Perhaps one of the greatest ways to unite a community with the travellers that pass through it is with festivals and events, and in Noosa, there has no shortage of either. Due to the beauty of the region, Noosa has become a mecca for festivals and events related to art, surfing, food and wine, as well as other performances like theatre, music, or influential talks. With accommodation so close to town and some of the best venues, it’s easy to turn the event or festival your attending into a trip of the senses. Below is a list of festivals and events that take place in Noosa throughout the year. Plan your trip around them, or get lucky and knock two birds in one stone if you happen to be there at the same time.
Active Events:
With a community so ingrained in the environment around it, events surrounding activities like running, cycling, and surfing are only natural.
Runaway Noosa Marathon
Taking place in May, this marathon winds through Noosa’s main town and beachside and will have several distances to choose from. The marathon will be bustling with fun thanks to the ability to run in teams, join in on live music, or the ability to jump into the crystal waters of Noosa Main Beach to cool off.
Noosa Ultraman
A true test of endurance, the Noosa Ultraman challenges competitors to embark on a 10km swim, 420km bike ride, and an 84.4km run through Noosa, Laguna Bay, and Noosa National Park.
Noosa Festival of Surfing
The biggest event of the year and one of the world’s largest surf events is the Noosa Festival of Surfing that takes place every March. Surfers young and old come together to compete on Noosa’s famous peeling waves that have clean conditions year after year. Don’t be surprised if you see surfing dogs catching a wave or two. The surf culture in Noosa is immense, with arts, music, and films all taking place during the competition.
Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival
This sports festival, also known as the winter festival is a multi-sport event involving competitors in a swim, cycling and running taking place in May every year.
Noosa Blue Water Swim or Summer Swim
In the months of May and February, different swim events take place allowing people to come together and swim into the big ocean blue, either for 1km, 2km or a 500m swim through Tea Tree Bay and Noosa Main Beach.
Noosa Triathlon
Taking place in October, Noosa hosts one of the biggest triathlons in the country challenging both national and international competitors to swim 1,500m, cycle 40km, and finish with a run of 10km.
Arts and Culture:
Arts and culture are also a vibrant facet of the Noosa community, and several large events inspired are inspired by it every year. Aside from annual events, there are also markets, galleries, and museums that are open year-round for anyone looking to experience the culture of Noosa.
Australian Body Art Festival
Each year, artists around Australia take part in this festival in drawing, painting, and airbrushing live models with wearable art. Every year’s art is influenced by a different theme, making it a fun and exciting event for everyone to attend.
Noosa Rainbow River Festival
This festival brings about sheer fun for one weekend celebrating the LGBTI community of Australia. Join in drinks by the river, a bar hop, and plenty of music and parades around the town.
Noosa International Food & Wine
One of the largest events of the year celebrates the culinary achievements of chefs in Noosa with the Noosa Food and Wine festival. People come together to see what some of Noosa’s finest have been experimenting with in food that becomes art itself. Those in attendance will dine along the beaches, rivers, and throughout the hinterland of Noosa indulging in local produce, textures and tastes inspired by the region.
Noosa Alive
An expansive experience in arts, culture, literature, dance, and music is hosted by Noosa Live where they showcase performances by so many artists in many different mediums. Many events are free, making it a perfect way to spend the weekend getting the rundown on creativity that goes on in Noosa.