Hughenden Festival of Outback Skies

27/05/2026

17/05/2026

The 2026 Hughenden Festival of Outback Skies was an unforgettable weekend, and we simply couldn't have done it without the generous support of our amazing sponsors and partners!
Bringing a three-day celebration of outback life, live music, and community events to our region takes a village. We are so incredibly grateful to the businesses and organisations that helped bring our 2026 vision to life.

A very special shoutout to our top-tier supporters:

✨ Our Platinum Sponsors: Shire of Flinders, Iberdrola, and SCA
✨ Generous Funding from : Arts QUeensland
✨ Our Gold Sponsors: Windlab and Powerlink
✨ Our Festival Finale Partner :Queensland Music Trails who contributed to the Festival Finale
✨Additionally, we gratefully acknowledge the support of the all of our minor sponosrs and local business

We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our Silver and Bronze sponsors, our Media Partners, and our wonderful local supporters.

Additionally, we gratefully acknowledge the support of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
To our festival family, please show some love and support to these fantastic businesses and organisations who support our outback community!

16/05/2026

Lighting up the Hughenden Recreational Lake!

🏮 One of the most magical parts of Sunday's Festival Finale was the enchanting Lantern Parade. A huge thank you to everyone who joined our free papercraft workshops over the weekend to make these beautiful creations, and then brought them to the water's edge to close out the festival in glowing style.

16/05/2026

An unforgettable end to an incredible weekend.

🌌 Our Festival Finale at the lake was headlined by the internationally acclaimed Kalkadunga musician and didgeridoo virtuoso, William Barton. We were treated to a breathtaking world-premiere collaboration written specifically for, and performed alongside, the Great Barrier Reef Orchestra.

Thank you, William, for sharing the ancient voice of the yidaki and your deep connection to Country with us under the stars.

With thanks to our good friends Qld Music Trails

15/05/2026

A touch of the jazz age under the outback stars! ✨ The Roaring Twenties Supper Soirée was an unforgettable night of food, fun, and flamboyance, completely elevated by the incredible Oz Hornz. Thank you to Queensland’s longest-standing, 9-piece party showband for bringing a slick, high-energy performance and live horn section that kept our toes tapping all night. 🎷🎺

15/05/2026

What is a festival without its incredible crowd?

Our photographer captured so many of your smiling faces over the weekend, and we couldn't resist sharing a couple of our absolute favourites!

From the edge-of-your-seat action at the rodeo arena to the relaxed vibes by the lake, your energy, outback spirit, and ear-to-ear grins are what make the Hughenden Festival of Outback Skies so truly special.

Thank you for showing up, bringing the good times, and striking a pose for the camera. We love our festival community! Tag yourselves and your mates if you spot them below! 👇⛺🍻

We will start the ball rolling with Hughenden MAYOR KATE PEDDLE and Deputy Mayor Niki Flute during one of the rare moments they stood still all weekend.

15/05/2026

Can we go back and do it all again? 😍 We've put together a highlights reel to capture the incredible energy, creativity, and community spirit of the 2026 Hughenden Festival of Outback Skies!

From the heart-pounding action of the Bulls & Broncs to the glitz of our Roaring Twenties Dinner Under the Stars , this weekend had it all. But the magic wasn't just in the main events- it was also in the quiet, creative moments during the daytime.

Whether you were getting hands-on in one of our many artist workshops, checking out the BBQ demonstrations, or just soaking up the beautiful autumn days with mates , this video proves that our outback town really does put on the ultimate weekend escape.

Hit play to relive the best moments of the festival! Did you spot yourself getting creative in a workshop or tearing up the dance floor? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Thank you once again for making 2026 so unforgettable. We can't wait to welcome you back next year! ⛺🎸🐴

14/05/2026

We were deeply honoured to have the Yirendali Cultural Performers lead our Lantern Parade this year. Under the guidance of Robert Duncan, this incredible group of young performers shared traditional dance practices, language, and stories with us. Thank you for empowering the next generation and sharing such a powerful tribute to ancestral knowledge and the Traditional Custodians of this land

13/05/2026

The good times kept rolling thanks to the boys from Brisbane, The Wet Whistles! 🎸 Nick, Caillin, Jordan, and Jake brought their all-in-it-together attitude, four-part harmonies, and massive singalong choruses to the stage.Thank you for delivering the perfect country-pop soundtrack to an electric outback showdown!

13/05/2026

Kicking off our 2026 wrap-up with the event that started it all! 🤠 The Bulls & Broncs rodeo brought heart-pounding, raw action to the arena. Thank you to the bravest riders for taking on the biggest beasts in the outback, and to the massive crowd for bringing edge-of-your-seat energy.

Thanks to our rodeo working group who contributed to the success of this year's event.