At a glance
- When
- Sunday 27 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, eight days, open from 12pm daily
- Where
- Princes Wharf No. 1, Hobart. The main entrance is on Morrison Street, opposite Parliament House Gardens.
- Hours
- 12pm to 10:30pm on most days. The New Year’s Eve Party runs 6pm to 1:30am.
- Getting there
- Free park and ride from the Regatta Grounds, walking and cycling, Metro Tasmania buses to the Hobart City Interchange, the Derwent ferry from the Eastern Shore, or parking in the CBD
- Children
- Children aged 15 and under enter free with a parent or guardian
- Payment
- Cashless. Bring a card.
- Who it’s for
- Anyone planning a day or a week at the waterfront festival, and anyone driving into the CBD that week
- What to do now
- Choose a ticket type (Taste Pass, Day Pass or Golden Ticket) and decide how you will get home before you go
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against the festival’s Information page and home page
- Not yet confirmed
- Road closures for 2026-27, the Taste Experiences program and the Info Booth hours
Taste of Summer runs for eight days at Princes Wharf No. 1 in Hobart, from Sunday 27 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, and it opens at 12pm every day. The festival’s own page says it has been running since 1988.
This guide covers the opening hours, the ticket types, and the five ways the festival lists for getting to the waterfront. It was written from the festival’s Information page and home page, both read on Saturday 31 October 2026. For the New Year’s Eve Party, see our New Year’s Eve guide.
What are the opening hours?
The festival lists these hours on its Information page.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday 27 December | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Monday 28 December | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Tuesday 29 December | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Wednesday 30 December | 12pm to 4pm (City of Hobart Community Day), then 6pm to 1:30am (NYE Party), according to the hours table |
| Thursday 31 December | 12pm to 10:30pm, according to the hours table |
| Friday 1 January | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Saturday 2 January | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Sunday 3 January | 12pm to 10:30pm |
Is the Community Day on 30 or 31 December?
The festival’s own pages disagree. The hours table puts the City of Hobart Community Day (12pm to 4pm) and the New Year’s Eve Party (6pm to 1:30am) on Wednesday 30 December. The New Year’s Eve section, the Community Day section and the music program all say 31 December, and the music program labels it Thursday 31 December. Because three sections point to 31 December and it is the date on the New Year’s Eve page, treat 31 December as the likely date, and confirm it on the festival’s website before you plan around it.
The Information page says Community Day is a free community celebration on the waterfront, presented in partnership with the City of Hobart. Entry is free during Community Day. The site closes at 4pm and reopens at 6pm for the separately ticketed New Year’s Eve Party.
Which ticket do I need?
The festival lists these ticket types. Prices were not on the pages we read, so check the ticket page before you plan a budget.
| Ticket | What the festival says it includes |
|---|---|
| Taste Pass | Entry across all eight days. It does not include entry to the NYE Party. |
| Day Pass | Entry on one eligible festival day. |
| Golden Ticket | Unlimited entry across all eight days, access to the VIP Yacht Club and a ticket to the New Year’s Eve Party. Yacht Club access is not included during the NYE Party. |
| New Year’s Eve Party | Entry from 6pm until 1:30am on 31 December. Separately ticketed. |
| The Tasman Yacht Club | Ticketed sessions, subject to availability, with dedicated seating and bar facilities away from the main festival crowds. |
Do children need a ticket?
Children aged 15 and under can enter the festival free of charge when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Yacht Club entry is not included. For the NYE Party, children aged six and under enter free, while children aged seven and over need a ticket.
How do I get to Princes Wharf No. 1?
The festival says it is at Princes Wharf No. 1, a short walk from Salamanca Place and around five minutes from Hobart’s CBD, with the main entrance on Morrison Street, opposite Parliament House Gardens. It lists five ways to arrive, and it adds that getting to the festival is fairly straightforward while getting home after a long afternoon of eating and drinking might need more planning.
| Way to arrive | What the festival says |
|---|---|
| Park and ride | Park for free at the Regatta Grounds and a free shuttle bus will transfer you and your passengers to the city or waterfront. |
| Walking and cycling | Walking is probably the easiest option if you are staying nearby. Bike parking is available in the Morrison Street car park. |
| Public transport | Metro Tasmania operates bus services throughout Hobart, and the Hobart City Interchange on Macquarie Street is within walking distance of the festival. |
| Ferry | If you are coming from the Eastern Shore, the festival suggests the ferry across the Derwent. Check the Derwent Ferries timetable before travelling. |
| Parking | Parking is available in and around the CBD, although spaces can be limited during the busy summer period. Allow extra time, particularly on New Year’s Eve. |
Can I park for free?
The festival’s park and ride is the free option: you park at the Regatta Grounds and take a free shuttle bus to the city or waterfront. The Information page does not give shuttle times, a start time or an end time, so those are not confirmed. For CBD parking, the festival points to the City of Hobart website for parking information and any special event arrangements. Our guide to Argyle Street Car Park has the council’s fee table for the largest multi-storey car park in the CBD.
Do the buses run to the festival?
The festival says Metro Tasmania runs bus services throughout Hobart and names the Hobart City Interchange on Macquarie Street as the nearest bus stop area, within walking distance. It tells visitors to plan their journey on the Metro Tasmania website. Our guide to free bus travel in Tasmania explains what the state’s free-fare scheme covers, and the festival does not say whether it applies in late December.
Can I ride the ferry from the Eastern Shore?
The festival suggests it. It says to catch the ferry across the Derwent and make the waterfront part of the journey, and to check the Derwent Ferries timetable before travelling. The festival does not give a ferry timetable or a pier name. Our guide to getting to Mona covers the other ferry from Brooke Street Pier.
Can I bring an e-scooter?
No. E-scooters are not permitted inside the festival. The festival asks visitors to park them in designated areas outside the event site and keep pedestrian pathways clear.
Will roads be closed?
Possibly. The festival says temporary road closures and traffic changes may apply during the festival, particularly on New Year’s Eve, and that full road closure details for the 2026-27 festival will be published once confirmed. It recommends checking the latest arrangements before leaving home and allowing a little extra travel time, and it points to the City of Hobart website for updates. We will check again closer to the date.
What are the rules inside the festival?
- Cashless: electronic payments are accepted across food and drink vendors and bars.
- All ages: alcohol can only be bought and consumed by people aged 18 and over, and photo identification may be requested at bars.
- No pets, apart from recognised assistance animals.
- Smoke-free and vape-free: smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere inside the site. If you step outside, use the designated exit and speak with gate staff about re-entry.
- All-weather: the festival runs rain or shine unless conditions become unsafe, and says updates go on its website and social media channels.
- Seating: generally unreserved, first come, first served.
Where are the first aid and parenting facilities?
The first aid station is near the site exit. A dedicated parenting room is on Salamanca Lawns near the children’s area, and there are additional baby change facilities in the accessible toilets inside Princes Wharf No. 1. In an emergency, call 000. The Information Booth is outside Princes Wharf No. 1, with another just inside the festival entrance; its hours are listed as times to be confirmed.
What is on the program?
The festival says the program has over 120 live performances. It lists Sneaky Sound System on the opening night, The Potbelleez featuring Muma Megs and Furnace & The Fundamentals for New Year’s Eve, and Hot Dub Time Machine on the last night. Experiences such as tastings and masterclasses are described on the Information page, and it says the full 2026-27 Taste Experiences program and booking information will be announced soon. Ticketed experiences also need a valid festival entry ticket. For the night-by-night line-up, see our music program guide.
Quick plan
- Dates: Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January, open from 12pm.
- Entry: Main entrance on Morrison Street, opposite Parliament House Gardens.
- Free way in: park at the Regatta Grounds and take the free shuttle bus.
- Children aged 15 and under enter free with a parent or guardian.
- Bring a card, not cash. Leave pets and e-scooters at home.
- Check the festival’s website for road closures and the Community Day date before you go.
For questions, the festival lists info@tasteofsummer.com.au.
Sources
- Taste of Summer: Information (checked 31 October 2026)
- Taste of Summer: home page (checked 31 October 2026)
- Taste of Summer: Music program (checked 31 October 2026)
Featured image: Taste at Princes Wharf, Hobart, photographed in January 2015 (photo: Dan Ingham / CC BY 2.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Taste of Summer or the City of Hobart. Dates, hours and arrangements can change; check the official pages above.