Australia offers a world of colourful cultural experiences, from food and drinks to horse racing, music, theatre, art and flowers

By Philip Lee

A festival is one of life’s happy events. It is a time when people showcase and celebrate their cultures in the performing arts, music, painting, food and wine, sports, community, history or lifestyles. These are enriching moments.

Australia is a country that abounds in festivals. There are hundreds of celebrations every year and these are as diverse as the communities which live on this vast island continent.

Travellers who time their visits to coincide with some of these festivities will find their sojourns truly enriched. Let us look at some of the festivals in the coming months.

We start with the River Festival in Queensland from Aug 29 to Sept 7. This is spring in Brisbane and it means clear, sunny days and cool nights.

Brisbane’s growth has been inextricably linked to the Brisbane River. Hence its other name, River City. Although the programme for this year’s festival is not finalised yet, last year’s event is a good gauge of what to expect.

Outdoor venues, all by the river, showcase programmes of art, culture, environmental science and sport. A highlight is the QBE River Fire, a spectacular fireworks display. There will be river cruises with food and wine, and short films on the many roles water plays in life, tree planting ceremonies and art exhibitions.

On a more serious side, this year will see the 11th International Riversymposium from Sept 1 to 4. The themes include climate change and rivers, water management, flood and drought control (www.riverfestival.com.au).

Canberra, Australia’s capital, celebrates Floriade (Sept 13 to Oct 12), a flower show with spectacular displays of more than one million bulbs and annuals in bloom. This is the centrepiece of the celebration, which includes entertainment, exhibitions, fabulous food and more. Visit Floriade Village, which features Australian arts and crafts, gourmet food and local beauty products. Entry to this gigantic flower show is free (www.floriadeaustralia.com).

Melbourne is the place to be on Nov 4 when the Melbourne Cup, the nation’s No. 1 horse racing event is held. This carnival is said to bring the nation to a standstill and this is why the day is a public holiday when almost everyone places a bet for a flutter. People turn up to also show off their clothes and hats (www.melbournecup.com).

Other festivals were held earlier this year but people who visit next year might want to take note although the dates are not fixed yet.

The Sydney Festival in January is an energetic celebration of dance, theatre, the visual arts, opera and music. This show features more than 100 events and the talents of more than 700 local and international artistes. Free jazz and symphony concerts are held at the Domain Stadium (www.sydneyfestival.com.au).

The Perth International Arts Festival from February to March offers some of the best international and contemporary drama, theatre, music, film, visual arts, street arts, literature, comedy and free community events (www.perthfestival.com.au).

We move back to Melbourne to enjoy the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival from February to March. With 140 events, visitors can enjoy the tastes of quality produce, gourmet food and the state’s famous varieties of fine wines. This event attracts food and wine experts from all over the world as well as chefs and winemakers (www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au).

Other festivals: The Adelaide Festival of Arts from February to March, a multi-arts event, and Sculpture by the Sea in March in Sydney. This features exhibitions of contemporary sculpture along Sydney’s Bondi Beach to the Tamarama coastal walk. Works by 100 Australian and overseas artists will be shown.