Hobart New Year’s Eve 2026 at Taste of Summer: Gates 6pm, Fireworks at 9:30pm and Midnight, Space Cowboy Theme (Hobart, TAS)

New Year’s Eve at Taste of Summer is a separately ticketed party on the Hobart waterfront on Thursday 31 December 2026, with gates opening at 6pm, a fireworks display at 9:30pm and a second at midnight. The festival’s theme for the night is Space Cowboy.

This guide covers who is playing and when, how the tickets work, what happens in the afternoon, and what is not yet confirmed. It uses the festival’s New Year’s Eve page, Information page and Music program, all read on Saturday 31 October 2026. For opening hours and getting to the site on the other seven days, see our Taste of Summer guide.

When are the fireworks on New Year’s Eve in Hobart?

The festival lists two fireworks displays: the first show at 9:30pm and a midnight show at 12am. The New Year’s Eve page describes this as two shows and double the sparkle, and the music program lists them as “9.30pm Fireworks” and “12am Midnight Fireworks”. The pages we read do not say where on the waterfront the fireworks are fired from or where the best viewing spots are, so we have not guessed.

Who is playing and when?

The festival says the night has entertainment across two stages from 6pm until the early hours. This is the line-up from the New Year’s Eve page and the music program.

Time	Main Stage	Atrium Stage
6:15pm	Chaskii (to 7:15pm)	Sam & Tori (to 8pm)
7:30pm	The Potbelleez DJ set with Muma Megs (to 9:15pm)
8:15pm		Chaskii (to 9:30pm)
9:30pm	First fireworks
9:45pm	Furnace & The Fundamentals (to 11:45pm)
10:30pm		Randall Foxx (to 1am)
11:45pm	Track & Field (to 1am)
12am	Midnight fireworks

The New Year’s Eve page gives the end times as “late”. The music program gives 1am for the stages, the Information page gives 1:30am as the end of the party, and the opening hours table lists the party as 6pm to 1:30am. The festival has not reconciled those, so plan on a finish between 1am and 1:30am and check the festival’s website closer to the night.

What do the headline acts do?

• The Potbelleez: the festival says they bring their catalogue of Australian dance anthems to the waterfront for a DJ set with vocalist Muma Megs, and names ‘Don’t Hold Back’ and ‘Are You With Me’.
• Furnace & The Fundamentals: the festival says they turn Beyoncé, Queen, The Beatles, the Spice Girls and plenty more into what it calls a sensory spectacle of audiovisual excess, with costumes and confetti. The New Year’s Eve page spells the name “Furnance” in its headings; the music program and the Information page spell it Furnace.
• Track & Field: the festival says they take over as the night rolls into the new year, with bass-heavy beats and dance-floor favourites.
• Randall Foxx: on the Atrium Stage from 10:30pm, with house, disco and funk, according to the festival.

How do the tickets work?

New Year’s Eve is a separately ticketed event. The Information page says general festival passes do not include New Year’s Eve entry unless you hold a Golden Ticket. Prices were not on the pages we read.

Ticket	New Year’s Eve entry?
New Year’s Eve Party ticket	Yes. Entry from 6pm until 1:30am on 31 December.
Golden Ticket	Yes. It includes unlimited entry across all eight days, access to the VIP Yacht Club and a ticket to the party. Yacht Club access is not included during the party.
Taste Pass	No. Entry across all eight days, but it does not include the party.
Day Pass	Not listed as including the party; the festival describes it as entry on one eligible festival day.

Can children come?

For the New Year’s Eve Party, children aged six and under enter free, while children aged seven and over require a ticket.

What is on in the afternoon?

The City of Hobart Community Day runs from 12 noon to 4pm on 31 December. The festival says entry is free, it is presented in partnership with the City of Hobart, and it suggests bringing the family. The site closes at 4pm and reopens at 6pm for the party.

Time	What the music program lists for Community Day
12:15pm to 2:15pm	Violaloop, Atrium Stage
2:30pm to 3:30pm	Aaron Powell, Atrium Stage
12:15pm to 3:30pm	The Hedgehog Fairy, face painting, on the grass
12pm to 3:30pm	Giant Bubble Playground
Main Stage	Programmed by the City of Hobart. Line-up to be announced.

Is the Community Day on 30 or 31 December?

The festival’s opening hours table lists the Community Day and the party on Wednesday 30 December. The New Year’s Eve page, the Community Day section and the music program say 31 December, and the music program says Thursday 31 December. We have used 31 December, as three pages do, and the festival’s website is the place to confirm it.

How do I get there and home?

The festival lists five ways to get to Princes Wharf No. 1: a free park and ride from the Regatta Grounds with a free shuttle bus, walking and cycling, Metro Tasmania buses to the Hobart City Interchange on Macquarie Street, the Derwent ferry from the Eastern Shore, and parking in and around the CBD. It says to allow extra time, particularly on New Year’s Eve, because parking can be limited. Our Taste of Summer guide sets those out in a table.

The festival does not say when the park and ride shuttle or the ferry will run on New Year’s Eve, or how late buses will operate, so those details are not confirmed. The Information page says temporary road closures and traffic changes may apply, particularly on New Year’s Eve, and that full details will be published once confirmed, with updates on the City of Hobart website. Check Metro Tasmania and the Derwent Ferries timetable for the night before you travel.

What should I wear and bring?

The theme is Space Cowboy. The festival’s words are “Boots. Glitter. Stars. Hats of questionable proportions. Take it as far as you like.” The festival is cashless, so bring a card. Alcohol can only be bought and consumed by people aged 18 and over, and photo identification may be requested at bars. Pets are not permitted, apart from recognised assistance animals, and smoking and vaping are not allowed inside the site. E-scooters are not permitted inside. The festival runs rain or shine unless conditions become unsafe.

Quick plan

• Afternoon: Community Day, free entry, 12 noon to 4pm. The site closes at 4pm.
• Evening: gates open at 6pm for ticketed guests. Fireworks at 9:30pm and midnight.
• Tickets: a party ticket or a Golden Ticket. A Taste Pass or Day Pass is not enough.
• Travel: decide how you will get home before you go. Shuttle, ferry and road closure details are not confirmed.

For questions, the festival lists info@tasteofsummer.com.au.

Sources

• Taste of Summer: New Year’s Eve (checked 31 October 2026)
• Taste of Summer: Information (checked 31 October 2026)
• Taste of Summer: Music program (checked 31 October 2026)

Featured image: fireworks over Hobart at the Regatta, photographed in February 2022; it is not a photo of the New Year’s Eve show (photo: Thomas & Olivia Williams / 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, times and arrangements can change; check the official pages above.