RUNNING
Schoolies Week Byron Bay
21 Nov 2026 – 12 Dec 2026
Byron Bay town
School-leaver celebrations from late November into early December that affect backpacker accommodation. Beds book out early and prices rise, and each hostel sets its own Schoolies-week rules, so check before you book. Plan to arrive before 21 Nov or after 12 Dec, or retreat to Brunswick Heads / Mullumbimby / Lennox Head during the peak.
Status: RUNNING — affects hostel pricing and availability from late November into early December. There are no official Byron dates, so check with your hostel.
⚠ Affects hostel pricing + availability — book early.
RUNNING
Nimbin MardiGrass
30 Apr 2027 – 2 May 2027
Nimbin
Cannabis law-reform protestival in Nimbin (1 hr from Byron). First weekend of May.
Status: RUNNING — first weekend of May annually. Next: 30 April to 2 May 2027.
Official site ↗
RUNNING
Byron Writers Festival
20 Aug 2027 – 22 Aug 2027
Byron Bay township (multiple venues)
The 2026 festival (30th anniversary) ran day passes + ticketed evening events across Byron Community Centre, Byron Theatre, Surf Club, Beach Hotel and Haven.
Status: RUNNING 20-22 August 2027 in Byron Bay township. The 2026 festival (30th anniversary, 14-16 August) has finished.
⚠ Affects hostel pricing + availability — book early.
Official site ↗
RUNNING
Sample Food Festival Bangalow
Bangalow Showground
One-day food festival in Bangalow (15 min from Byron). Tasting plates from regional restaurants and producers, plus cooking demos.
Status: RUNNING — held each September at Bangalow Showground (the 13th festival was on Saturday 6 September 2025). The 2027 date has not been announced yet: check the official site.
Official site ↗
RUNNING
Byron Bay Surf Festival
Byron Bay (multiple venues)
Multi-day surf culture festival (surfing, art, music and film), smaller than the music festivals.
Status: Not held in 2025. Visit NSW listed its return for 28-30 August 2026 at Clarks Beach; we could not confirm it went ahead, and the festival's website is now a parked domain. No 2027 dates announced.
CANCELLED
Bluesfest Byron Bay
2 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2026
Byron Events Farm
Australia's premier blues + roots festival, traditionally Easter weekend at Byron Events Farm. Originally to feature Split Enz, Earth Wind & Fire, Sublime, Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, Counting Crows, Pogues, Marcus King for the 2026 edition.
Status: CANCELLED 13 March 2026 after announcing 2025 would be its last but attempting return. The festival companies are in liquidation and the festival site was put up for sale in September 2026, with no 2027 festival announced. Watch bluesfest.com.au for any 2027 announcement.
Official site ↗
ON HIATUS
Falls Festival Byron
North Byron Parklands
Multi-city NYE festival; Byron edition traditionally at North Byron Parklands.
Status: No festival since the 2022/23 edition. In May 2023 the organisers said Falls was taking time off to rethink its future, and no return has been announced.
Official site ↗
ON HIATUS
Splendour in the Grass
North Byron Parklands
Australia's largest contemporary music festival, traditionally late July at North Byron Parklands.
Status: 2024 cancelled, no festival in 2025 or 2026. On hiatus since the 2023 festival, and the North Byron Parklands site has been up for sale since 2025. Live Nation has not confirmed return.
Official site ↗
DISCONTINUED
Mullum Music Festival
Mullumbimby village-wide
Intimate village-wide gig format across multiple Mullumbimby venues. Ran each November until 2019.
Status: Not running. The last festival was in November 2019; the organisers took 2020 off and it has not returned. A separate event, Mullum Roots Festival, has run in Mullumbimby each July since 2025.
DISCONTINUED
Byron Spirit Festival
Cavanbah Centre + Elements of Byron (2018)
Wellness, yoga, conscious-music festival, held in Mullumbimby and then Byron Bay until 2018. Multi-day program.
Status: Not running. The last festival we can find was 20-22 April 2018, its first year in Byron Bay after five years in Mullumbimby, and its website is now a parked domain. We found no 2026 event.