TAS POETRY FEST 2026

3–11 October | Launceston, Hobart & Ulverstone

POETRY IS ALIVE. COME AND HEAR IT.

The Tasmanian Poetry Festival brings together acclaimed poets, performers and audiences for readings, performances, workshops, conversation, competition — and a few things that don't fit neatly into any category.

Whether you love poetry, write it yourself, haven't read a poem since school, or are simply curious, you're welcome.

Come for an hour. Stay for a day. Make a weekend of it.

FREE + TICKETED EVENTS | FESTIVAL PASS AVAILABLE

WHAT'S WAITING FOR YOU?

🎤 Live poetry & performance
🌙 The intimate, low-lit Listening Lounge
✍️ Writing workshops with acclaimed poets
🏆 The legendary Launceston Poetry Cup
🎧 Poetry with soundscapes, projections & visual art
🎶 Poetry, music & open mics
👨‍👩‍👧 Free events & family activities

Featuring Mark Tredinnick, Toby Fitch, David Stavanger, Sarah Temporal, Tim Loveday, Kristen Lang, Ben Walter, David Hallett, Graeme Hetherington, Laurie May, Damien Becker, Esther Ottaway and many more.

WANT THE WHOLE FESTIVAL?

FESTIVAL PASS — $100

The easiest way to experience Tas Poetry Fest.

Your Festival Pass includes:

Festival Launch — Friday night
Saturday Listening Lounge — all day
Launceston Poetry Cup — Saturday night
Sunday Festival Hub — all day
PLUS one poetry workshop of your choice

And remember — there are plenty of FREE events to explore throughout the festival too.

Choose FESTIVAL PASS from the events below to book.

JUST CURIOUS? START HERE — FOR FREE.

You don't need to know anything about poetry to come to Tas Poetry Fest.

Some of our events are completely FREE, because we believe poetry should be accessible to everyone.

LIVE AT HIVE — ULVERSTONE

Saturday 3 October | 10.30am

Poetry comes to the North-West Coast with Helga Jermy, Rees Campbell, Craig White, Therese Corfiatis and Kristen Lang.

FREE

PASSWORD: POETRY — LAUNCESTON

Thursday 8 October | Evening

Step into something a little different.

Curated by Luke Hurst and featuring Kim Nielsen-Creeley, Laurie May and Damien Becker, Password: Poetry combines poetry with soundscapes and projected imagery to create an immersive experience for the audience.

FREE — bookings essential as space is limited.

SATURDAY FESTIVAL HUB — QVMAG

Saturday 10 October | 10am–4pm

Drop in for an hour or settle in for the day.

Our Festival Hub offers a changing program of poetry, performance, music, activities and unexpected encounters throughout the day.

10.00am — Festival Opening & Welcome
10.20am — Guided Free-Writing with Esther Ottaway
11.30am — The Bicheno Stories LIVE with Adam Martin
12.45pm — Nanaverse: poetry for children and their guardians
2.45pm — Exploring Historic Queenstown with Susan Wallace
3.05pm — Haiku Death Match with Laurie May & Red Dirt Poetry

Plus music from Lou Fin and D. EHMOR.

FREE ALL DAY

LOVE LISTENING TO GREAT POETRY?

THE LISTENING LOUNGE

Saturday 10 October | QVMAG

Ten acclaimed poets. One intimate, low-lit room. An entire day of poetry.

Settle into the Listening Lounge and hear some of Australia's finest published poets, one after another.

Come and go quietly as you please throughout the day.

10.30am — Graeme Hetherington
11.00am — Tim Slade
11.30am — Toby Fitch
12.00pm — Kristen Lang
1.00pm — David Stavanger
1.30pm — Tim Loveday
2.00pm — Ben Walter
2.30pm — Sarah Temporal
3.00pm — David Hallett
3.30pm — Mark Tredinnick

$50 | Included in Festival Pass

WANT TO WRITE?

POETRY WORKSHOPS

Spend time writing, experimenting and learning from some of the outstanding poets appearing at this year's festival.

THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER

2.00pm — Esther Ottaway
Stalking the Jaguar: the techniques of poet Sarah Holland-Batt

4.30pm — Mark Tredinnick
The Poetry Place

FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER

10.30am — Tim Loveday
The Fundamentals of Metaphor

2.30pm — Toby Fitch
ALL CUT UP: Collage Poetry

$25 each | One workshop included with Festival Pass

Places are limited, so early booking is recommended.

START THE WEEKEND WITH US

FESTIVAL LAUNCH

Friday 9 October | 7pm

This is where the festival really begins.

Join poets, poetry lovers, performers and the Tas Poetry Fest community for an evening of readings, conversation and celebration.

Featuring Mark Tredinnick, Toby Fitch, David Stavanger, Tim Loveday, Ben Walter, Laurie May, Sarah Temporal, Damien Becker and more.

$25 | Included in Festival Pass

ONE MINUTE. ONE POEM. ONE VERY LOUD AUDIENCE.

THE LAUNCESTON POETRY CUP

Saturday 10 October | 7pm

One of Tas Poetry Fest's most-loved traditions.

Poets have one minute to deliver their poem.

The audience decides who goes through — and ultimately who takes the Cup — by the volume of their applause.

Enter the competition or simply grab a drink and cheer from the crowd.

Expect poetry. Expect competition. Expect glorious chaos.

$15 | Included in Festival Pass.

AND WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET...

SUNDAY FESTIVAL HUB

Sunday 11 October | QVMAG | 10am–4pm

One more day of poetry — from community voices and emerging writers to established performers and some provocative conversations about poetry itself.

10.15am — Community Open Mic
11.15am — Andrew Hardy Youth Poetry Awards & Readings
12.30pm — Thin Reed Throat + more with Damien Becker
12.50pm — Spotlight Poets
1.45pm — Laurie May Performance Showcase
2.30pm — Chair book launch with Allan Lake
2.50pm — WHY THE F*CK DO PEOPLE HATE POETRY?
Six professional poets discuss.

$20 | Included in Festival Pass

NEVER BEEN TO A POETRY FESTIVAL?

Perfect.

You don't need to be a poet. You don't need to understand poetry. And you certainly don't need to know the difference between a sonnet and a sestina.

You just need to be curious.

For more than 40 years, the Tasmanian Poetry Festival has been bringing poets and audiences together and creating spaces for poetry to be heard, shared, challenged and celebrated.

We're a not-for-profit festival run with the support of an extraordinary volunteer committee and community.

Our mission remains simple:

Bringing poetry to the people, and the people to poetry.

COME AND BE PART OF TAS POETRY FEST 2026.

↓ EXPLORE THE EVENTS AND BOOK YOUR TICKETS BELOW ↓

Contact the host of Poetry Workshop: Esther Ottaway. "Stalking the Jaguar: the techniques of poet Sarah Holland-Batt"