The Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) has marked its most successful year to date, attracting record crowds and earning both national and regional recognition.
Building on this success, the festival has announced a major new chapter: in 2026, it will take to Australia’s longest catwalk at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort on 11 July.
The 2025 festival drew over 1500 attendees across four shows, the largest audience in its history, and received finalist recognition in the Sunshine Coast Business Awards (winners announced 8 November 2025) as well as being named one of five national regional finalists at the Australian Event Awards (winners announced 15 October 2025 in Coffs Harbour).
Co-founder and co-director Helen Perry, who was also named a finalist in both the Micro/Small Business and Sustainability categories of the recent Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Awards, said the growth experienced by the event in the past five years had confirmed its place on Australia’s regional destination event calendar.
“It has been humbling to receive the national and local award recognition, and gives us a lovely validation to all the hard work we have contributed to get to this point,” Ms Perry said.
From its humble grassroots beginnings in Eumundi with just 100 attendees in 2017, AWAF is now recognised as a nationally significant cultural tourism event, attracting international artists, boosting the Sunshine Coast economy, and inspiring audiences with its unique fusion of fashion, sculpture, performance and storytelling.
Looking ahead to 2026, the move to the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort will allow the event to expand to two shows of 1200 guests each, creating the capacity for more than double the current audience. Guests will step into a world of captivating creativity where more than 40 national and international entries will take to a 40-metre catwalk – the longest of its kind in the country.
Ms Perry said the growth reflected a clear vision for the festival’s future.
“Our dream has always been to create a platform that provides Australia’s preeminent showcase of wearable art, and truly transports people into the heart of creativity. With our new expanded space at the Convention Centre, we not only accommodate a larger audience but can deliver a fully an immersive art experience which is far greater than just a runway show,” Ms Perry said.
“From the moment people arrive, they will be taken to a world brimming with innovation, story-telling and WOW-factor moments.”
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli congratulated the festival for its success and highlighted the importance of supporting grass-roots regional events.
“The Australian Wearable Art Festival is a unique event that has turned heads for a reason,” Mayor Natoli said.
With flights and accommodation already being booked once dates were announced at this year’s show, the release of tickets in October are highly anticipated and set to sell fast. To register for Early Bird Ticket specials, visit website australianwearableart.com.au/exhibition/#signup
