"Parade of Sail" Festival Opening. Credit: AWBF / Doug Thost
The next Australian Wooden Boat Festival will be held 7 - 10 February 2025.
The preview program for the 2025 Festival will be released in early November 2024.
For a glimpse of what's ahead take a look at our past programming here: 2023 Festival Program.
AWBF is Tasmania’s largest free event and the largest celebration of wooden boats and maritime culture in the Southern Hemisphere. Founded in 1994, the four-day festival is held biennially in Hobart, spanning the entire waterfront and feeding into the city beyond.
Hobart's historic port bursts to life with a vibrant atmosphere, offering a curated blend of experiences. The festival features a stunning collection of wooden vessels, from historic tall ships and classic yachts to traditional fishing boats. Visitors can enjoy the grandeur of the opening Parade of Sail, and the closing Admiral’s Sail, along with on-water displays, boat cruises and tours, symposium talks, workshops, cooking demos, exhibitions, theatre, film, live music at the festival tavern, delicious Tasmanian food and drink, and a dedicated kids' maritime precinct with shaded areas and plenty of activities.
A festival much-loved by Tasmanians, mainlanders and overseas friends, the event is powered by passionate individuals, community groups and organisations committed to protecting and celebrating wooden boats and maritime culture. Those who’ve not attended may think it’s a niche event only for devout wooden boat enthusiasts. They’d be wrong.
Despite being a not-for-profit, the AWBF is big. In 2023, the festival welcomed 450+ wooden boats, 100+ exhibitors and vendors, 250+ performers, speakers, authors and chefs, and saw 60,000 visitations across four days, with 10,000 attendees on site at any one time. This was all delivered by a small team of highly skilled staff and an amazingly talented and dedicated 350+ strong volunteer crew. Our incredible partners and donors also contribute to our success by providing generous financial and in-kind support. And, of course, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the boat owners and enthusiasts who make the AWBF possible. Thank you all!
Fair winds, and see you in 2025!
