Events, Activities and Things To Do Around Australia in May

May 4th to June 3rd

Spread throughout various venues in Sydney, the Head On Photo Festival, is the world's second largest festival.

Featuring a wide range of photography across all genres with over 200 events at 100 venues. The festival has been a resounding success for everyone who participated: galleries and other venues, photographers, Head On partners and the viewing public with promoters claiming the upcoming event will be even better.

Events this year are spread across Sydney from the CBD extending, north, south, east and west. Aside from traditional venues such as art galleries and museums, exhibitions and events were set in less formal venues such as cafes, pubs and Centennial Park.

Most events are free of charge and include indoors and outdoors exhibitions, workshops, artists’ talks, open studios and a 2 day seminar. With the diverse range of venues, events and photography, Head On Photo Festival offers something for everyone.

May 19th to May 20th

Federation Square will play host to a weekend of Multicultural festivities.

Buddha's Day and Multicultural Festival incorporates the traditions of Buddhist ceremonies and celebrations including the "Bathing of the Buddha", daily Dharma ceremonies, the Wishing Bell and traditional incense offerings, a vegetarian culinary tour of Asia alongside the Yarra on the River Terrace, cultural demonstrations and insights, music, art and craft and community service groups.

Plenty for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike!

The festival is a unique introduction to Buddhism for kids and families with special activities and games for the younger of body and mind.

May 17th - May 27th

Held annually, The Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival is now in its 20th year and has grown to become Australia's leading regional arts festival.

Organised by the Penola Festival Association Incorporated, the festival celebrates the literary and arts heritage of Penola, the fine wines of Coonawarra and our premium regional produce.

The Penola Festival Association Inc. is a voluntary, non-profit organisation. Since its inception the festival has attracted major events and exhibitions that have appealed to a broad audience and have contributed to our growing profile.

By amalgamating with the Coonawarra Vignerons and incorporating the 'Coonawarra Unearthed' programme into the Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival they have continued to broaden the only arts based festival in the Limestone Coast.

Head on down to the 10-day festival to experience some South Australian culture.

May 3rd - May 5th

Agfest has all things agriculture. Everything for the farm and the home from machinery to jewellery.

Holding the title of Tasmania's premier agricultural event is quite a feat. Having the second highest attendance of all agricultural field days in Australia is also quite impressive.

Established in 1983 when it was a simple field day located on a racetrack, the festival has grown to become one of Tasmanias most popular annual events with almost 80,000 patrons attending over the three days.

Agfest features over 700 exhibitors and has something for everyone. Attractions include agricultural machinery, banking and finance, machinery, hardware and small equipment, leisure, automotive, clothing and home wares, food, horticulture and viticulture and livestock.

There are working displays of Tasmania's pioneering agricultural industry including working blacksmiths, draught horse displays and free rides, a selection of vintage machinery from the wool and timber industries, and steam engines and tractors.

Head on down and check out some of Tassies finest Agriculture. 

May 10th to May 19th

An open access festival presents theatrical performances wherever they can: a park, a backyard, a bedroom, an elevator, a swimming pool, a street, a train, anywhere, except a traditional theatre.

Kicking off to huge success in 2011 and featuring cabaret, circus, comedy, drama, site specific theatre and kids theatre the Anywhere Theatre Festival is innovative and fun.

Anywhere Theatre Festivals Paul Osuch, “Story telling began as something we did around camp fires and over time it has been ghettoed inside traditional theatre venues and the structures that go with them.

Anywhere Theatre Festival Limited’s mission is to brazenly strip away the elitism of ‘going to the theatre’ to reconnect audiences and communities with theatre, with story telling and with performance… anywhere.”

The performances kick off on May 10.

May 6th

Moondyne Festival celebrates the life of Moondyne Joe, Western Australia's legendary bushranger Moondyne Joe.

Moondyne Joe is infamous throughout Western Australia as a convict, an escapee and a hero from the bush. Not quite a bushranger but worse then the average horse thief.

Joe's main claim to fame was his ability to escape prison, despite a special reinforced cell having been constructed to keep him in.

The Festival is held on the first Sunday of May each year. Join in the fun with Moondyne Joe as he runs around town, robbing shops, escaping custody and being a general menace. Obviously in a reenactment of sorts.

There will be "Joe's Gang", coppers, floozies, swaggies and the town crier. There is 1860's regiment, wood chopping, blacksmith, wood turning, art exhibition, antique collectors fair, car club display, children's activities, circus and town fair.

Toodyay’s Moondyne Festival is a family focused fun day with the entertainment non stop from 9am to 4pm.