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Ten Days on the Island is Tasmania’s (Lutruwita) biennial festival of arts, culture and storytelling. For more than two decades, it’s been curated by and for the enjoyment of Tasmanians and been held close to their hearts.
This year, mainlanders are invited to journey across the Bass Strait to join Tasmanians in a vibrant and thoughtfully curated program inspired by place, imagination, colour and love. With events stretching across the state between 21-30 March 2025, it’s the perfect time to visit Australia’s creative heart.
A Tassie vision
From intimate storytelling to grand-scale installations, Ten Days on the Island creates a cultural map of Tasmania that encourages visitors to explore not just the festival’s statewide events but the communities, histories and landscapes that make Tasmania so special.
From puppetry and dance performances to public artworks, interactive walks and an array of incredible exhibitions, the bold and immersive program is set to captivate audiences in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and beyond. The festival is really about connection – to each other, the natural world and the boundless imagination of the artists who call this island home – along with acclaimed artists from across the world who are drawn to the festival’s energy and spirit.
“In 2025, we acknowledge and celebrate our island way of thinking, our creative culture and our home,” says Marnie Karmelita, artistic director of Ten Days on the Island
“Tasmania is a place at the edge of the world where we do things our own way – this program is a response to this incredible island.”
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Colour and joy
Tasmania’s surreal landscapes – bioluminescent waters, aurora-lit skies and lush forests – are a visual feast, and this year’s festival takes its cue from that natural vibrancy. Hobart-based artist Aldous Kelly’s artwork captures this explosion of colour, setting the tone for a program full of life.
One of the playful highlights of the festival is Swing, a nine-metre-high swing designed to encourage adults to leave their worries behind and come out to play.
“In the north, we invite the entire community to remember the freedom and joy of flying through the eyes of their inner child,” Karmelita says. “Art plays an important part in the wellbeing of communities and we’re hoping to draw attention to this with Swing.”
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Climate in focus
As an island on the frontier of climate change, Tasmania’s cultural voices are deeply engaged with their connection to the earth and the pressing environmental challenges we all face. This year’s festival presents a powerful trilogy of works: Time Rebel by Gardening Australia presenter and permaculture educator Hannah Moloney, Wilds by circus performers Rooke and Beacon by dance company Tasdance. These performances offer a unique perspective on climate activism and explore the urgency of the climate crisis through dance, theatre and storytelling.
In Time Rebel, Moloney tells the story of her life and passionate activism on stage with local community choirs in a climate justice cabaret.
Described as a “community joy-fest and live music spectacular”, Moloney hopes her performances will leave audiences with a sense of hope for the future. “Creativity is what creates wondrous and neutral meeting places for us all to gather and connect,” she says. “It reminds us that our connection to people and place is what makes us who we are and is what can help us rise up to create a good life for all.”
Another highlight is Goldfish, where reality and fantasy collide in a collaborative performance by Tasmanian puppeteers Terrapin and Japan’s Aichi Prefectural Art Theatre. Woven around themes of disaster recovery, the production taps into the intersection of art, play and ecological consciousness.
Love letters to people and place
There is an unmistakable romance to Tasmania, not least because of its mist-shrouded mountains, wild oceans and tight-knit communities. This sentiment has been woven through the festival program with events celebrating people and place. Whether it’s the soaring beauty of Richard Strauss’ compositions performed by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra or public artworks that honour Tasmania, the festival is a collective love letter to the state.
“The landscape is ever-present … our stories are intertwined with the natural world around us,” Karmelita says.
In Burnie, Palawa multi-media artist Caleb Nichols-Mansell will present This is My Land, This is My Sea, a contemporary acknowledgement of Palawa culture that shines out across the city in the form of a neon artwork for the duration of the festival.
The festival also dives into the stories that have shaped Tasmania and its place in the broader Pacific. At the heart of this exploration is Taniwha Time Machine, an installation artwork that tells the Māori creation myth of Wellington. Karmelita says the work is a gateway to a broader conversation about the origins of this land, First Nations voices, and our cultural links to New Zealand (Aotearoa) and the Pacific.
“Taniwha Time Machine is a huge, vibrant, immersive installation by the Dreamgirls Art Collective, street artists who share stories and aim to empower all of us through their striking work,” Karmelita says.
A festival for all of Australia
Ten Days on the Island emerged as Tasmania’s first international arts festival 23 years ago. The festival has since become a beacon of artistic expression, community engagement and cultural identity, showcasing the extraordinary talent of Tasmanian artists alongside national and international peers.
For those who have long wanted to explore Tasmania, there has never been a better reason to make the trip. In 2025, the island is calling – and this time, it’s calling all of Australia.
For the full program, event bookings and artist insights, visit Ten Days on the Island.
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