City of Hobart rolling out free Winter Feast Community Day

Published on 04 June 2025

The City of Hobart will sponsor the inaugural City of Hobart Dark Mofo Winter Feast Community Day with free entry on Sunday 15 June.

This initiative ensures that there is an occasion where everyone can immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of Dark Mofo without the barrier of entry fees.

The free entry Community Day is only made possible by the City’s contribution of $150,000.

The City is also supporting the broader Dark Mofo festival with over $313,000 in in-kind support that assists organisers with items like traffic control, environmental health, street activations and more.

The Winter Feast is a highlight of the festival, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and generating millions in economic activity. In 2024 alone, stallholders grossed $3.2 million, and in 2023 – the festival’s last full year - that figure reached $4.1 million.

Visitors stay an average of 4.4 nights and spend around $1400 per trip, delivering a major boost to local businesses.

Dark Mofo’s impact goes far beyond food and entertainment.

The festival supports hundreds of local jobs, engages nearly 450 businesses, and collaborates with around 500 artists and performers each year.

Independent research shows the Winter Feast delivers a return on investment of up to 343:1 for local government—an extraordinary result that highlights the value of cultural events to the vibrancy of the city’s economy.

For more information on the Winter Feast visit here.

Quotes attributed to Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds:

“The City of Hobart is proud to support events that bring our community together and showcase our city’s creativity and vibrancy.

“The City of Hobart Dark Mofo Winter Feast Community Day is about making sure everyone can be part of the magic of Dark Mofo, regardless of their circumstances.

“This partnership is not just about culture—it’s about jobs, local business, and the economic vitality of Hobart.

“We’re investing in something that delivers real returns for our community.”

Quotes to be attributed to Dark Mofo Artistic Director Chris Twite:

“This year's Winter Feast will see over seventy stallholders demonstrating the best of Tasmania's produce and food culture.

“It's such an important festival ritual—the warm, beating heart of Dark Mofo—and the free final Sunday is a special way of making sure that everyone in our community gets to participate.

“This has only been made possible by the generous support from the City of Hobart. We look forward to welcoming everyone in from the cold to feast by firelight.”