FAQs

Everyone! Our Festival is a safe, inclusive and welcoming space where audiences of all ages and demographics can binge on a fabulous array of artistic offerings. We offer something for everyone and encourage you to try something you might not normally see – we promise you’ll be surprised and delighted!

The 2024 Darwin Festival will run from Thursday 8 – Sunday 25 August.

The beating heart of Darwin Festival is Festival Park, located on the corner of Smith St and Harry Chan Ave in the Darwin CBD. Other venues are situated within and around the CBD, as well as across greater Darwin.

Program Guides are distributed throughout Darwin, including at Top End Visitor Information Centre, Darwin International Airport, and at local cafes, restaurants, retail stores and art galleries.

During the Festival, program guides will be available at the Festival Park Box Office.

You can download your own copy here.

Click here to view our Venues page and find out more information.

Darwin Festival is committed to making our events as accessible as possible for everyone to enjoy. For detailed venue accessibility information please refer to the Venues page. Under each venue, we have included an ‘Accessibility details’ section.

For more information about Darwin Festival’s access services, please see the Accessibility page.

Please email access@darwinfestival.org.au or phone the Box Office on 08 8943 4222 to discuss your access requirements.

Festival Park is our festival hub. It’s where you’ll find our main stage, the INPEX Sunset Stage, the venue for all the best music, as well as Brown’s Mart Theatre and Studio, where you can experience theatre, cabaret, comedy and dance. Enjoy free gigs at the Darwin Port Bandstand and delicious food and drinks from on-site vendors and our bars.

• Where is Festival Park?
  Festival Park is located on the corner of Smith St and Harry Chan Ave in the Darwin CBD. Entry is via Smith Street.
• What time does Festival Park open?
  Festival Park is open from 5pm until late, 8-25 August (excluding Mondays).
• Do I have to pay to enter?
  Entry to Festival Park is free.
• Is there seating available?
  Seating is available throughout the park, along with plenty of space for BYO picnic rugs.
• What food and drink options are available?
  We have fantastic local food vendors available at Festival Park. To view our food offerings, please visit our Festival Food page. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available to purchase from our festival bars. BYO alcohol is strictly prohibited.
• Can the kids come?
  Festival Park is a licensed venue. Under 18s are permitted with a parent or guardian.
• Can I bring my dog?
  Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate pets at our Festival sites, with the exception of registered assistance dogs. We kindly ask that you leave your beloved furry family members at home for their well-being. The festival environment can be quite overwhelming for them due to loud noises and large crowds.

• Where is Darwin Amphitheatre? 
  Darwin Amphitheatre is located in the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens.
• What time do the gates open?
  Gate times vary between events. Please check the event page for more details.
• How do I get there?
  • Darwin Amphitheatre is approximately a 20-minute walk from the Darwin CBD and a short stroll from Mindil Beach.
  • Public buses will be running nearby, plan your journey by clicking here.
  • Ride-share and taxis will be able to drop you off at designated drop off/ collection zones.
  • There is no parking at Darwin Amphitheatre. Click here for a street parking map of Darwin.
  • Please note that Gardens Road will be closed between Chin Quan Road and Gilruth Avenue on the night of these shows.
• Is seating provided at Darwin Amphitheatre events?
  No seating is provided at the venue, we encourage you to BYO picnic blankets and low chairs.
  Customers with access requirements are permitted to bring tall chairs. Please email access@darwinfestival.org.au or phone the Box Office on (08) 8943 4222 to discuss your access requirements.
• What food and drink options will be available?
  Food and drink stalls will be open at all events. The National Indigenous Music Awards is an alcohol-free event. Big Name, No Blankets and Missy Higgins will have a bar onsite.
  Check back later for more information on food stalls.

If you are at a Festival venue, please report your lost item to our friendly Box Office team. If you are no longer at the venue where you lost an item, please email hello@darwinfestival.org.au.

Fundraising is not permitted by anyone on site. Advertising is limited to Darwin Festival website, and for Festival partners who may advertise via our digital advertising packages and at Darwin International Airport. Other businesses are not permitted at any time to advertise at the Festival.

Most Darwin Festival events do NOT have allocated seating and therefore are General Admission. Some venues, including Darwin Entertainment Centre, do have allocated seating. If your event is at an allocated seating venue, you can choose your preferred seat or the system will auto-generate the next best available seat for you.

We advise arriving at the venue at least 30 minutes before the performance. For performances of The Party we advise arriving 1 hour before the start time.

For safety reasons, some performances have a strict lockout policy, meaning no admissions once the show starts. However, for certain shows, latecomers may be admitted at a suitable point.

Lockout information and content warnings are clearly displayed on event listings, e-tickets, and reminder emails. Refunds are not provided to latecomers under strict lockout conditions.

Keep an eye out for final release tickets on our website closer to the event date. If tickets are unavailable, join the waitlist by clicking ‘Join waitlist’ on the event page. We’ll notify you if more tickets become available.

Yes, many of our events are free! Please use the search filters on the What’s On page to find these events. Some free events still require booking, so please read the event listing to ensure you don’t miss out.

Before booking tickets, we recommend getting in touch with our box office team to discuss your requirements.

Please email access@darwinfestival.org.au or call (08) 8943 4222 for assistance.

You can also head into the Tourism Top End Info Centre to book in person, or our Festival Park Box Office (open from 8 August).

For further information on what our accessibility symbols mean, refer to our Accessibility page here.

Yes, holders of a government issued companion card can access a free ticket for their companion. Companion tickets cannot be booked online. Please email access@darwinfestival.org.au or call our box office on (08) 8943 4222. Information on our companion ticket booking process can be found here.

Darwin Festival 2024 has a diverse and exciting family program.  You can search our full range of family events by selecting the genre ‘Family’ on the search function. 

For non-Family events, please consider that production elements such as loud music, bright lights, pyrotechnic stage effects and show content can cause distress to infants/minors, and lack of light during a performance can be particularly hazardous when bringing a child with you. If your child is upset or restless, please consider exiting the venue for the benefit of other audience members and the performers.

All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. 

Under 18s are permitted at Festival Park, Festival Lawn and Darwin Amphitheatre, however must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Some ticketed events have age restrictions, or explicitly prohibit children from attending. Please check the age restriction of an event before purchasing tickets. 

For most of our shows, children under 2 are free as long as they do not take up a seat, unless specifically stated on the event page. Please be aware many venues may not have a cloakroom for prams. 

You can buy tickets online at darwinfestival.org.au, over the phone by calling (08) 8943 4222 or in person at the Top End Visitor Information Centre.  

During the Festival, you can also buy tickets at our Box Office located in Festival Park. 

You will receive an email confirmation with your tickets. Make sure you can see your unique booking QR Code – You may need to enable images on your device. 

You don’t need to visit a Box Office to collect printed tickets. The email confirmation is your e-ticket! You can simply show your email on your smart phone for scanning by venue staff. 

Pre-festival, you can purchase tickets through the Darwin Festival Box Office call centre. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 10am – 4pm.

You can also book tickets at the Top End Visitor Information Centre from Friday 31 May. Opening hours are Monday – Friday 9am – 4:30pm. Sat, Sun & public holidays 10am – 2pm.

The Festival Park Box Office opens on Thursday 8 August. It operates Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm until 15 minutes after the final performance of the evening. Please note that it is closed Mondays.

We ask for your personal information in order to deliver your ticket, process your payment and contact you in the case of cancellation or major disruption of an event. We take all reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

You can add your e-tickets to your Google or Apple wallet. Open the booking confirmation on your phone. Below the ITEM SUMMARY section, you’ll find the option to add your tickets directly to your Google Wallet or Apple Wallet.

You can transfer your e-ticket simply by forwarding on your booking confirmation email. 

For group bookings, we recommend collecting paper tickets from the Box Office to distribute among your group.

Transaction fees are charged to cover the costs associated with the booking process. At Darwin Festival ticketing outlets, whether online, over the phone, or at our box offices, a flat transaction fee of $4.95 applies per booking. To minimise booking fees, you can save costs by booking multiple shows in a single transaction.

When purchasing online, your email confirmation serves as a tax invoice, as well as a receipt for donation where applicable. If you need your ticket emailed to you again for any invoicing purposes, please contact us on hello@darwinfestival.org.au and we will resend it. If your ticket is purchased from the Box Office in person, a receipt can be printed for you. 

Full Price 

The standard ticket price for a performance.

Preview 

Discounted tickets for sessions prior to the official opening of the event’s season. Please note the Multipack does not apply to Preview performances.

Concession 

Concession tickets are available for the following: 

• Full-time students 
• Children (12) twelve years and under 
• Pensioner and carer concession card holders including Concession Scheme Card 
• Health Care Card holders 
• Seniors Card holders 
• BasicsCard holders 
• Companion Card holders 
• Australian Defence Force personnel 
• International defence force personnel 
• Proof of concession must be produced to obtain the concession price. Concessions are only available where advertised. Entry is free for children (2) two years and under (subject to advertised age restrictions). 

Group 8+
Groups of (8) eight or more for selected events indicated in the Ticket Type section on event pages may book at a discounted group price. See individual event pages for details.

Festival Multipack
Buy tickets to four or more different Darwin Festival events in the same transaction and save 10% on FULL PRICE tickets, some exclusions apply. 

If you’re a Friend of the Festival, your multipack discount is 15% on valid show tickets.

Friends of the Festival Discounts
Become a Friend of the Festival to receive 15% off your Darwin Festival tickets. Max 2 full priced tickets per event, some exclusions may apply. Visit our website’s Friends of the Festival page to explore all the member benefits. 

There are multiple reasons why these discounts may not have applied.

These discounts apply to full price tickets. If you have selected a concession ticket, in some instances this may be cheaper than the Friends/ Multipack discount. The booking system is designed to always pull the cheapest option for you.

Some events are excluded from the Friends/Multipack discount. The following events are NOT eligible:

An Idiot’s Guide to Wine: Volume Two

Beddy Rays

Foodies Bar Adventure

Italian Feast

The Party – Preview performance (Tue 6 Aug) and all Fri & Sat performances

Urban Cocktail Trail

When making a booking, all you need to do is enter the 16-digit code from the confirmation email into the ‘Redeeming a Darwin Festival Gift Voucher?’ field at the checkout. This will automatically apply the voucher/credit to your transaction.

Vouchers purchased after 1 January 2023 are valid for three years from the date of purchase. Vouchers obtained in previous years were only valid for the corresponding Festival periods and cannot be used for the current Festival. 

• If your gift voucher or credit note is not being applied after entering it in the Gift Voucher field during checkout, there could be several reasons for this issue. 

• Check the code: Ensure that you have entered the code correctly without any typos or missing characters.  

• Check for the most up-to-date code: If you have used this voucher before, it might have been reissued with a new code. Check the most recent confirmation email for the most up-to-date code.
• Validate the voucher: Ensure that the gift voucher or credit note you have is still valid.  

If you have checked all these factors and are still experiencing issues with your gift voucher or credit note, please contact hello@darwinfestival.org.au or call the Darwin Festival Box Office line on (08) 8943 4222, Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm.  

When making a booking, select the amount of Full Price tickets you want and then enter the code in the ‘Got a promo code?’ field at the checkout. This will automatically apply the promo to your transaction.  
Note that promocodes can only be used on Full Price tickets and you can only use one promocode per transaction.

Our memberships are digital and you can access discounts immediately after signing up via your Darwin Festival account. Along with the membership, you will receive regular updates on friends news. 

Friends packs will be available to collect from the Festival Park Box Office. The Festival Park Box Office opens on Thursday 8 August. It operates Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm until 15 minutes after the final performance of the evening. Please note that it is closed Mondays.

Please click this link to view booking instructions.

For events that are eligible for a Friends discount, you will notice a heart image next to the full price ticket. Once you add tickets to your basket, the discount will be automatically applied, and you will see it reflected as “Friends 15% off”. To see a comprehensive list of events that do not qualify for the Friends Membership Discount, please visit the Friends page and refer to the ‘Note’ section.

Your friends discount will apply once you have added tickets to your basket. Please make sure that you have signed into your friends account, and that the event is eligible for a friend’s discount – look out for the purple heart.

Your membership will be automatically applied to your Festival account. As part of your friends pack, you will receive a Friends of the Festival Membership Card. Present this card to our front of house staff to skip the queue and to our bar staff to receive your friends discount on beverages.  

Friends can skip the queue for events at the INPEX Sunset Stage. Look for the designated Friends of the Festival line outside this venue. 

Ticket sales are non-refundable, except as mandated by law or as per the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice. For further information, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. If you would like further information, please contact hello@darwinfestival.org.au.

On some occasions, Darwin Festival is able to exchange tickets from one performance to another, provided the following requirements are met: 
a. The exchange request must be submitted in writing to hello@darwinfestival.org.au (please include your transaction ID)                                
b. The request for the exchange is for the same event at a different date or time 
c. The exchange must be of equal or greater value – for example, you cannot exchange from a full price performance to a preview performance 
d. Neither the original nor requested performances are sold out and 
e. the exchange is requested at least 48 hours prior to the original performance or event.  

An exchange fee of $4.95 applies to all exchanges.  

Read our Terms & Conditions here.

We love to tailor partnerships that meet our partners’ business objectives and we ensure every partnership with Darwin Festival is unique! For more information visit our Partnerships page.

You can find out all you need to know about supporting us financially on our Donate page.

Subscribe to our e-news so you don’t miss a thing. You’ll be the first to hear of exciting program reveals, competitions and news. Subscribe here.

Like us for event news and exclusive competitions on Facebook.

Follow us on Instagram to see behind the scenes pics, meet our artists and be inspired by all things Darwin Festival.

Subscribe to the Darwin Festival YouTube channel to see sizzle reels and highlight videos.

Use the #darwinfestival hashtag to tag your Instagram and Facebook posts and tweets.

All feedback received in writing will be responded to within seven days of receipt. Please email hello@darwinfestival.org.au or post to GPO Box 570 Darwin NT 0801.

Have another question? Please call the Darwin Festival office on 08 8943 4222 or email hello@darwinfestival.org.au.

Stay up to date on all Darwin Festival news and events by signing up to our e-news. Subscribe here.

Due to our artists’ performance contracts, the use of video and audio recording devices are strictly prohibited at Festival events, with the exception of official Festival photographers and videographers, any approved media representatives, and those with written permission from Festival management.

If you would like to apply for media accreditation, please email hello@darwinfestival.org.au. 

You may be filmed or photographed by Festival staff and contractors while taking part in Festival events. Any footage or photos may be used to promote the Festival in the future.

Darwin Festival is a fully curated event, with the artistic program being the result of the Artistic Director’s vision. However, Darwin Festival does invite expressions of interest from local artists every year. To find out more, visit our Artists page.

Festival employment opportunities are featured on our Join the team page. Please check back for future openings.

Great! Volunteer applications will open in June.

For more information and to apply visit our Volunteers page.

Darwin Festival volunteers are generally engaged as Front of House, Box Office and Information assistants. However, there are also roles specific to performances as well as administrative positions prior to the festival. Our 100+ volunteers help across the Festival venues including Festival Park, Brown’s Mart Theatre, Darwin Entertainment Centre and various other locations across Darwin City. 

We expect our volunteers to be able to: 

• Work closely with the general public.
• Work in a busy, constantly changing environment
• Interact with everyone from children to late night revelers
• Be able to work as part of a large team 

As a volunteer you must be over 16 years of age. We ask that volunteers help for a minimum of 8 hours or 3 shifts across the 18-day Festival. Shifts range from 3 to 5 hours. 

You will also be required to attend the compulsory volunteer briefing. 

We are committed to an inclusive and diverse volunteer team and welcome applications from everyone. 

We would like our volunteers to have a positive attitude, be punctual and be fluent in English. We appreciate those who have a commitment to making the Festival a fantastic experience for the public, guests and staff. Most of all we seek volunteers that have energy and enthusiasm for the Festival and our events. 

Your Volunteer Pass provides multiple benefits including free entry to some events. 

In addition to this, volunteers get to be a part of a creative environment where you can meet new people and engage with new challenges. 

After applications close the Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch to inform you whether your application has been successful. 

This is absolutely fine – we understand that things change. Please email hello@darwinfestival.org.au as soon as you are aware of any changes and with at least 48 hours’ notice.