Discover adventure around every corner
Love the bright lights of the city? Nothing beats exploring an exciting new metropolis and discovering everything from hidden alleyways to hole-in-the-wall bars and world-class eateries.
Australia's cities come to life in the colder months, with pumping events and festivals, live music, foodie fiestas and huge sporting occasions happening across the country. With so much going on, lower prices and less crowds to contend with, winter is the perfect time to dive in and discover a new capital!
If your happy place is somewhere buzzing and vibrant with adventure round every corner, brighten your winter with an affordable city adventure to one of the great destinations below.
Explore city stays
Experience Adelaide
Full of culture, arts, music and great food, Adelaide is an intriguing and delightful city to explore over winter. And that's without even mentioning the spectacular Illuminate Adelaide electrifying the nights in July with colour and light.
Experience Hobart
Looking for a truly magical winter getaway? The only Aussie city to regularly get snow, Hobart is also blessed with hearty restaurants, cosy bars and a roaring calendar of seasonal events and festivals to enjoy.
Experience Melbourne
The bustling, internationally renowned metropolis of Melbourne gets even more active in the colder months. Night markets, winter festivals, sporting events and live music abound – there's really no better time to visit!
Experience Brisbane
Queensland's eternally underrated capital is never more so than during its mild 'off-season'. It's a no brainer to head here in June-August – plus, if you're from anywhere non-tropical, it'll barely even feel like winter!
Experience Fremantle
Dodge the heat and visit Fremantle when the tourists don’t. Perth's mild winters are made even milder with Freo’s proximity to the coast, and this vibrant port city has a wealth of museums, galleries and historical sites to enjoy with thinner crowds.
Experience Sydney
Internationally recognised as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the Harbour City is no less spectacular in winter, especially when Australia's biggest and most famous festival of light, Vivid, comes to town from May-June.
Experience Newcastle
Australia’s 8th-largest city by population, it’s no surprise Newcastle has lots going on all year round. Visit in the colder months for great food, breweries, and a buzzing live music scene, plus glimpses of migrating whales off-shore.
Discover unique winter events in the city
If happiness to you means exploring vibrant places and having new experiences, winter's plethora of exciting events and festivals are worth getting excited about. Ignite your winter with dazzling light shows, hearty festivals, and scrumptious culinary events to nourish the soul. Check out our favourite winter events below.
Vivid Sydney
23 May – 14 June | Transforming Sydney for 23 days and nights, Vivid lights up the city with awe-inspiring art installations and 3D light projections, casting a magical glow upon Sydney’s iconic buildings and urban spaces.
Illuminate Adelaide
5 – 21 July | lluminate Adelaide is South Australia's answer to Vivid, held annually on Kaurna Country. The festival is the city's brightest celebration of art, light, music, and technology and brings late nights, bright lights, and big adventures.
Dark Mofo
5 – 15 & 21 June | Hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art, pagan-inspired Dark Mofo rings in winter with an utterly unique calendar of exhilarating, colourful and often challenging events, art installations and more.
Rising (Melbourne)
4 – 15 June | Making its return this year, RISING is a festival of new art, music, and performance lighting up the long winter nights in the heart of Naarm/Melbourne. Brave the chill and experience the city like you've never seen before.
South Australian Living Artists Festival
1 – 31 August | SALA is a showcase of South Australia’s living visual artists, with events and exhibitions featuring everyone from grass roots to world-famous artists held across Adelaide and beyond.
Wallabies (Rugby Union)
July – September | See the Wallabies live in action in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth, with the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia and The Rugby Championship hot on its heels.
Sydney Marathon
31 August | Recently joining London and New York as an Abbott World Marathon Major, the Sydney Marathon's 42.2km route features stunning views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Milsons Point and Sydney Opera House and more.
State of Origin
28 May (Brisbane), 18 June (Perth), 9 July (Sydney) | Australian sport's greatest rivalry is back! This year, the 3-game rugby league series is contested across multiple states with games in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
