Highlands Bushfest

15/09/2026

Some space opened up on your calendar, lucky us! We still have room for a few more outdoor and adventure businesses. Camping, caravans, 4WD, fishing, hunting, bushcraft, outdoor gear or something we haven’t thought of yet. If you belong outdoors, we’d love to hear from you. Food vans, you’ve been amazing! We’re pretty much full, but plans change. Apply and we’ll happily add you to our waiting list.

Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands.

Stallholder Applications for Highlands BushFest 2026 are now open! Each year, thousands of people make their way to Bothwell for a weekend celebrating outdoor adventure, and the people who make it all possible.

Whether you're a maker, producer, retailer, club, association, community group or outdoor industry business, we'd love to hear from you. Highlands Bushfest is all about hands-on experiences, great conversations, learning new skills and connecting people with the outdoors. If that sounds like a good fit for what you do, we encourage you to apply.

Apply now via this link https://bit.ly/HighlandsBushFest26

We can't wait to see what you'll bring to BushFest 2026.

15/09/2026

More room to bring the adventure with you. From Wednesday 16 September, more space on the new Spirit of Tasmania ships is open to book.

Bring the 4WD, camper, caravan, bikes and all the gear. Come across for BushFest and make a trip of it. Travelling for BushFest? Our special Spirit of Tasmania event fare can help get you here.

🔗https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/offers/highlands-bushfest-2026/

Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands.

09/09/2026

This is one initiative we’re very happy to get behind. Small action. Big difference. It’s something we’re taking seriously at BushFest too.

This year we’re partnering with Recycle Rewards to make recycling and better rubbish management even more of priority across the festival, helping all of us think a little more about what we leave behind. Because enjoying Tasmania Outdoors also means looking after it. Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands.

For many anglers, a day on the water is about more than just catching fish. Across Tasmania, more and more fishers are making a small effort that delivers a big impact: taking a few pieces of litter home with them each time they head out. Whether it's an abandoned drink bottle on a riverbank, di...

09/09/2026

There’s something pretty special about camping in the Central Highlands. Big starry skies, wild country, lakeside camps and plenty of room to get away from it all. And getting away from it all is exactly why a little preparation helps.

Check the weather before you go, pack for conditions to change, take plenty of food and water and don’t count on having phone reception everywhere.

If you’re heading further afield, tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back, carry a first aid kit and consider taking a personal locator beacon (PLB).

Then get out there. Explore, fish, walk, ride, camp under those incredible Highland skies and leave the place just as good as you found it.

Knowing a few things before you go gives you more confidence to go further and enjoy it. And that’s very much what BushFest is about.

Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands.

Some of Tasmania’s best holiday real estate is a flat patch of land by the sea, or in the mountains, with space for a tent and your camp life. 

08/09/2026

There’s a whole other side to the Central Highlands, and it’s right above our heads! Look up at BushFest with Luke Tscharke Photography, Sky Tasmania and the Astronomical Society of Tasmania nomical Society of Tasmania.

Look through telescopes for some daytime solar viewing. Meet Luke and pick up some tips for photographing our incredible night skies. Join a short Dark Sky workshop and discover how smarter outdoor lighting can help protect wildlife, our environment and the stars above. There’s a lot more to discover when you look up.

Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands.

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07/09/2026

Made for getting out and about in the Central Highlands. We’re thrilled to welcome Tassie 4x4 as a partner of Highlands BushFest 2026, and even better, they’ll be joining us on site. They’re Tasmanian owned, they know 4WDs and, most importantly, they understand what all that gear is actually for.

Getting out there. Because 4WD is about where it can take you. Learn what your vehicle can do. Get the right advice. Build your confidence. Then get out and explore. Come and meet the Tassie 4x4 team at BushFest, check out their very cool setup and talk all things 4WD, touring and your next adventure. Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands.

07/09/2026

You’ve probably been hearing about BushFest... but what exactly is it? BushFest started in Bothwell in 2014 to showcase the Central Highlands as a great place to visit, explore, recreate and call home.

Today, thousands join us for a hands-on weekend in Bothwell of Tasmania Outdoors. Try fly casting, mountain biking and archery. Discover 4WD and bush skills, wild food, working dogs, trial bikes, the Tasmanian Trail and our incredible dark skies. Bushfest is also home of Tassies Tasmanian Salami Prize and the newly minted Tasmanian Jerky Prize.

Some of the people and organisations behind BushFest have been with us from the beginning, and it keeps evolving every year.

One thing hasn’t changed. Central Highlands Council is committed to keeping it accessible, with entry still just a gold coin donation or our new digital tap system.

Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands.

02/09/2026

Another new initiative for this years BushFest - professional tool sharpening with Best Edge Mobile Sharpening.

Bring along anything that could do with a professional sharpen, safely wrapped, and leave it with John when you arrive.

You’ll receive a numbered ticket, John gets to work while you enjoy BushFest, and you collect it professionally sharpened on your way home.

31/08/2026

BIG news. Big, huge! Highlands BushFest is heading across the Strait. We’re over the moon to welcome Spirit of Tasmania as a partner of Highlands BushFest 2026, helping us take BushFest to a bigger interstate audience and bring more visitors to Tasmania this November. And this partnership is about much more than getting here.

Bring the car. Bring the camper. Bring the caravan. Bring the gear to BushFest in Bothwell, then get out and experience the Central Highlands for yourself.

Exclusive BushFest fares are available on selected Spirit of Tasmania sailings, giving our mainland visitors another very good reason to turn BushFest weekend into a Tasmanian road trip. Follow the link below to check out the BushFest fares and start planning your trip. 🔗www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/offers/highlands-bushfest-2026/

Try it at BushFest. Do it in the Central Highlands, Tasmania