The Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) has revealed its 34 finalists for 2026, ushering in a new era for one of the Sunshine Coast’s most distinctive cultural events.
Next year’s festival will be staged at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort on Saturday 11 July 2026 – a move organisers say will allow the event to grow in scale and ambition.
AWAF celebrates wearable art at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, material innovation and performance. The event continues to attract artists, audiences and industry attention from across Australia and overseas.
The 2026 finalists represent five Australian states and seven international artists from Romania, the United States, Indonesia, New Zealand and Poland, highlighting the festival’s expanding global reach while remaining proudly Sunshine Coast-based.
The announcement follows what organisers describe as the festival’s strongest year yet, with more than 1,500 people attending four shows in 2025. AWAF also received award finalist recognition at both regional and national levels.
Festival Co-Founder and Curator Wendy Roe said the move to the Novotel venue would transform the audience experience while giving artists more room to showcase ambitious work.
“For the first time, we have the scale to match the ambition of the work — a purpose-built U-shaped 40-metre runway, immersive environments, and space for audiences to move beyond simply watching a show and truly step inside the world of wearable art,” Ms Roe said.
She said guests could expect an “artistic journey” from arrival, including new VIP Art Lover’s Tables positioned along the runway edge and interactive experiences throughout the venue.
“What stays the same is our commitment to excellence. AWAF remains focused on showcasing extraordinary wearable artists and giving their work the platform, respect and audience it deserves — we’re just doing it on a much bigger canvas in 2026,” she said.
The 2026 line-up includes 19 returning artists and 15 first-time exhibitors, reflecting both loyalty within the AWAF community and growing national and international interest.
Among those marking the festival’s evolution are 2025 Supreme Award winners Dan Draper and Evita Camilleri, known as Derby Cross. The pair credit AWAF as a pivotal stepping stone in their creative journey, which has since seen them recognised as finalists at New Zealand’s World of WearableArt awards.
Although not competing in 2026, they plan to attend in support of the event that helped launch their trajectory.
With early bird tickets almost sold out and second-release tickets about to go on sale, demand for 2026 is already strong. The new venue will allow for up to 1,000 audience members per show, with both a matinee and gala performance scheduled for the same day — offering the perfect excuse for a Sunshine Coast weekend getaway.
Tickets and details are available at www.australianwearableart.com.au
Full list of AWAF 2026 finalists (alphabetical by surname)
Amy Aldridge (QLD)
Lara Andriyani (QLD)
Sophy Blake (QLD)
Kelcie Bryant-Duguid (NSW)
Deborah Carter (USA)
Elżbieta Cios-Jonas (Poland)
Kym Cunningham (QLD)
Jasmine Ella (QLD)
Leah Fitzgerald-Quinn (VIC)
Natalie Hamblin (QLD)
Robyn Hills & Donna Waterford (QLD)
Errick Kim (VIC)
Shumbi Love (TAS)
Amanda May (VIC)
Ariya McDonald (QLD)
Fiona Pierce (New Zealand)
Mica Pontoriero (QLD)
Salley-Ann Porter (VIC)
Jessica Rankin (QLD)
Jacqueline Rheinberger (NSW)
Oana Rosca (Romania)
Rae Saheli (QLD)
Alle-Jane Sellens (QLD)
Sally Stevens (NSW)
Madelyn Jane Sumner (WA)
Suzy Syme & Andrew Costa (QLD)
Antoaneta Tica (Romania)
Britt Timmins (NSW)
Rosamund Torr (VIC)
Kayla Trisakti (NSW)
Freddy Vale (QLD)
Robyn Valentine (New Zealand)
Lisa Von Muller (VIC)
Ririn Yaxley (Indonesia)
