The Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) has officially launched its 2027 Festival Program, revealing a rich line-up of vessels, people, craftsmanship and maritime traditions set to transform Hobart’s waterfront from 5–8 February 2027.
With Working Boats as its central theme, Tasmania’s largest free event and the largest celebration of wooden boats and maritime culture in the Southern Hemisphere will shine a spotlight on the vessels that have carried people and cargo, supported livelihoods and connected communities for generations.
Hundreds of wooden vessels are expected to gather on Hobart’s waterfront, from historic fishing boats and trading vessels to elegant yachts, tall ships and traditional sailing craft. The 2027 fleet will include visiting vessels from Bali, Sulawesi, Taiwan, Japan and New Zealand, bringing an international dimension to the Festival and celebrating the enduring traditions of wooden boatbuilding across the region.
AWBF General Manager and Festival Director Paul Stephanus said the Working Boats theme provides an opportunity to share the stories of the vessels and the people behind them.
“Our Working Boats theme celebrates the wooden boats that earn their keep, carry people and cargo, and connect communities. Every vessel has a story, and we’re looking forward to bringing those stories together on Hobart’s waterfront, whether they’ve sailed across oceans or just around the corner.”
The four-day Festival will once again bring together boat owners, builders, craftspeople, maritime historians, sailors and enthusiasts from across Australia and beyond.
Returning Festival favourites include the Shipwrights Village, Noisy Boatyard, Wooden Boat Symposium, Little Sailors Village and Maritime Marketplace, alongside new exhibitions, demonstrations, performances and opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience maritime culture firsthand.
From traditional boatbuilding techniques and working demonstrations to maritime talks, heritage exhibitions, live entertainment, film, theatre and hands-on workshops, the Festival Program showcases the breadth of experiences planned for February.
Historic May Queen features on 2027 Festival poster
The 2027 Festival poster celebrates one of Australia’s most significant surviving working vessels, May Queen, depicted in an original painting by New Zealand marine artist A.D. Blake.
Australia’s oldest trading vessel still afloat, May Queen spent more than a century carrying timber, apples and quarried stone along Tasmania’s rivers and coastline. Today, she is a familiar sight in Hobart’s Constitution Dock, maintained by a dedicated team of volunteers.
Gifted to the Festival by the artist, the painting depicts May Queen passing Tasman Island under sail, heavily laden and bound for Hobart, capturing the strength, character and enduring working heritage at the heart of the 2027 Festival theme.
2027 Festival Program and website now live
The 2027 Australian Wooden Boat Festival Program and website are now live at www.awbf2027.org.au, giving visitors their first opportunity to explore the extensive range of activities, exhibitions, demonstrations and experiences planned for February.
The new website offers several ways to discover the Festival, including a digital program, dedicated program areas and searchable activity listings that can be filtered by date, time and interest.
Further program announcements will be made in the lead-up to the Festival, with the full schedule of activities and Festival Boat Directory available online in late January 2027.
Festival community gathers for official launch
The program was officially launched on Thursday 29 October at the Waterside Pavilion on Hobart’s waterfront, bringing together a large gathering of the AWBF community, supporters, sponsors, partners and representatives from the maritime and tourism industries.
The launch featured addresses from City of Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, representing the Festival’s Major Partner, TasPorts Towage Tug Master Peter Manthorpe, representing Principal Partner TasPorts, and AWBF General Manager and Festival Director Paul Stephanus.
The occasion also celebrated an expanded partnership between the City of Hobart and AWBF, with a new six-year, multi-festival agreement securing the City’s support for the 2027, 2029 and 2031 Festivals.
Historic wooden vessels on display outside the venue provided a fitting backdrop to the occasion, connecting the 2027 Working Boats theme with the people and vessels at the heart of the Festival.
The Australian Wooden Boat Festival returns to Hobart’s waterfront from 5–8 February 2027. Entry to the Festival is free.
Explore the 2027 Festival Program: www.awbf2027.org.au
