Wide Open Space Festival 2027

Wide Open Space Festival

Born in 2009 as a community-driven celebration of local talent, Wide Open Space has grown into one of Central Australia’s most distinctive gatherings — a festival built on “unusual programming” that pairs well-known national acts with emerging regional artists, Indigenous performers, and local choirs for collaborations found nowhere else.

Held over three days at Ross River Resort in the East MacDonnell Ranges, the festival transforms a remote outback homestead into a temporary desert village, with camping under the region’s famously vivid night skies forming as much a part of the experience as the music itself.

Festival Highlights:

• Cross-Cultural Music Line-Up: a stage mixing touring national acts with regional and Indigenous performers, often in one-off collaborative sets created just for the festival.
• Art Installations & Workshops: desert-inspired visual art, interactive installations, and hands-on workshops scattered through the festival grounds.
• Cabaret & Performance Art: burlesque, cabaret, and other performance-art acts add a theatrical counterpoint to the music program.
• Kids & Family Activities: a dedicated program of activities keeps the event welcoming for festival-goers of all ages.

Tips for Visitors & Trip Planning:

• Tickets: the festival is ticketed, with camping typically included in the entry price — book early, as capacity at the resort is limited.
• On-Site Camping: most attendees camp on the grounds under the river red gums, with shared showers, a historic homestead, a pool, and a licensed bar on site.
• Getting There: Ross River Resort sits around an hour east of Alice Springs via the Ross Highway; self-drive or car rental is the most reliable option, so check with organizers in advance for any shuttle or bus transfers on offer.
• What to Wear: layered clothing for hot days and cold desert nights, sturdy footwear for red dirt and rocky terrain, plus a hat, sunscreen, and a torch for after dark.
• Accommodation: on-site camping is the main option, but Alice Springs hotels are worth having as a backup, so booking well in advance is strongly recommended.
• Explore Alice Springs: extend the trip with West MacDonnell Ranges, Uluru, and Central Desert tours — browse top Alice Springs tours and activities here.

The full line-up, camping details, and program are published closer to the date. See details below, under “Event Related Information” section.