9 Great Camping Festivals Coming Up in April

April is one of the busiest months for camping festivals and this year, despite COVID numbers on the increase again, we have a bunch of them that are still going ahead and look absolutely awesome. A few of them fall over the same dates, so you may have to make some tough choices, but we’re sure you’ll still have plenty of options throughout the month.

Rowany Festival, NSW

Wednesday April 13^th to Monday 18^th, Camp Wombaroo, High Range

So this first festival on our list is a bit different to the others, but is a heap of fun, really interesting, and if you’re a medieval history fan, a must-do event. In fact, it’s the largest event for the Society of Creative Anachronism in all of Australia, and is a true camping festival as well, so you can really immerse yourself in the medieval atmosphere.

There are assigned campsites available for larger groups in pre-pitched tents and unassigned tent spaces for everyone else, as well as camper parking and even bunk houses – all within the festival grounds. The links below have heaps of information to follow up:

Rowany Festival website

Rowany Festival Facebook page

Bluesfest, NSW

Thursday April 14^th to Monday 18^th, Byron Bay

Most people have heard of this festival and know that it’s pretty huge and wild – not particularly bluesy, but instead showcasing artists from all popular styles in one massive music festival event. Their line up of artists is truly impressive, with both local legends as well as international stars.

They have a range of accommodation options, with campervan areas, BYO tent/swag camping or a range of pre-pitched glamping set ups. They even have a campers’ café! And because this is in Byron Bay, you have a large range of apartment and resort options, many very close to the beach, if the camping gets filled up before you get a chance to book. You can check it out at the links below:

Bluesfest website 

Bluesfest Facebook page

Spin Circus Festival (Spinfest), Victoria

April 14-18, Cooriemungle

This festival is all about physical movement, co-ordination skills and community, with heaps of workshops on circus-type skills like acrobatics, juggling, trapeze and a tonne more. If you’re into body movement and self-styled physical challenge, then this is the perfect event to learn and have fun, for all ages and experience levels.

The camping option is paid for with the ticket and you’ll have to bring all your own camping gear, rather than any pre-pitched options. There is also a very small range of dorms available, but you’ll need to get in quick for that. Here are the links:

Spin Circus Festival website

Spin Circus Festival Facebook page

Boogie Festival, Victoria

April 15-17, Tallarook

This music and arts festival is a very cool alternative to the mainstream music festivals and the vibe is really different too, with a clear desire for diversity, demonstrated through their boutique approach to the entertainment and onsite food and drinks options.

For accommodation, there are three camping areas - with tent only (vehicle parked a short walk away), tent and vehicle together (a little further away), and campervans. There are heaps of toilets throughout the site and you should note that there’s a $5 fee for the use of the camp showers. Check out the links below for this festival:

Boogie Festival Facebook page

Tamworth Country Music Festival, NSW

April 18^th to 24^th, Tamworth

Just about everyone knows about this one and with good reason – it’s huge and it’s a lot of fun, and it’s been going for 50 years, so they know a little bit about how to run a festival. If country music is your thing, then this will be the big one for you not to miss.

There are a heap of accommodation options, including a range of non-camping options throughout the town of Tamworth. But the great camping ones are just a tiny walk from the festival grounds - the BYO option is at the Riverside Camping Grounds, which you can pay for at the gate when you arrive, and a range of pre-pitched tent and glamping options is at the Wallaroo Campsite, but need to be pre-booked. The whole town is in on this festival so no matter where you are, you’re going to be enjoying a great country atmosphere. The website and Facebook links are below:

Tamworth Country Music Festival website

Tamworth Country Music Festival Facebook page

Mundi Mundi Bash, NSW

April 21^st to 23^rd, Broken Hill

Hosted just 35km out of Broken Hill, way out in the outback, but still 2wd accessible, this is a rock music festival featuring a swag of Aussie legends as well as up and comers. There are camel rides, helicopter flights, dance-offs and open air cinema, so there’s heaps to do throughout the day and night, all in the very picturesque red outback.

The camping site becomes what they call ‘Mundiville’ – a pop-up town of campervans, swags, tents and vehicles with a network of roads and paths built in as you go, and the camping is included in the ticket price. Their website also gives great info on the surrounding areas and outback travel, which can be quite helpful for the uninitiated. Here are the links for this camping festival:

Mundi Mundi Bash website

Mundi Mundi Bash Facebook page

The Gum Ball Festival, NSW

April 22^nd to 24^th, Hunter Valley

This is a family-run, independently owned laid back music festival set in private bushland, with local artists, market stalls, workshops, circus and roaming performers. It’s got something for everyone and all ages are looked after.

The campsite is directly outside the festival grounds, and it’s a BYO arrangement, with a preference for smaller set-ups, and registration needed for big campervans, to ensure there’s enough space for everyone. Here are the links to check it out:

The Gum Ball Festival website

The Gum Ball Festival Facebook page

Wintermoon Festival, QLD

April 29^th to May 2^nd, Cameron’s Pocket

World music abounds from local artists with three stages to find the sounds that suit you. Market stalls focusing on handmade items, various holistic health providers, vegan and non-vegan food offerings and a nice creek nearby offer a family-friendly, safe and cosy alternative festival event.

Camping is available as pre-pitched glamping set-ups, as well as bring your own, even before the festival starts. This is a feel-good festival that’s constantly growing. The links are below, if you’d like to check it out further:

Wintermoon Festival website

Wintermoon Festival Facebook page

Scenic Rim Adventure Festival, QLD

April 29^th to May 2^nd, Mt Barney

Rounding out our list, as well as the month of April, the Scenic Rim Adventure Festival is all about getting out and about on expeditions, enjoying walks, workshops and films, all the while in a rugged, beautiful part of South East Queensland. Hosting live entertainment, fantastic speakers, adventure retailers and a community of other adventurous types, this one is a great networking and information gathering event with plenty of actual physical engagement to boot.

Unsurprisingly, there’s plenty of decent camping options for the adventurous types that will be here! They offer pre-made glamping as well as various camping with your own gear or in your van or campervan. They offer deluxe camper trailers too but they’ve sold out already. The links for this festival are below:

Scenic Rim Adventure Festival website

Scenic Rim Adventure Festival Facebook page

Summing Up The Camping Festivals Coming Up in April

There have been some disappointing COVID-related cancellations in April, including the much loved Fairbridge Festival in Western Australia, and a couple of others have been pushed back in the year, so we will cover them later on. April is definitely a good month for festivals as the weather slowly starts to cool down, but fire restrictions abound and the threat of bushfire is still alive just about everywhere, so please take care.  

As with our last instalment on the festival trail, we’re only including camping festivals, rather than festivals without camping, so there are a lot of awesome events that might be a great excuse to get on the road to visit, which we haven’t discussed here. If you know of any other camping festivals in April that we should have talked about, which are inclusive, Earth-friendly and just good vibe events, please let us know!