Happy Australia Day to all you true blue Aussies out there! It’s a public holiday and most of you clever bludgers have probably taken tomorrow off as well, so you really want to make the most of your Aussie Day. Luckily, we’ve got the best activities in each city to ensure that you have the best Australia Day yet!
Sydney
Australia’s biggest city always has a range of fun and exciting Australia Day activities. Whether you want to hit the beach with your buddies or rally for greater recognition of Indigenous peoples in Australia, there really is something for everyone in Sydney. Here are our picks:
Hyde Park Summer Playground
12pm – midnight; Hyde Park, Sydney CBD
Sydney’s inner city park will host a day full of pop-up bars, food stalls and circus performances and much more.
Darling Harbour Australia Day Spectacular
12pm – 9:15pm; Darling Harbour, Sydney CBD
This FREE event boasts live music from Sneaky Sound System, a sound playground and fireworks, among other things.
Yabun Festival
10am – 6.30pm; Victoria Park, City Road, Camperdown
Australia’s largest single-day Indigenous festival features panel discussions, arts and crafts and even didgeridoo lessons.
Great Sydney Swim
8.30am – 11.30am; Farm Cove
To start Australia Day off right, why not brave the waters for the 2.2km Great Sydney Swim?
Melbourne
Known for it’s great food, drinks and entertainment, Melbourne’s celebrations for Australia Day make the most of it’s offerings. These are our favourites:
Australia Day Parade
11am – 12pm; Swanston St to St Kilda Road
The massive Melbourne parade celebrates the cultural diversity of Melbourne and paying homage to the ANZACs.
Australian Open Tennis
9am onwards; Federation Square, Melbourne City
This is a great opportunity to embrace that nationalistic love of sport. Grab some tickets and some mates and head to the tennis for a great Australia Day.
Embrace Aussie with Vegemite ice cream
Launches Australia Day; Dinner by Heston, Southbank
There’s nothing more Aussie than a taste of Vegemite, and this iconic chef has made the taste of Vegemite into a delicious dessert to be enjoyed by all. Try it if you dare.
Invasion Day Rally
11am – 2pm; Parliament of Victoria, Spring St
The Rally aims to use Australia Day to highlight the issues faced by Indigenous Australians, such as treatment in prisons.
Brisbane
Brisbane has some cracking and diverse Australia Day celebrations, so that, no matter what you like doing, you’ll be entertained. These are our favourites:
Australia Day Cockroach races
Throughout the day; The Story Bridge Hotel, Kangaroo Point
What could be more Australian than combining sport and nasty insects? Head to the Story Bridge Hotel to see this unique event.
Australia Day Fireworks
11am – 9pm; River Quay, Southbank
Although the fireworks don’t start until around 7.30pm, the festival at Southbank is worth spending a few hours exploring.
Great Australian Bites
11am – 8pm; Southbank, Brisbane
This festival features a lot of pop-up food stalls and live music to entertain Aussies of all ages.
Canberra
Australia’s capital does the nation proud with it’s Australia Day celebrations. There’s a real mix of events, so you’ll have a hard time sticking to just one choice. These are our top picks:
Australia Day Breakfast
7:30am – 10am; Stage 88, Commonwealth Park
This Canberra tradition is an excellent way to start your Australia Day off on the right foot.
Beer and bicycles
9am – 10am; Bentspoke Brewing Co, Mitchell
If you want to start your day with a bit of booze, this BBQ breakfast, beer, and bike ride package will satisfy all your expectations.
Australia Day Concert
4pm – 9:15pm; Regatta Point
This Australia Day concert is a focal point of Canberra’s celebrations, with British India headlining and fireworks to finish.
Adelaide
The South Australian capital has quite the family-friendly line-up for the national holiday. These are the best activities to bookmark:
Australia Day in the City
6pm onwards; Franklin St
This is South Australia’s largest Australia Day celebration and features one of the biggest Australia Day Parades in the whole nation.
Sounds at Serafino
10am – 9pm; Serafino McLaren Vale
This exciting concert is the best option for those who like their public holidays with a side of wine.
Semaphore Foreshore
12.30pm – 7.30pm; Semaphore Foreshore
Celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in a beautiful location, surrounded by live music and traditional dances.
Perth
West Australians are no strangers to backyard BBQs, beaching and beers, and Australia Day is no exception. Their Aussie Day celebrations are quintessentially Australian. Here are our favourites:
Australia Day Skyworks Fireworks
3pm onwards; various locations around the city
Although the actual fireworks don’t start until 8pm, the festivities throughout the city are worth a few hours of exploration.
Australia Thong Throwing Challenge
10am – 4pm; Cottesloe Beach
This popular Perth event couldn’t possibly be any more true blue Aussie unless it concluded with Bob Hawke chugging a tinny.
Australia Day Swim
8am-1pm; Mandurah
This swim has a choice of a 1km, 2km or 4km distance, so it’s not for the faint hearted but it is a lot of good Aussie fun.
Hobart
Last but certainly not least, Hobart puts on a great show of celebrations for our national holiday. These are the events not to miss:
A Day on the Beach
7am onwards; Kingston Beach
It’s got a beach, BBQs, sporting events, live music and the essential sandcastle building competition – it’s the perfect celebration of the Aussie lifestyle.
Luncheon on the Lawn
12pm – 6pm; Preachers Beer Garden, Battery Point
This laid-back event features two classic Aussie faves – beers and BBQ. Not to mention the beautiful outdoor setting.
Australia Day Concert
1pm onwards; St David’s Park, Hobart
Aussie legends The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd will take the stage at this celebration of Australian musical success.
So pop on your thongs, kick back, and relax this Australia Day!
