see also:

• Melbourne event calendar
• helpful travel links and information - Australia
• Australian Govt Cultural Portal

I will try to maintain a reasonable listing of events - please email me if there are errors or you believe something should be added. I have intentionally not included actual dates as these often change from year to year. Be warned - many of the events are sold out months in advance!

• Australia Day celebrations
• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Sydney Festival
  • Canberra:
    • Summernats - for the petrol heads
  • Regional:
    • The Illawarra Folk Festival - 1hr south of Sydney
    • Forbes Jazz Festival
    • Numeralla Folk Festival
    • Peats Ridge Art and Music Festival
    • Tamworth Country Music Festival
    • Thredbo Blues Festival
    • Wauchope Country Music Festival
    • Parkes Elvis Festival 2nd wk Jan
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
    • Cape Jaffa Seafood and Wine Festival
    • Coonawarra Vignerons Cup - Penola racecourse
    • Tunarama Festival, Port Lincoln
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
    • Cygnet Folk Festival
    • Tamar Valley Folk Festival
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • Australian Open Tennis
    • Melbourne Australia Day celebrations
    • summer music festivals - eg. Summadayz
    • Big Day Out music festival - Australia Day
  • Regional:
    • New Year's Day Horse Racing and Food Carnival at Hanging Rock
    • Red Hill Country Music Festival Mornington Peninsula
    • Coolart Jazz Festival Mornington Peninsula
    • Chill Island music festival - Phillip Island
    • Mossvale Music Festival - Meeniyan, South Gippsland
    • Alpine Valleys Gourmet Weekend
    • Australian Federation Tattoo - a Scottish Tattoo in Ballarat
    • Opera in the Alps
    • Rutherglen concert at the winery
    • Nariel Creek Folk Festival
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:

• Tropfest - short film festival all cities
• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
  • Regional:
    • Cobargo Folk Festival
    • Corinbank Canberra, ACT
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
    • Beachport Festival by the Sea
    • Taste the Limestone Coast Festival - The Italian Way - Narracoorte
    • Jazz in the Monster Mine - Burra
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • Melbourne International Music & Blues Festival
    • St Kilda Festival
    • Chinese New Year celebrations
  • Regional:
    • Grampians Jazz Festival
    • Echuca-Moama Jazz Festival
    • Drouin Ficifolia Festival 1st 2 wks Feb (Gippsland)
    • Tastes of the Prom
    • Warrnambool Wunta festival
    • Whittlesea Country Music Festival
    • Hanging Rock Harvest Picnic - last Sunday in Feb?
    • West Gippsland - Hot Sauce & Fiery Foods Festival - Redback Chilli Co, Jindivick
    • biennial Australian International Airshow - Avalon
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:
    • Nannup Music Festival

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade - 2nd March 2013
  • Regional:
    • Blue Mountains Music Festival
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • Moomba festival
    • Grand Prix car racing - March 26th 2011
    • Melbourne International Fashion Week
    • Great Melbourne Bike Ride
    • Melbourne International Comedy Festival
    • Brunswick Music Festival
    • Sunbury BackRoad Music Festival - March 26th 2011
    • Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
    • Mordialloc by the Bay Fine Food, Wine & Music Festival
    • The Basin Music Festival
  • Regional:
    • Mossvale Park Music Festival - Berry's Creek, Meeniyan, South Gippsland
    • Inverloch Jazz Festival
    • Ballarat Begonia Festival - 1st 2wks March
    • Port Fairy Folk Festival
    • Apollo Bay Music Festival
    • Yackandandah Folk Festival
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Sydney Royal Easter Show
  • Regional:
    • National Folk Festival, Canberra
    • Byron Bay Bluesfest - East Coast Blues & Roots Festival
    • The Australian Celtic Festival - Glen Innes
    • Tullamore Irish Festival - near Parkes, Easter weekend
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • Melbourne Jazz Festival
  • Regional:
    • Bell's Beach world surfing championship over Easter
    • Easter holiday camping
    • Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, Corryong
    • Milawa Brown Brothers Easter Wine and Food Festival
    • Mossvale Music Festival - Meeniyan, South Gippsland
    • Anderson's Mill Festival - food & music at the old bluestone mill in Smeaton
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Sydney Italian Festival
    • Head On photography portrait festival
  • Regional:
    • Australian Science Festival, Canberra
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
    • Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival
  • Regional:
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Darling Harbour Jazz Festival
  • Regional:
    • Winter Magic Festival, Katoomba, Blue Mountains
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
    • Abbey Medieval Festival - Caboolture
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
  • Regional:
  • Milawa Brown Brothers Winter Wine and Food Festival
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
  • Regional:
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
  • Regional:
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
  • Regional:
    • Bellingen Jazz Festival
    • Dubbo Jazz Festival
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
    • Cairns Festival
    • National Country Music Muster, Amamoor, via Gympie
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
  • Regional:
    • Bendigo Jazz Festival
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:
• Northern Territory:
  • Yothu Yindi Foundation & Garma Festival

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Festival of the Winds Bondi Beach
  • Regional:
    • Australian Springtime Flora Festival, near Gosford
    • Canberra Floriade Flower Festival and Nightfest
    • Leura Gardens Blue Mountains Spring Festival
    • Southern Highlands Tulip Time Festival, Bowral
    • Turning Wave Festival - Festival of Irish and Australian Music, Gundagai
    • Wagga Wagga Jazz Festival
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
    • Brisbane Rivefest
  • Regional:
    • Reggae Town, Island Roots Reggae festival, Cairns
    • Big River Jazz, Rockhampton
    • Coast Acoustics- Festival on the Creek, Neranwood
    • Magnetic Island, Great Tropical Jazz Party
    • Noosa Jazz Festival
    • Redland Spring Festival - Moreton Bay
    • Wallaby Creek Festival, Far North,QLD
    • Winton Outback festival
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • Spring Fashion Week
    • Royal Melbourne Show
    • AFL football final series
    • Tesselaar Tulip Festival, Olinda
    • cherry blossoms briefly in bloom eg. Rhododendron Gardens, Olinda early-mid Sept. pending weather
  • Regional:
    • Mildura Country Music Festival
    • Soveriegn Hill Music Festival, Ballarat
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:
    • Broome Shinju Matsuri Festival

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Comedy Festival on Cockatoo Island
    • Manly Jazz Festival
    • Mosman festival
  • Regional:
    • Bellingen Global Carnival
    • Cobar Festival of the Miner's Ghost
    • Coffs Harbour- International Buskers & Comedy Festival
    • Deniliquin Ute Muster - Country, Rock, Blues Music
    • Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival
    • Eden Whale Festival
    • Grafton Jacaranda Festival
    • Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival
    • Kurrajong Scarecrow Festival, Hawkesbury region
    • Leura Gardens Festival
    • Glen Innes, Land of the Beardies Festival
    • Great Southern Blues & Rockabilly Festival, Narooma
    • Mungindi Music Festival, near Moree on the NSW,Qld border
    • Uranquinty Folk Festival, near Wagga Wagga
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
    • Valley Fiesta - Fortitude Valley
  • Regional:
    • Yungaburra Folk Festival, North Queensland
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
    • Port Festival, Port Adelaide
  • Regional:
    • Fleurieu Folk Festival, Willunga
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • AFL Grand final Aussie Rules football
    • Melbourne International Arts Festival
  • Regional:
    • Maldon Folk Festival - last weekend of October
    • Port Fairy Spring Fest - Music Festival
    • Wangaratta Festival of Jazz
    • Kyneton Macedon Ranges Jazz Festival
    • Creswick Forestry Fiesta
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional:
    • Nanga Music Festival, Dwellingup

• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Newtown Festival
    • Glebe Music Festival
  • Regional:
    • Ardlethan Country Energy Art and Jazz Festival - near Wagga Wagga
    • Blue Mountains - Blackheath Rhododendron Festival
    • Gundagai Dog On The Tuckerbox Festival
    • High&Dry Festival, St. Albans
    • Majors Creek Folk Festival, Majors Creek, via Braidwood
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
    • OzManouche Gypsy Jazz Festival
  • Regional:
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
    • Robe Village Fair - outdoor rock music, wine tasting
  • Tasmania:
    • Hobart:
    • Regional:
  • Victoria:
    • Melbourne:
      • Spring horse racing festival:
        • Derby Day - Saturday before Melb. Cup;
        • Melbourne Cup - 1st Tuesday of Nov.;
        • Oak's Day - ladies day - Thursday after Melb. Cup
        • Emirate's Cup - Saturday after Melb. Cup
    • Regional:
      • Beechworth Celtic Festival
      • Milawa Brown Brothers Wine and Food Festival
      • Astronomical Society Victoria VicSouth stargazing weekend Little Desert National Park near Nhill
      • Harrietville Bluegrass & Traditional Country Music Convention Festival
      • Queenscliff Music Festival
      • Phillip Island Jazz Festival
      • Mossvale Music Festival - Meeniyan, South Gippsland
  • Western Australia:
    • Perth:
      • Fremantle Festival
    • Regional:
      • Blues at Bridgetown

• New Year's Eve celebrations
• NSW:
  • Sydney:
    • Boxing Day Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
  • Regional:
    • National Cherry Festival, Young
    • Grabine Music Muster, Grabine, Via Bigga
    • Festival of the Sun - beach in Port Macquarie
• Queensland:
  • Brisbane:
  • Regional:
    • Woodford Folk Festival, Sunshine Coast
• Sth Australia:
  • Adelaide:
  • Regional:
• Tasmania:
  • Hobart:
  • Regional:
• Victoria:
  • Melbourne:
    • Melbourne Womens Jazz Festival
    • RVIB Carol's by Candlelight
    • Boxing Day holiday (26th): 1st day of cricket test match at MCG - usually a sell-out; new films released at cinemas, retail sales
    • New Year's Eve events in Melbourne and listed on Only Melbourne
  • Regional:
    • Summer wine festivals in Mornington Peninsula
    • Summer Harvest Jazz Music Festival at Nedlands Lavendar Farm, Mornington Peninsula
    • Astronomical Society Victoria Star-Be-Cue - Heathcote - annual family day BBQ and star gazing event
    • Yuulong Lavender Festival, Mt Egerton, Ballarat
    • Meredith Music Festival
    • The Falls Music & Arts Festival, Lorne, New Year's Eve and preceding days
• Western Australia:
  • Perth:
  • Regional: