With Australian Wearable Art launched for 2025 (8-9 August), a quiet creative revolution is soaring to new heights on the Sunshine Coast.
With a surge in Aussies making the move to regional areas over the past five years, the Sunshine Coast has seen a population boom and a concurrent evolution in its cultural offerings.
The region is now firmly on the radar for arts and culture tourism, drawing in crowds keen to experience more than surf and sand.
In a sign of the times – and of big business getting behind the shift – Sunshine Coast Airport has announced its official partnership with the Australian Wearable Art Festival, cementing the event’s role as a marquee attraction for the region.
Sunshine Coast Airport chief executive officer Chris Mills said, “We’re proud to support an event that showcases the extraordinary creativity thriving here on the Sunshine Coast.”
“With over 80 flights a week connecting us to Melbourne and Sydney, we’re seeing a growing number of visitors seeking arts and culture experiences in the region.”
The Australian Wearable Art Festival, often described as a breathtaking fusion of fashion, sculpture and performance, features a dramatic 27-metre-long catwalk and runs across two unforgettable days.
Wendy Roe, Australian Wearable Art Festival’s co-director said the event has quickly gained traction as one of Australia’s most exciting regional arts festivals.
“This year has seen us receive a 25 per cent increase of entries from 2024, with artists hailing from Romania, United States, Western Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand – to name just a few,” Ms Roe said.
“This increase in applicants speaks to the calibre and reputation the Australian Wearable Art Festival has on the global stage. Wearable artists and designers know that this year will be bigger, bolder and more prestigious than ever. Audiences know it too—tickets are already 20 per cent sold out for our four shows which are still four months away.”
Audience data reflects this rising interest, with 55 per cent of attendees now travelling from outside the Sunshine Coast, including 20 per cent from interstate. Attendance has almost doubled year-on-year with the festival celebrating its fifth event in 2025, mirroring global trends in cultural tourism and immersive art experiences.
The festival draws inspiration from trailblazers like New Zealand’s famed World of WearableArt in Wellington, which annually attracts more than 60,000 visitors to the small city.
Organisers of the Sunshine Coast event say they are on a similar trajectory – bringing bold, boundary-pushing design into the spotlight and boosting the local economy.
As Australia’s major cities become increasingly crowded and costly, the appeal of regional living, and visiting, has never been stronger.
Events like the Australian Wearable Art Festival signal a broader shift: regional Australia is no longer the cultural afterthought, but a vibrant frontier of innovation and artistic flair.
And now, with planes packed with curious creatives and adventurous tourists arriving weekly, the Sunshine Coast is not just riding the cultural wave – it’s flying it high.
