Dinner with Robyn Williams

Join Dark Sky Tasmania members for a guided walking tour of Hobart after dark. Learn how the lighting we add to our city impacts the way we use our public spaces and affects the environment at large. This one-hour walk will offer a unique insight into urban lighting and the problem of light pollution. As you wind your way through the Hobart streets, you will experience various examples, both good and bad, of how artificial light at night influences the way people interact with their city after dark, and the impact this is having on our planet.

The cult live onstage dating show, straight outta Melbourne (and the '70s), makes its Hobart debut! Three hopeful nerds will vie for the attention of one solo contestant, aiming to capture their heart with personality, wit, and scientific wisdom. Get off the apps and find love — or at least a great night out — in real life. This session is part of the Beaker Street Main Stage at Hobart City Hall. Your House Band for the evening will be the dangerously well-rehearsed Stevie and the Bunsen Burners. Enter through Market Place, where you'll find drinks, food, fires, and friendly strangers. Come early, stay late to enjoy all the action.

You know the feeling: You fall in love with a wine at a vineyard, or over a magical night out with friends, and when you open the same bottle at home… something's missing. The wine hasn't changed but it's not quite the same. Wine is never just about taste. It's about the music, the lighting, the company, the moment. In this immersive workshop, Curly Haslam-Coates, a synaesthetic wine educator who experiences flavours as a multi-sensory journey, will guide you through a different kind of wine tasting. One that explores how memory, environment, and emotion shape what's in your glass. Learn how to create experiences that elevate the everyday, and turn a simple glass of wine into something unforgettable.

Pink-glowing possums and bandicoots, green-glowing snails and wallabies, blue-glowing spiders and sugar gliders, technicolour owls, flowers, and fungi! Join biologist Dr Lisa Gershwin on this truly unforgettable nature experience, a short walk from Hobart's CBD. Lisa will share the glowing world through fascinating stories and show you how to get great photos. You might even spot a platypus! Lisa will supply the ultraviolet (UV) torches and the natural history narrative, while nature will supply the wonder and awe.

Why does Finland consistently rank No. 1 on the World Happiness Report? Is it because they have more than one sauna for every two people? Maybe. Probably! Join our resident Finnish sauna expert (and genuine Finnish person!), Nanna Bayer, for a session that combines sauna stories, culture, and a dose of Finnish wisdom with our full sauna and polar plunge experience. Nanna will be available throughout the session to answer your sauna questions and share some history and mythology around saunas in Finland. You'll also have the chance to take part in the polar plunge, and earn a fancy badge designed by local artist Kat Scarlet. Book an entire tent sauna, or an individual spot. After your session, spend some time kicking back in the chill-out yurt and then enjoy the rest of what Hobartica has to offer.

Death's the only sure thing in life, so why don't we talk about it? Can funerals be fun? What's the best body disposal method? You're invited to a surprisingly uplifting evening with some of Australia's most buoyant death and dying experts, Tasmanian Aboriginal knowledge holders, and a few special guests. Come for the bad bagpipe music — stay for a healthy dose of end-of-life wisdom. Wear what you'd like to be buried in. ​ Participants might also like to book a ticket to Death Over Drinks for the chance to chat one-on-one with the speakers. This session is part of the Beaker Street Main Stage at Hobart City Hall. Your House Band for the evening will be the dangerously well-rehearsed Stevie and the Bunsen Burners. Enter through Market Place, where you'll find drinks, food, fires, and friendly strangers. Come early, stay late to enjoy all the action.

Breathing is a potent, readily available relaxation tool that can divert the acute stress response and return the nervous system to its relaxed, restful state. Join scientist and wellness teacher Dr Rebecca Chabot to learn to harness the superpower of the breath. In this session, participants will learn the basic science around breathing and why learning to breathe better is tied to both mental and physical benefits. You will be guided through a variety of basic breathing practices and techniques that will introduce you to the power of the breath to improve mental and physical health and to relax. Immediately following the one-hour workshop, participants will have exclusive access to the wood-fired Finnish saunas and salt water cold plunge pools.

TMAG After Dark is your original Beaker Street experience. Discover the inner workings of one of Tasmania's most iconic science and cultural institutions. Grab a drink, take in live music, peer down a microscope, and meet the scientists behind the collections. More program details coming soon. Free event Please note that this is a free event, no bookings are required.

Head down to Hobart's waterfront, Australia's Gateway to Antarctica, to find the last outpost before you hit "The Ice." Like Antarctica itself, Hobartica is a meeting place for international cultures and polar traditions. Dive into icy polar plunge pools. Warm up in wood-fired Finnish tent saunas. Then settle into the Antarctic Lounge to chat with a phenomenal range of Antarcticans, and enjoy nightly live music, immersive projections, and Antarctic cocktails. But wait, there's more! Hobartica 2025 will offer a fresh season of polar encounters. Will there be geodesic domes, aurora shows, night ferries, and a kriller crustacean party? We're glad you asked. Full Hobartica program out soon.

Join us for a unique and immersive cultural experience at Piyura Kitina/ Risdon Cove, ningina Palawa kipli piyura kitina-ta, which means to give, to get, to bring Palawa food. This powerful gathering is more than just a meal, it's a journey into the heart of Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) culture, where every bite tells a story of Country, tradition, and renewal. Together, we will explore traditional Palawa foods and the seasonal knowledge that sustains Palawa people. As you taste the flavours of Country, you'll also learn what it means to give back, understanding that taking from the land comes with a responsibility to heal it. Through shared stories, food, guided walk, and advice on how to replant native flora, you'll deepen your connection to the ecosystem and gain insights into sustainable living, Palawa ways, and the cultural practices that have cared for this land for thousands of generations. This is an opportunity to not only nourish your body but also your spirit and to take part in a movement of regeneration, respect, and reconnection. Walk gently, eat mindfully, and give back to Country. Bush tucker lunch included.

Welcome to After Hours. Where the dance floor is throbbing, the lighting is low, and the vibes are absolutely filthy — but medically accurate. This is no ordinary nightclub. Yes, there's a DJ. Yes, there's dancing. Yes, there are drag queens, kinksters, and performers who could teach anatomy with just a look. But tucked among the sweat and sequins, you'll also find a classroom covering everything you didn't learn in sex ed, and a confessional booth where you can spill your deepest questions to a real sexual health doctor—no judgment. Open to everyone, and especially welcoming to queer, trans, and questioning folks, After Hours is the nightclub Hobart's been waiting for. *Performers to be announced*

In today's digital age, distractions are everywhere — endless notifications, social media, and the constant influx of information. In this talk, we'll explore practical techniques to help you regain focus and sharpen your attention amidst the noise. You'll learn strategies to train your brain to stay present, boost productivity, and reclaim mental clarity. From mindful practices to digital detox tips, this session will empower you to break free from the constant distractions and refocus on what truly matters. Rebecca will help you discover how to thrive in a world that's always vying for your attention.

What does a moving glacier sound like? What does it feel like? Experience the heartbeat of Antarctica's Denman Glacier transformed into an immersive dance party. Deep in the ice, AuScope seismometers capture a remarkable symphony: the crack and groan of moving ice, the rush of meltwater, the rumble of storms, the songs of whales, and the tremors of the Earth itself. Using machine learning, University of Tasmania scientists are untangling this complex soundscape, revealing the intricate interactions between ice, ocean, and bedrock, and Denman's 'voice'. Now, a sound artist and a DJ will transform these natural rhythms into an immersive dance track. And for the first time ever in Lutruwita/ Tasmania, participants will have the opportunity to actually feel glacial vibrations through vibro-tactile haptic suits — creating a full-body experience designed to bring deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing participants into a shared sensory space. Before the dance party kicks off, you'll have the chance to hear from the Earth scientists who captured these seismic recordings and are using them to understand how Antarctica's glaciers are changing. Arrive early for a pre-party chat with scientists from AuScope (including Jo Condon and Dr Sima Mousavi), The University of Tasmania and the Australian National University. This event is supported by AuScope, Australia's 'laboratory' for Earth and geospatial science research in Australia.

Artificial Intelligence was born in 1956, went through some awkward teenage years (also known as "AI Winters"), and then, to almost everyone's surprise, came roaring back with tools like ChatGPT. Today, AI is the fastest-growing industry in the history of capitalism and devours around 20% of the world's research and development (R&D) budget. That's a lot of brainpower (artificial or otherwise). Join Dr Karl as he connects the dots between the tech booms of yesterday, from the family car to the first home computers and today's mind-bending AI explosion. Along the way, he'll share how AI has been used to attack and discredit him, and how he's now turning the tables to make it a Force for Good. Expect real science stuff, genuinely funny (not artificially generated) stories, a few unexpected detours and of course, question time with prizes.

We're Stuffed! It's too late to avoid civilisational collapse. Is the end of the world nigh, or at least the end of humanity? Have our multi-crises of climate change, over-consumption, over-reliance on vulnerable technologies, and [insert your favourite impending disaster here] finally brought us to the brink? Or is there still time to change course and rescue our modern civilisation from going the way of coal power? Oh wait, bad example. Join host Natasha Mitchell and two teams of science and culture heavy hitters for this battle of brains and bravado. The Debate will be recorded for broadcast on ABC Radio National's Big Ideas show. Debaters to be announced soon. This session is part of the Beaker Street Main Stage at Hobart City Hall. Your House Band for the evening will be the dangerously well-rehearsed Stevie and the Bunsen Burners. Enter through Market Place, where you'll find drinks, food, fires, and friendly strangers. Come early, stay late to enjoy all the action

Built in 1834, Hadley's Orient Hotel is a 4.5-star Victorian-era accommodation nestled in the heart of Hobart, Tasmania. Moments from the CBD and a short stroll from the waterfront and Salamanca Place, this heritage-listed hotel will charm you with its careful restoration. The oldest continuously operating boutique hotel in Tasmania, a unique experience awaits at this local icon. Beautifully restored heritage features, an onsite gallery, an immersive audio Trail of Terrific Tales, and incredible art surround every guest. The Orient Bar invites guests to savour an exquisite collection of Tasmanian products surrounded by contemporary art. Hadley's plays host almost two centuries' worth of stories, scandals and secrets that can be explored. Home to Hadley's annual $100,000 acquisitive Landscape Art Prize, come and experience this charming hotel for yourself. There is nothing quite like Hadley's.

Heritage meets modern in the bustling Tasmanian capital. Guests will be at the centre of it all, with the conveniently located RACV Hobart Hotel. Room options include a luxury penthouse with panoramic views of the city, deluxe apartments with views of the Derwent River and family apartments. A gourmet hotspot, you can also experience some of Hobart’s best seasonal produce at the hotel's in-house restaurant, Charcoal. It’s a short stroll down to Salamanca Market and the harbour where you’ll find galleries, craft shops and restaurants thriving in the grand setting of 1830s Georgian warehouses. RACV Hobart Hotel is your perfect base for a city break to Tasmania’s capital.

Located in the heart of picturesque Hobart, Mövenpick Hotel Hobart is a place to savour life and create unforgettable moments. With many of the 221 elegant rooms and suites offering spectacular harbour and city views, the temptation to explore this historical city beckons. Don't miss the hotel's free daily 'Chocolate Hour', plus kids 12 years and under enjoy free ice cream during their stay! Discover why Lonely Planet has called Hobart one of the top 10 destinations to visit, with award-winning restaurants and bars, galleries and speciality shops just outside your door. Situated in Hobart's CBD and a short stroll to the waterfront and the historical Salamanca precinct. Discover Hobart's rich culture, history and award-winning cuisine all within easy walking distance, while world famous MONA is a 20 minute drive.