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The Blue Mountains run a festival in almost every month of the year, from a winter solstice street party in Katoomba to open-garden weekends in Leura and a 100km trail race that closes the main road. Most events are free or under A$50, and several are timed to the seasons, so it is worth lining your trip up with one. This Blue Mountains events and festivals calendar, part of our Blue Mountains travel guide, lists the names, dates and venues.
Blue Mountains Events and Festivals: Winter Magic
Winter Magic is Katoomba’s winter-solstice festival, historically a single-day street festival held on the Saturday closest to 21 June that closed the main street for parades, music and market stalls. In recent years it has been run as a smaller program of concerts, markets and lantern events spread across June. Check the Blue Mountains City Council events page for that year’s dates, and book accommodation early because June weekends fill up. For train and driving details, see our travel tips guide.
Blue Mountains Events and Festivals: Leura Gardens Festival
The Leura Gardens Festival opens about ten private gardens to the public over the first week of October, timed for peak spring blossom. A multi-day pass costs around A$35 to A$40 and covers every garden, with plant stalls, a classic car display and Devonshire teas at the village. It has run annually since 1965 and draws garden clubs from across New South Wales, so book train seats and hotel rooms weeks ahead; find a base nearby in our where to stay guide.
Blue Mountains Events and Festivals: Ultra-Trail Australia
Ultra-Trail Australia, part of the UTMB world series, is a trail-running weekend in Katoomba each May with 100km, 50km and 22km races that start and finish at Scenic World. The 100km course crosses the Jamison Valley and the cliffs around Wentworth Falls, and thousands of runners plus their supporters fill the town’s hotels and cafes. If you are not racing, expect road closures and busy trails on the Saturday, and skip the area that weekend if you want a quiet walk; for quieter weekends, see our best time to visit guide.
Blue Mountains Events and Festivals: Blue Mountains Music Festival
The Blue Mountains Music Festival is a folk, roots and world-music festival held over a weekend in mid-March at the Katoomba RSL Club and nearby venues. It books around 40 Australian and international acts across several stages, and day and weekend passes are sold online. March is a warm, drying month with a 20°C average high, which suits moving between venues on foot; pair the music with the lookouts in our things to do list.
Blue Mountains Events and Festivals: Blackheath Rhododendron Festival
The Blackheath Rhododendron Festival is held on the first Saturday of November, when the rhododendrons in the town’s public gardens and the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens are in full flower. The day includes garden tours, plant sales and a street market, and entry to the Campbell Gardens costs a few dollars. Combine it with a walk to Govetts Leap or the Grand Canyon Track, both a short drive away; the neighborhoods guide covers Blackheath in detail.
Blue Mountains Events and Festivals: Yulefest (Christmas in July)
Yulefest is the Blue Mountains’ long-running Christmas-in-July tradition, held from late June through July when the region is at its coldest. Hotels and restaurants such as the Carrington in Katoomba and Lilianfels host roast dinners with log fires, carols and mulled wine, typically priced from A$90 to A$150 a head. It began as a way to recreate a northern-hemisphere Christmas for visitors who missed the December heat; for the winter temperatures behind it, see the weather by month guide.
Blue Mountains Events and Festivals: Annual Calendar at a Glance
- March: Blue Mountains Music Festival, Katoomba.
- May: Ultra-Trail Australia race weekend, Katoomba and Scenic World.
- June: Winter Magic program and the start of Yulefest.
- July: Yulefest Christmas-in-July dinners across the region.
- October: Leura Gardens Festival, first week.
- November: Blackheath Rhododendron Festival, first Saturday.
