Where to catch live music in Tasmania

Hit up grassroots gigs serving local brews and good vibes, stumble upon a cool new artist or go festival-chasing all year round.

November, AKA AusMusic Month, is the perfect time to top up your playlists with Tassie and Aussie artists. It’s also a great excuse to build your bucket-list of must-do live music experiences. Lucky for you, we’ve got a stacked list of Tasmanian festivals, events, pubs and clubs showcasing the best Tasmanian and Australian music, from up-and-coming artists waiting to become your next favourite discovery, to big names with cult followings.

Tasmania has a wild arts and culture scene brimming with diverse talent, filling the island’s warm and welcoming venues. Just ask Luca Brasi frontman Tyler Richardson, who's been bringing explosive live rock performances to the Tassie live music scene – and to stages around the world – since his band formed in 2009.

So, what sets Tasmania’s live music scene apart? According to Tyler, it’s the island’s community spirit.

“We’re all from small places within Tasmania and you can see, most likely, someone on the stage that you know,” Tyler says. “So, you’re out there supporting the people you care about.

It’s a reflection of who we are as Tasmanians that you see up there on that stage.

Tyler says the island has a grassroots music scene – the local artists and fans are the ones nurturing the culture.

“It’s the ownership, I think, that makes it so special,” he says. “That live music becomes so precious to people who created it, because they made it.”

And no matter where you’re from, Tyler says the island’s music community is a welcoming one.

Come and experience the scene for yourself. What’s a trip to Tasmania without sipping some local beer, cider, wine or whisky and grazing on seasonal produce while live music serenades your senses? Sightsee and bushwalk your way around Tasmania, then detour to the dance floor to shake your legs out for some music therapy.

Here are 11 top venues (to name a few) where you can catch live music in Tasmania.

1. Mona

Turns out Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) serves up surprises beyond its provocative art collection – it also has a nice green lawn dotted with delectable restaurants and bars and a big live music stage.

Grab your crew, find a spot on the lawns (get in quick to score one of the plush pink beanbags) and soak up some sunshine and tunes. From Tassie performers like Billy Whitton and Astrophe to mainland heavy-hitter Paul Kelly, entertaining acts regularly grace this artsy Hobart venue with their tunes and stage presence.

• Ideal for: Lovers of wine, cutting-edge art and sunning yourself on a beanbag.
• When: Gigs can happen year-round during museum opening hours (10am–5pm, Thu–Mon).

2. Party in the Paddock

It all began with a paddock and a dream. More than two decades later, Party in the Paddock (PITP) is a staple Tasmanian summer music festival, celebrating the island’s creative spirit and platforming acts like A. Swayze & the Ghosts, Amyl and the Sniffers and Empire of the Sun.

Tickets and line up for PITP 2026 (5–8 February) are dropping soon – stay tuned.

• Ideal for: Colourful costume wearers, happy campers and the wild at heart.
• When: 5–8 February.

3. Craigie Knowe Vineyard

What do dogs, wine and music have in common? All three can be found at pooch-friendly Craigie Knowe Vineyard, 15min north of Swansea on Tasmania’s sunny east coast. Hit up this family-owned winery for eye-catching scenery, platters filled with local produce and live music from acts such as Alex Lloyd, Daddy Cool’s Ross Wilson and local country legend Ange Boxall.

• Ideal for: Vino oenophiles, dog devotees and rural relaxation seekers.
• When: Gigs can happen year-round during opening hours (11am–4pm daily, plus 6–8pm on Saturdays).

4. The Unconformity

Let’s journey to the opposite end of the island, far from the salty east coast to moody, mountainous Queenstown on Tasmania’s wild west coast. This retro mining town transforms every second October into a dizzying hive of contemporary art inspired by the evocative geological landscape.

The Unconformity festival delivered a compelling program in October 2025 – local artist Natalya Bing filled a limestone quarry with ghostly violin tones while Tassie sledge-rockers Iris and the 99 Bends formed especially for the festival, their name nodding to the ’99 bends’ of the Lyell Hwy welcoming travellers into Queenstown’s ethereal mining moonscape. Stay tuned – the festival returns in October 2027.

• Ideal for: Music mavericks, rugged road-trippers and experimental art dabblers.
• When: October 2027, biennial festival.

5. Festivale

Hunt down the finest flavours and tunes at Festivale (30 January–1 February 2026), bringing Launceston’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy foodie culture to life. The upcoming line up is one for the ages, featuring indie rockers British India; Grinspoon, who have been rocking since the 90s; indie pop musician Thelma Plum; folk outfit Boy & Bear and R&B pop icon Jessica Mauboy, plus Tassie comedian Luke McGregor.

And the music isn’t the only thing worth coming for. Sample flavours from multicultural food stalls and peruse Festivale’s program of masterclasses, from sparkling wine conversations to whisky and chocolate pairings, guided pinot tastings and other tastebud tantalisers.

• Ideal for: Bold flavour seekers, sparkling sippers and modern-era music fans.
• When: 30 January–1 February 2026.

6. Altar Bar

In the heart of the island’s capital city is a heady haven of after-dark music known as Altar Bar. It’s a rabbit-warren of performance stages, rooftop gardens, lamplit lounges and neon dance floors. Come here for an eclectic program of live music in Hobart such as local electronic duo Sumner and hip-hop artist Grace Chia – plus the nationally acclaimed Emily Wurramara.

Altar is hosting an AusMusic T-shirt Day Trivia Night on 27 November to raise funds for Support Act, providing crisis relief and wellbeing services to music industry workers in need.

• Ideal for: Late-night vibe seekers, alt club beat chasers and D-floor dwellers.
• When: Regular gigs during opening hours (from 4pm Wednesday–Saturday).

7. Junction Arts Festival

Every September, Junction Arts Festival fills Launceston with colour, light, community spirit…and glorious live music. You may have missed the recent festival featuring Tassie indie icon Maddy Jane, Racoon Dog and indigenous Victorian singer-songwriter Kutcha Edwards, not to mention the inflatable Airship Orchestra installation enchanting festivalgoers young and old. But not to worry – there’s always next September.

• Ideal for: Art afficionados and all-ages revellers seeking a feel-good community gathering.
• When: Every September.

8. Spreyton Cider Co

Now let’s journey north west to Spreyton Cider Co, an apple orchard 10min south of Devonport serving seriously good cider and live music among lush green lawns fed by fertile volcanic soil. This venue has hosted Aussie acts galore, from the Wolfe Brothers to Molly O’Brien.

If it’s a breezy outdoor gathering and a tasting paddle or two that you crave, Spreyton’s got you covered. Bathe in the dulcet tones of local music, survey the orchard and enjoy friendly hospitality in this outdoor space.

• Ideal for: Cider swillers, sociable chinwaggers, cruisy merrymakers.
• When: Gigs can happen year-round during opening hours (10am–5pm daily, closing 8pm on Fridays).

9. Willie Smith’s Apple Shed

Yep, it’s a trend – turns out Tasmania’s cideries also double as next-level music venues, and Willie Smith’s Apple Shed is no exception. Nestled in the Huon Valley about 30min south-west of Hobart, this 1942-built apple packing shed is now a lively cultural hotspot. Taste fine apple brandy or cider, feast on comforting dishes sourced from local Huon Valley farms, wander the museum for a taste of Tasmania’s ‘Apple Isle’ past and hit up artists like Tasha Zappala, Zac Henderson and Teresa Dixon.

• Ideal for: Laidback farm folks who love local brews, toe-tapping tunes and hearty food.
• When: Gigs can happen year-round during opening hours (10am–4.30pm Monday–Thursday, closing 9pm Fridays and 5pm on weekends).

10. Dark Mofo

How could we not mention Dark Mofo? This is your chance to fill those dark June winter solstice nights with electrifying sonic art. Expect heavy hitters from all manner of musical subcultures at this major Hobart music festival, from the likes of post-punk rockers Gut Health to doom duo Divide and Dissolve, local electronic act Tongue Dissolver, the TSO (Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra) and experimental sound artist ŽIVA.

Moody attire encouraged, but by no means mandatory.

• Ideal for: Lovers of darkness, niche genre seekers, avant-garde enthusiasts.
• When: 11–22 June 2026.

11. ECHO Festival

Yes, ECHO Festival (East Coast Harvest Odyssey) (13–15 March 2026) is best known for its fresh bounty of hyperlocal seafood and produce, but this is a festival for all the senses, and that includes the sweet sounds of live music. ECHO has brought local artists such as Raccoon Dog, Amy Pegg and Thomas Mitchell to the pastoral country town of Swansea. Plus, this festival held every March coincides with the autumnal harvest season, offering communal dining experiences and more multisensory activities to keep your body and mind stimulated.

• Ideal for: Cultural explorers, nature appreciators, big-time foodies.
• When: 13–15 March 2026.

…You’re still here? Get out there and hunt down some local live music.

Check out our full events list to discover what’s on across Tasmania (including what’s on this weekend), use the Discover Tasmania app to find what’s happening near you in real time, and add your must-do music activities to your own personalised travel itinerary with our Trip Planner.