Gippsland has long been known for its wineries, vineyards, lakes, coastline and country drives, but that is only part of the story. Across 2026, the region’s calendar also brings together family attractions and active outdoor events that give each season its own rhythm.
This guide focuses on standout Gippsland events currently listed from autumn to early summer. It is designed for couples planning a weekend away, families building a road trip, and travellers who want a practical reason to explore more of the region.
Month-by-Month Gippsland Festival & Event
Month | Highlight Event | Best for |
| May | Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival | Families, makers, quirky regional events |
| June | Loch Village Food and Wine Festival | Couples, tasting day trips, winter road trips |
| June to July | East Gippsland Winter Festival | Winter escapes, food, art and atmosphere |
| September | Wild Harvest Seafood Festival | Coastal food trips and East Gippsland detours |
| October to November | Light Night, Omeo High Country Caravan and RV Muster, International Rose Garden Festival Morwell | Families, caravan travellers, spring weekends |
| December | The Hallora Marathon | Active travellers, families and group weekends |
Major Festivals & Annual Events in Gippsland 2026
Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival
- Venue: 13 Falls Road, Fish Creek, VIC 3959
- Date & Time: 16 May to 24 May 2026; From 10 AM
The Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival is one of those regional events that only works because the town fully commits to the idea. Held every two years, Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival pairs a large tea cosy exhibition with workshops, talks, performances, high tea and market activity, giving it a strong community personality that feels quite different from the better-known Gippsland food festivals.
Loch Village Food and Wine Festival 2026
- Venue: Loch Railway Reserve, Speight Street, Loch, Victoria, 3945
- Date & Time: 7 June 2026; 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Ticket price: $20 online plus booking fee, or $25 at the gate. Children under 18 are free with an adult.
If your idea of a good winter outing involves regional produce, a tasting glass and live music in a small-town setting, Loch is one to watch. This South Gippsland event is especially strong with mixed wines, beers, ciders and spirits with restaurant pop-ups and food trucks, so there is enough variety for mixed groups, not just dedicated wine drinkers.
East Gippsland Winter Festival
- Venue: Slipway Sheds, Lakes Entrance VIC 3909
- Date & Time: 19 June to 19 July 2026
The East Gippsland Winter Festival is one of the biggest seasonal events in the region and easily the standout Gippsland winter festival on this list. East Gippsland Winter Festival spreads across East Gippsland with a month-long program of light installations, winter feasts, music, art, culture and cold-weather rituals such as solstice swims and bonfire nights, celebrating the long-standing tradition of the place.
Wild Harvest Seafood Festival
- Venue: Mallacoota and surrounding East Gippsland locations
- Date & Time: 25 to 27 September 2026
For travellers heading east, Wild Harvest Seafood Festival is one of the more distinctive food events on the Gippsland calendar. The festival highlights Mallacoota and the surrounding coastal region, with a clear local angle for food-festival. Food trucks and vendor booths add to the festival energy, giving visitors an easy way to taste local flavours, browse coastal produce, and enjoy the lively atmosphere around Mallacoota.
Island Whale Festival
- Venue: Festival Hub at 91-97 Thompson Avenue, Cowes, VIC 3922, with activities across Phillip Island
- Date & Time: 3 July to 5 July 2026
Island Whale Festival sits just beyond Gippsland proper on Phillip Island, but it can work well for travellers extending a South Gippsland and Bass Coast road trip. Island Whale Festival combines whale spotting, marine education, kids’ activities and cultural programming around the annual winter arrival of humpback and southern right whales, which gives it a genuine sense of season and place, blending into the landscapes and witnessing an annual return of sea creatures.
Truffles & Flames (Neerim South)
- Venue: Scotch Hill Truffle Farm, 119 McDougal Road, Neerim South
- Date & time: Saturday 11 July 2026, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
- Ticket price: A$144.00.
This is one of the most appealing Gippsland seasonal events for serious food lovers. Part of the Noojee Truffle Festival, Truffles & Flames pairs a guided hunt with trained truffle dog Boogie and a fireside tasting in open rolling hills with Mount Baw Baw views. Truffles & Flames (Neerim South) feels intimate, sensory and very grounded in place, giving visitors a chance to have an exceptional experience here.
Light Night
- Venue: 103 Bairnsdale-Dargo Road, Bairnsdale, VIC 3875
- Date: 31 October 2026
Light Night offers a family-friendly alternative to Halloween, with the emphasis on costumes, music, face painting, jumping castles and community connection rather than anything spooky. Light Night makes it particularly useful for parents with younger children who want the fun of dressing up without the scarier edge that often comes with Halloween events.
Omeo High Country Caravan and RV Muster
- Venue: Omeo Golf Club, 21 Stanley Drive, Omeo
- Date: 30 October to 4 November 2026
- Ticket price: $150 per vehicle for up to five days
Omeo High Country Caravan and RV Muster is more about the social side of a country’s long weekend. With camping-style convenience, entertainment such as live music, fireworks, market stalls across several days and a setting at the Omeo Golf Club, this event suits travellers who enjoy the practical, communal side of regional events with every imaginable amenity to enjoy.
International Rose Garden Festival Morwell
- Venue: Cnr Commercial Road and Maryvale Crescent, Morwell, VIC 3840
- Date & Time:
- 6 November 2026: 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
- 7 November 2026: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
The 2026 International Rose Garden Festival Morwell celebrates over 4,000 blooming roses in the award-winning Morwell Centenary Rose Garden. Held in the heart of Morwell, the weekend event features family-friendly activities, workshops, Devonshire tea, horticultural experts, live performances, and local market stalls around the efflorescence bloom.
Omeo and District Show
- Venue: Park St, Omeo VIC 3898
- Date: 13 November to 14 November 2026
- Ticket price: adults $15, students $10, pensioners $10.
The Omeo and District Show brings the agricultural show tradition into the high country with sheepdog trials, wood chopping, horse events, pavilion competitions and plenty of family entertainment. The Omeo and District Show stands out as it is rooted in local life rather than staged only for visitors, which gives the weekend a stronger sense of authenticity. Visitors can come and try some food trucks’ delicious food served on the spots, then attend rituals to celebrate the spirit of the festival.
The Hallora Marathon
- Venue: Tarwin Street, Warragul, VIC 3820
- Date: 13 December 2026
The Hallora Marathon blends community fundraising with an accessible, all-ages event format, which is part of its appeal. With multiple distance options and funds supporting Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, it suits people who want their summer event to feel social and energetic with physical activities.
Live Music & Performance in Gippsland 2026
The Australian Eagles Show: “50 Years of Hotel California.”
- Venue:
- Date & Time:
- Friday 8 May 2026, 7:30 PM (Warragul).
- Saturday 9 May 2026, 7:30 PM (Traralgon).
- Ticket price: From $60
The Australia Eagles Show is one of the significant classic rock picks for live music in Gippsland 2026. The first half performs Hotel California in full, while the second half moves through Eagles favourites like “Desperado,” “New Kid in Town”, and “Life in the Fast Lane.”
The Beatles Anthology
- Venue:
- Date & Time: 4 June and 7 June 2026, 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM.
The Beatles Anthology recreates different Beatles eras across a two-hour live performance, from the early matching-suits years to the psychedelic phase, with period costumes, hairstyles, on-stage banter and even a left-handed “Paul.”
Choirboys Live: “Great Australian Rock N Roll Stories.”
- Venue:
- Date & Time:
- Traralgon: 23 May 2026, 8:00 pm.
- Bairnsdale: 29 May 2026, 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
- Ticket price: Traralgon full price $79, concession $75, group of 8+ $75, VIP meet-and-greet $150.
Choirboys mixes live songs with backstage stories from Australia’s pub rock era. The show is built around the band’s own memories, plus tracks linked to acts like AC/DC, The Angels, Dragon, Divinyls and Deep Purple.
Vika & Linda: “Where Do You Come From?”
- Venue: West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul.
- Date & Time: Friday 7 August 2026, 7:30 PM.
- Ticket price: All tickets $89.
Vika & Linda’s 2026 tour supports their ninth studio album ”Where Do You Come From?” due for release on 5 June 2026, and brings a set built around personal, heartfelt songs performed with their band, The Bullettes. That gives Vika & Linda’s show a warmer, more intimate feel, with new material likely to sit alongside the duo’s most recognisable songs.
Planning Tips for Your Gippsland Festival
Plan For Seasonal Weather
Gippsland’s conditions can change quickly from one part of the region to another. Winter events often mean cold evenings and outdoor settings, while spring and summer festivals call for sun protection, light layers and comfortable shoes.
Book Your Stay Early
Accommodation in popular areas can fill fast during major festival weekends. Booking ahead gives you better choices, a more relaxed schedule and less need to stay far from the events you want to attend.
Build Your Trip Around One Main Event
Start with the festival, performance or market you most want to see, then plan the rest of the weekend around it. This makes the itinerary feel easier and gives you time to enjoy Gippsland without rushing from place to place.
Add One Or Two Outdoor Experiences
Gippsland is not only about festivals. Scenic drives, coastal walks, rail trails and village stops can balance the itinerary and help the experience feel more memorable.
Stay at Carrajung Estate After Exploring Gippsland Festivals
With onsite accommodation available, Carrajung Estate gives guests the freedom to enjoy Gippsland’s festivals, markets, and seasonal events without rushing the day. After exploring the region, you can return to the estate, unwind in a quiet vineyard setting, and rest properly before continuing your trip the next morning.
Located around two hours from Melbourne and roughly 30 minutes from Traralgon, Carrajung Estate is well-suited for travellers planning a festival weekend in Gippsland. Instead of treating the event as a long day trip, guests can turn it into a more relaxed regional escape.
Enjoy Carrajung Estate’s guided wine tastings:
- Friday – Sunday: 11 AM, 3 PM, or 5 PM
(Must be adjacent to a lunch or dinner booking. Not available during meal service.) - Monday – Thursday: 12 PM – 5 PM by appointment
Beyond the cellar door, Carrajung Estate invites guests into a more complete vineyard stay. With boutique cottages, chef-led dining, estate-grown wines and spaces designed for weddings and special occasions, the estate brings together the elements of a memorable regional escape in one setting. Booking directly is the best way to check current availability and plan the experience around your dates.
Danae Commercial PhotographyFAQs
1. What Is The Best Time Of Year To Visit Gippsland For Festivals?
April to July is especially strong if you enjoy food, wine and seasonal atmosphere, while October to November suits travellers looking for family events, garden festivals and classic country shows. The right month depends on whether you prefer autumn produce, winter programming or spring weekends on the road.
2. Are There Good Gippsland Family Events In 2026?
Yes. Gumbuya World’s Easter program, the Gumbuya World Running Festival, Light Night and the Omeo and District Show all work well for families, though the age mix and pace differ from event to event.
3. Which Gippsland Events Are Best For Food And Wine Lovers?
Tinamba Food and Wine Festival and Loch Village Food and Wine Festival are the clearest picks, and East Gippsland Winter Festival is also worth considering if you want food woven into a broader seasonal program.
4. Should I Book Accommodation Early For Gippsland Festival Weekends?
Yes, especially for well-known weekends and smaller towns where room supply is naturally tighter. Booking early gives you a better chance of staying close to the event and building a slower, more enjoyable itinerary around it.
5. Where Can I Stay If I Want To Combine Festivals With Food, Wine And A Country Escape?
Carrajung Estate is a strong option for travellers who want boutique accommodation, seasonal dining and estate-grown wines in one place while exploring central Gippsland and the wider region. It is particularly well suited to couples, small groups and guests, turning an event weekend into a longer stay.
