GENERAL FAQs
The Festival is completely free! With no fences or entry fees, 95% of activities are free. Only a few special events, workshops, and cruises require tickets, which can be purchased through the festival or from external operators. For tall ship and cruise tickets please contact the operator for details and bookings.
We welcome donations on entry. Just turn up 10-15 minutes before your chosen session.
The full festival schedule is now online here and there are hard copies at the info booth and in wooden boxes across the festival site.
The Festival is held predominantly outdoors along the Hobart Waterfront. Indoor venues such as the UTAS School of Arts and Media (Symposium), the Peacock Theatre and the Theatre Royal are fully accessible. Some workshop, exhibition and special event venues may have uneven surfaces, stairs and /or varying access. Tall ships and cruises are not booked or managed by the AWBF, please enquire with the specific ship for further details.
Yes—outside areas are fine, on lead and in effective control. No—indoor venues (assistance dogs are permitted).
No, the entire site is non-smoking.
The Parade of Sail opens the festival and will be held on Friday 7 February at midday, followed by an official welcome to the festival at Constitution Dock at 4:45pm.
The Admiral’s Sail closes the festival on Monday 10 February at 4:00pm.
AWBF’s official accommodation partner is The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, conveniently located near the heart of the festival site. Festival attendees can enjoy a 10% discount on selected dates when booking with The Old Woolstore. This central location offers comfortable and stylish accommodations, making it the perfect base for your festival experience. Click here for more information.
Many other hotels and accommodation providers are also located within and around the festival site; please check directly with providers or visit Discover Tasmania to plan your trip. Anywhere within 30kms of the site is suitable.
The Sullivans Cove area is exclusively for AWBF boats only during the event, no other vessels can come or go. For information about alternative berthing during the festival, please click here.
BOAT FAQs
Expressions of interest to display boats afloat are now closed.
If you would like display your boat ashore please click here.
Your vessel will be on site/in the berth for the entire four days – you cannot come and go (sorry, it’s just too busy for that!). More details will be sent to you post registration.
ACCESSIBILITY FAQs
Limited accessible parking will be available along Castray Esplanade and Hunter Street. For convenient access, there will be a pick-up and drop-off zone at the front of Brooke Street Pier, with access via Elizabeth Street.
Check Hobart City Council’s parking info and mobility map.
The Festival is held predominantly outdoors along the Hobart Waterfront. Indoor venues such as the College of the Arts (Symposium), the Peacock Theatre and the Theatre Royal are fully accessible. Some workshop, exhibition and special event venues may have uneven surfaces, stairs and /or varying access. Tall ships and cruises are not booked or managed by the AWBF, please enquire with the specific ship for further details.
Yes.
Sailability Tasmania are offering ticketed accessible sailing events over the festival weekend from Sandy Bay Marina. To book or discuss any special needs, please contact Sailability booking officer Julie Pearson via email at juliepearson17@gmail.com or over the phone at 0438 736 256. More details on Sailability’s activities can be found on their website, sailabilitytas.org
TasPorts are offering ticketed guided and AUSLAN interpreted cruises on Saturday 8 February from Brooke St Pier. Please click here for more information. THIS IS NOW SOLD OUT.
PARKING & TRANSPORT FAQs
Secure parking is available at Queen’sDomain, courtesy of the Royal Hobart Regatta, just a 10-minute walk from the Festival for a
small fee. Additional public and private parking can be found in the Hobart CBD, but Sunday parking isn’t free. Check Hobart City Council’s parking info and mobility map.
Limited accessible parking will be available along Castray Esplanade and Hunter Street. For convenient access, there will be a pick-up and drop-off zone at the front of Brooke Street Pier, with access via Elizabeth Street.
Skip the car and take a fast, frequent Metro Tasmania bus straight to the event, connecting to the Eastern Shore, northern suburbs, Taroona, and Kingston all weekend. Or take a Derwent River Ferry from Bellerive Pier to Brooke Street Pier. Thanks to McConnell Dowell, free ferry rides will be available on Sunday, 9th February! Hop on a chartered Derwent River Ferry and enjoy complimentary trips throughout the day.
TASMANIAN BIOSECURITY
Tasmania has some of the world’s most stringent biosecurity requirements.
These are in place to protect the State’s environment and primary industries from introduced pests, weeds and diseases – from both overseas and the Australian mainland.
If you are participating in the Australian Wooden Boat Festival and are bringing your boat from outside of Tasmania, or are travelling down from interstate by air or on the Spirit of Tasmania as a visitor, there are some very important biosecurity requirements you will need to meet.
See our dedicated Biosecurity page for more information.
