Unique and unusual events in Queensland you need to experience

Itching to take part in one of the toughest endurance events through the outback? Want to don your best dress for country camel races or 60s swing? Challenge your mates to a round of avocado juggling or watermelon skiing?

Community shines bright here in the Sunshine State, and it's best celebrated by getting a little left of centre. Mark your calendar and make it your mission to experience these slightly wacky and unique events in Queensland, this year and beyond.

Hell of the West Weekend, Queensland Country

When: 22 - 23 March 2025

Described as one of Queensland’s toughest triathlons, Goondiwindi’s Hell of the West is a massive weekend worth checking out - or taking the challenge. With temperatures reaching the scorching mid-30s, the notoriously tough course consists of a 2-kilometre murky swim in the Macintyre River, a burning 80-kilometre ‘dead flat’ cycle along the Barwon Highway heading west and a 20-kilometre ‘hot as hell’ run along the picturesque Macintyre River. Although designed for all levels of fitness and ages, this event is not for the faint-hearted.

The weekend also includes a kids triathlon along with 5km and 10km charity runs. 

Here's everything you need to know about the Hell of the West Weekend.

Rare Spares Rockynats, Capricorn

When: 4 - 6 April 2025

Rev your engines and witness the streets of Rockhampton turn into an epicentre of high-octane action at Rockynats when car lovers converge for a weekend of motorsports action. Register your bike or car now, or just witness the greatest horsepower party Rocky has ever seen.

Roma's Easter in the Country, Outback Queensland

When: 17 - 21 April 2025

Ready to carry your wife over the finish line? Leave the eggs at home and make your way to Roma for wife-carrying championships, cart racing and mud derby in a celebration of all things country. There’s plenty of action to keep the whole family thrilled, including an APRA qualified rodeo, street parade, markets, horse races and live music on the big stage, featuring headliners like Troy Cassar-Daley and Wade Forster. Love your music? Make Easter in the Country your first stop on the Outback Trail, a self-drive musical adventure through Queensland's remote west. 

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival, Sunshine Coast

When: 23 - 25 May 2025

Can you believe this is Australia’s only festival dedicated to pumpkins? The charming little town of Goomeri in the Gympie region of the Sunshine Coast is dedicated to having a laugh too, and the annual pumpkin festival is their way to celebrate fun and flavour simultaneously. Dress up, feast on a smorgasbord of pumpkin-centred delights from soups to scones, watch the pumpkin weigh-in, and take part in the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll.

Cooly Rocks On, Gold Coast

When:  4 - 8 June 2025

Don your polka dot dresses or slick your hair with Brylcreem, because Cooly Rocks On is back. This is your chance to celebrate the good ol’ days in true 50s and 60s fashion with Rock’n’Roll, vintage cars and lots of dancing in Australia's largest nostalgia festival. Watch as the beachside streetscape of iconic Coolangatta transforms into a time capsule - complete with outdoor stages, live music and a signature street parade. You’ll soon be twisting your hips like they did back then.

And if you think you have what it takes to be the King of Rock n Roll, Cooly Rocks On is also one of two festivals held in Australia to host an official preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, with the winner heading straight to Elvis Week in Memphis, USA.

Hervey Bay Whale Festival, Fraser Coast

When: 11 July and 7 - 10 August 2025

Recognised as the world’s first Whale Heritage Site, Hervey Bay is the best spot to have a whale encounter as thousands of humpback whales migrate along Australia’s east coast from June – November. To experience it a little differently (and with a lot of community spirit), visit the eclectic annual Hervey Bay Whale Festival.

Celebrate the beginning of whale season with The Blessing of the Fleet on 11 July, a huge marina party and boat parade at Urangan Boat Harbour. In August, take a front-row seat or make a lantern to join the Parade of Lights, or grab your paddle board, kayak or novelty floaty to join the Paddle Out for Whales. This moving event sees the town take to the water for a minute’s silence and song to honour the whales and their significance to the region, raising awareness for whale and ocean conservation.

Abbey Medieval Festival, Brisbane

When: 12 - 13 July 2025

Anyone for Turkish oil wrestling? Bring your merry men to Caboolture in Brisbane's Moreton Bay region and step back in time at The Abbey Medieval Festival. Discover jousting and falconry, watch combatants taking up armour in front of the castle, enjoy gypsy dancing and gorge on medieval cuisine and fine mead. Dive into time past among the colourful encampments and fine re-enactments.

Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival, Queensland Country

When: 17 - 27 July 2025

When the temperature drops in Queensland Country, Warwick locals get rugged up in crazy crochet outfits and artists dress the trees in woolly ‘tree jumpers’ of all shapes, colours and sizes. Bring your knitting needles or crochet hooks and settle in to enjoy a program of jazz events in the local cafes and parks. Spontaneous creativity is encouraged at this quirky winter festival, and this year will bring dining events, car displays, street festivals, swing dance and more.

Boulia Camel Races, Outback Queensland

When: 18 - 20 July 2025

If you’ve never seen a camel race, Boulia is the place to be. The tiny, remote outback town bursts at the seams with around 3000 people making the pilgrimage to watch the hotly contested Camel Cup  - Australia's richest and longest camel race at over 1500 metres.

Away from the track, there are camel rides, yabby races, fireworks, market stalls and live music to keep you entertained - including the Great Australian Ride-on Lawnmower Race.

Use this guide to plan your visit (and ideas for how to road trip there).

Can’t make it all the way to Boulia? Bookmark your fix of culture, camels and camping at Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races, returning from 31 July - 2 August 2026. Tara is just two hours west of Toowoomba.

Australian Wearable Art Festival, Sunshine Coast

When: 8 - 9 August 2025

Fashion is art, baby. And it’s taken a huge stiletto-heeled step further during the Australian Wearable Art Festival’s Gala, where the runway becomes a performance art space of creativity, exuberant designs, mind-bending sculptural creations and more. The Gala includes one matinee and two evening shows, so come and be inspired by over 40 national and international artists.

Kingaroy BaconFest, Queensland Country

When: 15 - 16 August 2025

The sounds of sizzling fill the air of Kingaroy as Aussie pork takes the stage at BaconFest. Proving bacon goes further than your morning eggs, this community event is a taste-testers dream, with stalls slinging bacon fries, bacon ice cream and more. Learn from the best in the biz at celebrity cehf cooking demonstrations, show your might at the bacon-eating competition, catch the action of the 24hr Smoke-Off competition, and soak up live entertainment over the weekend. 

CapriCon Pop Culture Convention, Capricorn

When: 30 August 2025

Love pop culture? You'll love CapriCon in Rockhampton, one of Queensland's largest regional pop culture festivals. An inclusive event open to all, come dressed up in your favourite cosplay to meet guests from across TV, film and comics - as well as explore 100+ vendors, a medieval village, a light sabre academy, kid zone and more. It's sure to be a day to remember.

SWELL Sculpture Festival, Gold Coast

When: 12 - 21 September 2025

Join Queensland's largest outdoor sculpture exhibition, SWELL Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast in September. Stroll along Currumbin Beach's sand and foreshore, where you’ll have the opportunity to come face to face with 50+ awe-inspiring sculptures by local, national and international artists - then grab a bite to eat at the festival hub afterwards.

Use this guide to plan your visit - there's loads of events from beach yoga to a fringe festival and kids activities. 

Cloncurry Beat the Heat Festival, Outback Queensland

When: 12 - 14 September 2025

Ever wanted to be pushed down the street in a mine cart and partake in a curry cook-off at the same event? It all happens at the Cloncurry Beat the Heat Festival, a street party, spring races, and markets featuring street eats, live music and more that celebrate the town's mining and pastoral history.

Blackbutt Avocado Festival, Queensland Country

When: 13 September 2025

Forget your local café, it’s time to head straight to the source for our Saturday avo toast and celebrate this humble fruit in all its glory. Blackbutt avocados might just be the sweetest, finest avocados you will ever taste – so much so, the town holds a free and fun festival.

Not only can you feast on the bounty, you can meet professional growers, learn how to grow them yourself, and join in all sorts of weird and wacky novelty games – including the Avo Roll for a chance to win $1000. It wouldn’t be a festival without loads of entertainment too, including live music, street performers, guided history tours, and free kids activities.

When: 28 September 2025

You won’t need a spoonful of sugar to swallow this charming community event. Mary Poppins’ author, Pamela Travers, was born in Maryborough on the Fraser Coast - and the historic town celebrates its link to the iconic nanny with the world’s only Mary Poppins Festival. Throughout the day, nannies race each other pushing prams in the Great Nanny Challenge; chimney sweeps battle it out in the Chimney Sweep Dash, while Mary Poppins characters come to life and mingle with the crowd. Supercalifragilistic fun for everyone.

Australian Body Art Festival, Sunshine Coast

When: TBC 2026

Forget art galleries - the human body becomes the canvas during the Australian Body Art Festival. Held in Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast, this is Australia’s premier body painting event – and it’s a festival of colour and creativity. Come along to discover inspiring artworks, body painting competitions across a range of categories, street performances, market stalls, and much more. 

Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races, Queensland Country

When: 31 July -  2 August 2026

It’s no secret that Australian country towns love a day at the races. But tiny Tara does things a little differently.

You have to head west and experience the Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races at least once. The weekend has been known to attract some 10,000 revellers who set up camp and settle in for camel races, a lively dance floor, live music, fireworks, cultural performances and plenty of fun for the kids.

Australian Camp Oven Festival, Queensland Country

When: 3 - 4 October 2026

Stoke the coals, unhitch the caravan and prepare the damper as you join people from all walks of life at the Australian Camp Oven Festival, located in Millmerran (82km from Toowoomba).

Showcasing a quirky program celebrating authentic Aussie traditions and bush heritage, join in on the family fun, food and entertainment. From camp oven cooking to billy boiling, bush poetry and country music, sit back and watch cooking demonstrations, let the kids join in on the annual damper throwing competition or take your hand at arts, crafts or working machinery workshops. 

Chinchilla Melon Festival, Queensland Country

When: 18 - 21 February 2027

Get amongst the all the action at the ‘melon capital’ of Australia, Chinchilla. The festival, held biennially, is unlike anything you’ve experienced before.  Where else in the world can you ski on watermelons, attempt a melon bungee and or take on the melon tossing challenge? The packed itinerary also includes markets, live entertainment, free concerts, arts and crafts, food stalls and a colourful street parade. Discover how to turn your road trip to Chinchilla into an adventure of its own. We'll see you there.