $50
• Sunday 31 January 2027 – $35
• Three-day pass – $105

A range of Reserved Seating options is available, and require the purchase of a table of 10 tickets.

Prices start from $65 per person: Seating Area B on Sunday 31 January ie $650 per table.

Reserved Seating Area A on Saturday 30 January costs $150 per person ie $1500 per table.

Reserved Seating in Area A and Area B will have a view of the main stage although some seats may have a slightly restricted view. Reserved Seating Area C does not have view of any stage.

Prospective patrons will have to wait another few weeks for all stallholder details and venue locations to be released. In the meantime, events organisers have announced an interesting offering of Festivale masterclasses.

Participants must purchase a general admission entry ticket in addition to that for their masterclass:

• The Trophy Pour ($45) at 5.30pm Friday 29 January. Guided tasting of Festivale Wine Award winners by the event's expert wine judges.

• Pop, Pour & Celebrate ($45) at 12 noon Saturday 30 January. Guided tasting of a selection of premium Tasmanian sparkling wine styles led by the Tasmanian winemakers responsible for producing them.

• In Pursuit of Pinot ($45) at 6pm Saturday 30 January. Guided tasting of a selection of premium Tasmanian Pinot Noirs. Explore the subtle differences between regions, vintages and winemaking styles with Tasmanian winemaker presenters. Pinot Noir is Tasmania's flagship red variety, accounting for almost 50 percent of the industry's total crush in 2026. Wines from the excellent 2024 and 2025 vintages in Tasmania should be looking their best, with the tasting's top wines likely to offer superb drinking for many years to comes. Judges at the 2026 Tasmanian Wine Show held in January noted the quality of the 2024 vintage wines tasted by the panel:

'There are so many great easy drinking Pinots overall but the top wines showed considerably more weight and depth of fruit from quality vineyards picked at the right time and respectful non-invasive wine handling. There appears a marked improvement in quality, assuming from more mature vineyards, greater experience in Tasmania overall… a great vintage for ripening Pinot Noir.' (2026 Tasmanian Wine Show Catalogue)

• The Perfect Pairing ($70) at 11:30am Sunday 31 January. Guided by local experts, participants will build their own gourmet tasting board using a selection of artisan cheeses, cured meats, pâté, quince paste and other carefully chosen accompaniments. Explore successful food and wine pairings first-hand in the company of three matched Tasmanian wines. Then take your creation into the park to savour and share at your leisure.

Other masterclasses being offered at Festivale 2027 include a celebration of Tasmanian gin ('Botanical Bliss'), Whisky and Chocolate, and Brews and Bites. Refer to the website for further details: www.festivale.com.au

Festivale organisers have cooked up a Special Event for 2027:

• Festivale Lunch with Adam Liaw ($203) at 12.00pm Friday 29 January. Experience a 3-course gourmet lunch developed especially for Festivale 2027 by celebrity guest chef Adam Liaw. Dishes presented will be accompanied by matching Tasmanian wines. Liaw is the author of 10 cookbooks and is best known for his SBS gig The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, in addition to Destination Flavour (SBS) and Good Food Kitchen (Nine Network).

Next year's headline live music acts should really set the historic City Park alight:

• Friday 29 January 2027: Rock legends You Am I, followed by internationally acclaimed group Jet.

• Saturday 30 January 2027: Alternative rock band Something For Kate, followed by Australian jazz and funk band The Cat Empire.

• Sunday 31 January 2027: Australian roots band The John Butler Trio.

All are veterans of the Australian live music scene, yet continue to play to packed houses both here and overseas. A quick look at Instagram will show the five acts in total currently account for more than 680,000 social media followers.

You Am I first came together in Sydney in December 1989 and were the first Australian band to release three successive albums that each debuted at the top of the ARIA Albums Charts. They have enjoyed one of the longest and most successful recording careers in Australia, and are among our most loved live bands. In addition to their 11 ARIA nominations, their incredible work ethic and durability have seen them perform in excess of 5,600 live shows over the past two decades,

Jet's 2003 album Get Born sold 4 millions copies worldwide, including 1.7m in the US. Their 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' went platinum in UK and Australia, and double platinum in New Zealand. Get Born also brought the band Album of the Year, Best Group of the Year and Best Rock Album successes in the 2004 ARIA Music Awards. 

After disbanding in 2013, Jet reunited in 2016 and teamed up once again in 2023 before being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in November that year.

Don't ask Something For Kate (pictured above) about ARIA awards. The band secured 11 ARIA nominations between 1999 and 2003 and are arguably best known for their second studio album Beautiful Sharks. The platinum selling disc was re-released in November 2024 as a 25th Anniversary edition silver vinyl and gained inclusion in top 5 vinyl charts at year's end.

The Cat Empire and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra received rapturous support at last week's Orchestra Encore Tour performance, held at the MyState Bank Arena on 25 September. The band spent 2025 touring the UK, Europe and North America. 

North America also loomed large for The John Butler Trio (pictured) this year. After forming in Fremantle in 1998, the band went on to win five ARIA awards – including Best Blues & Roots Album (twice) – before going their separate ways in 2019.

The Trio's landmark 2001 album Three was recently remastered for the band's 25th anniversary. Released on 11 September 2026, it features three additional tracks that appeared on an earlier EP.

Stand-up artists Brett Blake, Celia Pacquola, Ivan Aristeguieta and Stewart Bell will bring a little levity to each day's party in the park.

Festivale is a fully licensed event with a strict no BYO policy. BYO food if you like but there will be plenty of stalls serving delicious Tasmanian produce.

Patrons are being encouraged to use their old Festivale glasses but may choose to purchase a new one on site to bring back year after year.

Online ticket sales at www.festivale.com.au begin Friday 2 October 2026.

Last page update: 30 September 2026