FAQs

Everyone! Our Festival is a safe, inclusive and welcoming space where audiences of all ages and demographics can binge on a fabulous array of artistic offerings. We offer something for everyone and encourage you to try something you might not normally see – we promise you’ll be surprised and delighted!

The 2025 Darwin Festival will run from Thursday 7 – Sunday 24 August.

The beating heart of Darwin Festival is Festival Park, located on the corner of Smith St and Harry Chan Ave in the Darwin CBD. Other venues are situated within and around the CBD, as well as across greater Darwin.

Program Guides are distributed throughout Darwin, including at Top End Visitor Information Centre, Darwin International Airport, and at local cafes, restaurants, retail stores and art galleries.

During the Festival, program guides will be available at the Festival Park Box Office.

You can download your own copy here.

A text only version of the Program Guide can be found here

You can find detailed information, including accessibility features, on our Venues page.

Darwin Festival is committed to making our events as accessible as possible for everyone to enjoy. For detailed accessibility information, please visit the Venues page. Under each major performance venue, you’ll find a dedicated Accessibility Details section.

For more information about Darwin Festival’s access services, including accessible performances, please visit the Accessibility page.

Please email access@darwinfestival.org.au or call the Box Office on 08 8943 4222 to discuss your access requirements.

Festival Park is our festival hub. It’s where you’ll find our main stage, INPEX Sunset Stage, the venue for all the best music, as well as Brown’s Mart Theatre and Studio, where you can experience theatre, cabaret, comedy and dance. Enjoy free gigs at Darwin Port Bandstand and delicious food and drinks from on-site vendors and our bars.

• Where is Festival Park?
  Festival Park is located on the corner of Smith St and Harry Chan Ave in the Darwin CBD. Entry is via Smith Street.
• What time does Festival Park open?
  Festival Park is open from 5pm until late, 7-24 August (excluding Mondays).
• Do I have to pay to enter?
  Entry into Festival Park is free. However, tickets are required for shows at INPEX Sunset Stage and Brown’s Mart.
• Is there seating available?
  Seating is available throughout the park, along with plenty of space for BYO picnic rugs.
• What food and drink options are available?
  We have fantastic local food vendors available at Festival Park. To view our food offerings, please visit our Festival Food page. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available to purchase from our festival bars. BYO alcohol is strictly prohibited.
• Can the kids come?
  Festival Park is a licensed venue. Under 18s are permitted with a parent or guardian.
• Can I bring my dog?
  Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate pets at our Festival sites, with the exception of registered assistance dogs. We kindly ask that you leave your beloved furry family members at home for their well-being.

• Where is Fort Hill Parklands?
  Fort Hill Parklands is an open-air venue located within the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. Entry is via Kitchener Drive.
• What time do the gates open?
  Gates open at 5:30pm. Please see the Performance Notes section on the event page for set times.
• How do I get there?
  • Nearby parking options include the Fort Hill Carpark, the Kitchener Drive Multi-level Carpark, and the State Underground Carpark.
  • Ride-share and taxi services can drop you off at designated pick-up and drop-off zones.
  • To avoid delays, we recommend using public transport or rideshare services. For the latest schedules and route information, please visit the NT Government Public Transport website.
• What is included in the Premium Ticket option?
  Premium Ticket holds can enjoy priority entry, 2 drink vouchers, and access to the exclusive VIP area with unreserved seating, a dedicated bar and toilets. Strictly 18+
• Is there seating available?
  • The general admission area for performances at Fort Hill Parklands is standing-only. Seating is not provided, and BYO chairs or picnic blankets are not permitted. Premium ticket holders will have access to an exclusive VIP area with unreserved seating.
  • If you have accessibility requirements, please contact us at access@darwinfestival.org.au or call (08) 8943 4222 to discuss your options.
• What food and drink options are available?
  Food and drink will be available from onsite food stalls and the bar. More information will be provided closer to the event date.

• Where is Darwin Amphitheatre? 
  Darwin Amphitheatre is located in the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens.
• What time do the gates open?
  Gates open at 6pm.
• How do I get there?
  • Darwin Amphitheatre is approximately a 20-minute walk from the Darwin CBD and a short stroll from Mindil Beach.
  • Ride-share and taxi services can drop you off at designated pick-up and drop-off zones.
  • Parking at the venue is limited due to road closures. Overflow parking is available at Mindil Beach via Gilruth Avenue; however, spaces can fill quickly during major events.
  • To avoid delays, public transport is recommended. Bus routes 4, 6, and 15 operate services to Mindil Beach. Plan your journey here.
  • Please note that Gardens Road will be closed between Chin Quan Road and Gilruth Avenue on the night of these shows.
• Is seating provided at Darwin Amphitheatre events?
  • No seating is provided at the venue, we encourage you to BYO picnic blankets and low chairs.
  • Customers with access requirements are permitted to bring tall chairs. Please email access@darwinfestival.org.au or phone the Box Office on (08) 8943 4222 to discuss your access requirements.
• What food and drink options will be available?
  Food and drink stalls will be open. Please note that The National Indigenous Music Awards is an alcohol-free event.

If you’re at Festival Park, please report your lost item to the Box Office staff. If you’ve left the venue or lost the item at a different location, email hello@darwinfestival.org.au.

Fundraising is not permitted by anyone on site. Advertising is limited to the Darwin Festival website, and for Festival partners who may advertise via our digital advertising packages and at Darwin International Airport. Other businesses are not permitted at any time to advertise at the Festival.

Most Darwin Festival events are General Admission and do not have allocated seating. However, some venues — such as the Darwin Entertainment Centre — do offer allocated seating. For events at these venues, you can select your preferred seat when booking online, or the system will automatically assign you the best available option.

For performances in a theatre or at INPEX Sunset Stage, we recommend you arrive between 30 minutes and an hour before the show. The time on your ticket is when all patrons need to be seated.

For music performances at Darwin Amphitheatre, Darwin Ski Club, Fort Hill Parklands, and Goyder Square, your ticket will show the event start time. For door and set times, please refer to the individual event pages.

For safety reasons, some performances have a strict lockout policy, meaning no admission once the show has started. In some cases, latecomers may be admitted at a suitable break in the performance.

Lockout details and content warnings are clearly displayed on event listings, e-tickets, and reminder emails. Please note that refunds are not available for late arrivals to events with a strict lockout policy.

If tickets are unavailable, you can join the waitlist by clicking ‘Join waitlist’ on the event page. We’ll notify you if more tickets become available. Final release tickets may be added closer to the event date, so keep an eye on our website.

Yes, many of our events are free! Please use the search filters on the What’s On page to find these events. Some free events still require booking, so please read the event listing to ensure you don’t miss out.

Please refer to the How to Book Accessible Tickets section on our Accessibility page for detailed information. Click here to view. 

Please refer to the Accessibility Symbols section on our Accessible page for detailed information. Click here to view. 

Yes, holders of a government issued companion card can access a free ticket for their companion. Companion tickets cannot be booked online. Please email access@darwinfestival.org.au or call our box office on (08) 8943 4222. Information on our companion ticket booking process can be found here.

Darwin Festival 2025 has a diverse and exciting family program.  You can search our full range of family events by selecting the genre ‘Family’ on the search function. 

For non-family events, please consider that production elements such as loud music, bright lights, pyrotechnic stage effects and show content can cause distress to infants/minors, and lack of light during a performance can be particularly hazardous when bringing a child with you. If your child is upset or restless, please consider exiting the venue for the benefit of other audience members and the performers.

All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. 

Under 18s are permitted at Festival Park, Festival Lawn and Darwin Amphitheatre, however must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Some ticketed events have age restrictions, or explicitly prohibit children from attending. Please check the age restriction of an event before purchasing tickets. 

Children under 24 months can attend most Festival events for free, unless stated otherwise on the event page. They must sit on the lap of a parent or guardian, not occupy a seat, and the event must not be strictly 18+.

Please be aware many venues may not have a cloakroom for prams. 

You can buy tickets online at darwinfestival.org.au, over the phone by calling (08) 8943 4222 or in person at the Top End Visitor Information Centre.  

During the Festival, you can also buy tickets at our Box Office located in Festival Park. 

Your booking confirmation email is your e-ticket for Darwin Festival performances. Present it on your smartphone—either directly from the email or via your saved ticket in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet—for scanning by venue staff upon arrival.

Pre-festival, you can purchase tickets through the Darwin Festival Box Office call centre. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 10am – 4pm.

You can also book tickets at the Top End Visitor Information Centre from Friday 6 June. Opening hours are Monday – Friday 9am – 4:30pm. Sat, Sun & public holidays 10am – 2pm.

The Festival Park Box Office opens on Thursday 7 August and operates Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm until 15 minutes after the final performance of the evening. Please note, the box office is closed on Mondays.

We ask for your personal information in order to deliver your ticket, process your payment and contact you in the case of cancellation or major disruption of an event. We take all reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

You can add your e-tickets to your Google or Apple Wallet by opening your booking confirmation on your phone. Below the Item Summary section, you’ll see an option to add your tickets directly to your wallet.

You can transfer your e-ticket simply by forwarding on your booking confirmation email. 

For group bookings, we recommend collecting printed tickets from the Box Office to distribute among your group.

Transaction fees are charged to cover the costs associated with the booking process. At Darwin Festival ticketing outlets, whether online, over the phone, or at our box offices, a flat transaction fee of $5.50 applies per booking. To reduce booking fees, you can save costs by booking multiple shows in a single transaction.

The booking confirmation email you receive after purchase serves as your tax invoice and, when applicable, a donation receipt.

Full Price 

The standard ticket price for a performance.

Preview 

Discounted tickets for sessions prior to the official opening of the event’s season. Please note the Multipack does not apply to Preview performances.

Community Tix

Community Tix are limited free and low-cost tickets available to not-for-profit organisations, charities, First Nations and multicultural organisations, as well as patrons holding a current Pension or Health Care Card. Visit the Community Tix page for more info.

Concession 

Concession tickets are available for the following: 

• Full-time students 
• Children (12) twelve years and under 
• Pensioner and carer concession card holders including Concession Scheme Card 
• Health Care Card holders 
• Seniors Card holders 
• BasicsCard holders 
• Companion Card holders 
• Australian Defence Force personnel 
• International defence force personnel 
• Proof of concession must be produced to obtain the concession price. Concessions are only available where advertised. Entry is free for children (2) two years and under (subject to advertised age restrictions). 

Group 8+
Groups of (8) eight or more for selected events indicated in the Ticket Type section on event pages may book at a discounted group price. See individual event pages for details.

Festival Multipack
Buy tickets to four or more different Darwin Festival events in the same transaction and save 10% on FULL PRICE tickets, some exclusions apply. 

If you’re a Friend of the Festival, your multipack discount is 15% on valid show tickets.

Friends of the Festival Discounts
Become a Friend of the Festival to receive 15% off your Darwin Festival tickets. Max 2 full priced tickets per event, some exclusions may apply. Visit our website’s Friends of the Festival page to explore all the member benefits. 

There are multiple reasons why these discounts may not have applied.

These discounts apply to full price tickets. If you have selected a concession ticket, in some instances this may be cheaper than the Friends/Multipack discount. The booking system is designed to always pull the cheapest option for you.

Some events are excluded from the Friends/Multipack discount. The following events are NOT eligible:

Amigo The Devil

An Idiots Guide to Wine: Volume 3

Comedy Bus Tour

Crown and Country

Festival Harbour Cruise

La Ronde – Preview performance (Thu 31 July) and all Fri & Sat performances.

Gloom and Gourmet

Golden Hour Bar Trail

Makan Club

Waterfront Cocktail Trail

Wonderbox

To redeem a Darwin Festival Gift Voucher, enter the 16-digit code from your confirmation email into the ‘Redeeming a Darwin Festival Gift Voucher?’ field at checkout. The voucher credit will then be applied automatically to your booking.

Vouchers purchased after 1 January 2023 are valid for three years from the purchase date, as stated in your confirmation email. Vouchers from previous years were only valid for their respective Festival periods and cannot be used for the current Festival.

If your gift voucher or credit note isn’t applied after entering it in the Gift Voucher field at checkout, there may be several reasons why:

• Check the code: Make sure you’ve entered the code correctly, without any typos or missing characters.
• Check for the most up-to-date code: If you’ve used this voucher before, it may have been reissued with a new code. Refer to your most recent confirmation email for the current code.
• Check the expiry date: Make sure your gift voucher or credit note is still valid. 

If you’ve checked all these factors and still have issues applying your gift voucher or credit note, please contact us at hello@darwinfestival.org.au or call the Darwin Festival Box Office on (08) 8943 4222, Monday to Friday, 10am–4pm.

When booking, select the number of Full Price tickets you want, then enter your promo code in the ‘Got a promo code?’ field at checkout. The discount will be applied automatically.

Please note: Promo codes can only be used on Full Price tickets, and only one promo code can be used per transaction.

Our memberships are digital and you can access discounts immediately after signing up via your Darwin Festival account. Along with the membership, you will receive regular updates via email.

Your Friends BetterCup can be collected from the Festival Park Box Office, which opens on Thursday, 7 August. The Box Office operates Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm until 15 minutes after the start of the final evening performance (excluding Club Awi). Please note the Box Office is closed on Mondays.

Bookings are made online at the same time as you purchase your tickets. Once you add tickets to your shopping cart you’ll receive a prompt — just make sure you are logged in to your account.

Bookings can be made for up to 4 seats per show and reservations are limited per show. Tables are limited, so get in quick!

Table service is NOT INCLUDED

For events eligible for a Friends discount, a heart icon will appear next to the full-price tickets. When you add tickets to your basket, the 15% Friends discount will be applied automatically and shown as “Friends 15% off.

To view a comprehensive list of events that do not qualify for the Friends discount, please visit the Friends page  and refer to the ‘Note’ section. Exclusions are also listed on the individual event page under ‘Other info’.

Your Friends discount will apply once tickets are added to your basket. Please ensure you’re signed into your Friends account and that the event is eligible for the discount (look for the purple heart icon).

Your membership will be automatically linked to your Festival account so you can start purchasing discounted tickets straight away. 

Membership cards are now digital and can be added to your Apple or Google Wallet.

Present this card to front-of-house staff to skip the queue at participating venues, and to bar staff to receive your Friends discount on beverages.

To add your membership card to your Apple or Google Wallet, open your membership confirmation email on your phone. Below the Item Summary section, you’ll see an option to add the card directly to your wallet. Follow the prompts to save it.

Friends can skip the queue for events at INPEX Sunset Stage. Look for the designated Friends of the Festival line outside this venue.

For Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday performances of La Ronde at the Spiegeltent, Friends can enter through the premium queue.

Ticket sales are non-refundable, except as mandated by law or as per the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice. For further information, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. If you would like further information, please contact hello@darwinfestival.org.au.

On some occasions, Darwin Festival is able to exchange tickets from one performance to another, provided the following requirements are met: 
a. The exchange request must be submitted in writing to hello@darwinfestival.org.au (please include your transaction ID)                                
b. The request for the exchange is for the same event at a different date or time 
c. The exchange must be of equal or greater value – for example, you cannot exchange from a full price performance to a preview performance 
d. Neither the original nor requested performances are sold out and 
e. the exchange is requested at least 48 hours prior to the original performance or event.  

An exchange fee of $5.50 applies to all exchanges.  

Read our Terms & Conditions here.

We love to tailor partnerships that meet our partners’ business objectives and we ensure every partnership with Darwin Festival is unique! For more information visit our Partnerships page.

You can find out all you need to know about supporting us financially on our Donate page.

Subscribe to our e-news so you don’t miss a thing. You’ll be the first to hear of exciting program reveals, competitions and news. Subscribe here.

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Follow us on Instagram to see behind the scenes pics, meet our artists and be inspired by all things Darwin Festival.

Subscribe to the Darwin Festival YouTube channel to see sizzle reels and highlight videos.

Use the #darwinfestival hashtag to tag your Instagram and Facebook posts and tweets.

All feedback received in writing will be responded to within seven days of receipt. Please email hello@darwinfestival.org.au or post to GPO Box 570 Darwin NT 0801.

You can also call the Darwin Festival Box Office on 08 8943 4222

Stay up to date on all Darwin Festival news and events by signing up to our e-news. Subscribe here.

Due to our artists’ performance contracts, the use of video and audio recording devices are strictly prohibited at Festival events, with the exception of official Festival photographers and videographers, any approved media representatives, and those with written permission from Festival management.

If you would like to apply for media accreditation, please email hello@darwinfestival.org.au. 

You may be filmed or photographed by Festival staff and contractors while taking part in Festival events. Any footage or photos may be used to promote the Festival in the future.

Darwin Festival is a fully curated event, with the artistic program being the result of the Artistic Director’s vision. However, Darwin Festival does invite expressions of interest from local artists every year. To find out more, visit our Artists page.

Festival employment opportunities are featured on our Join the team page. Please check back for future openings.

Great! Volunteer applications are now open.

For more information and to apply visit our Volunteers page.

Darwin Festival volunteers are generally engaged as Front of House and Information assistants. However, there are also roles specific to performances as well as administrative positions prior to the festival. Our 100+ volunteers help across the Festival venues including Festival Park, Brown’s Mart Theatre, Darwin Entertainment Centre and various other locations across Darwin City. 

We expect our volunteers to be able to: 

• Work closely with the general public.
• Work in a busy, constantly changing environment
• Interact with everyone from children to late night revelers
• Be able to work as part of a large team 

As a volunteer you must be over 16 years of age. We ask that volunteers help for a minimum of 8 hours or 3 shifts across the 18-day Festival. Shifts range from 3 to 5 hours. 

You will also be required to attend the compulsory volunteer briefing. 

We are committed to an inclusive and diverse volunteer team and welcome applications from everyone. 

We would like our volunteers to have a positive attitude, be punctual and be fluent in English. We appreciate those who have a commitment to making the Festival a fantastic experience for the public, guests and staff. Most of all we seek volunteers that have energy and enthusiasm for the Festival and our events. 

Your Volunteer Pass provides multiple benefits including free entry to some events. 

In addition to this, volunteers get to be a part of a creative environment where you can meet new people and engage with new challenges. 

After applications close the Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch to inform you whether your application has been successful. 

This is absolutely fine – we understand that things change. Please email hello@darwinfestival.org.au as soon as you are aware of any changes and with at least 48 hours’ notice.