Party time at Hobart's urban winery

Hobart comes alive during the nights of the Dark Mofo festival.

But what if you are looking for something vinous to do during the day?

If trekking out to one of the vineyard regions is too hard, what about a visit to the Glaetzer-Dixon urban winery and cellar door?

If you'd like a full tasting you can book in here, but this year Nick and Sally Glaetzer will also be hosting a pop-up bar in the winery at 93 Brooker Ave, Hobart, serving up wines by the glass accompanied by live music.

"This is a fun opportunity to come and see a working winery while there’s some interesting fermentation business happening in the cellar," says Nick Glaetzer.

The Glaetzer-Dixon pop-up will be open 3pm-5pm on Friday, June 12, Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20.

And If you’re heading to the Winter Feast, Nick will be behind the bar a few nights serving the Uberblanc Riesling by the glass.

Italian pan handler to star at Dark Mofo Winter Feast

Star Italian chef Floriano Pellegrino will be the headline act at the Dark Mofo Winter Feast in Hobart.

The guest chef runs Michelin-starred restaurant Bros’ in Puglia with his partner Isabella Potì - a venue known for its avant-garde interpretation of Italian cuisine.

Pellegrino will collaborate with Roberto Mele of MAMA Hobart artisanal bakery to create five dishes, including a ricotta and pickled mulberry tart.

The Winter Feast will once again transform the Hobart waterfront with tens of thousands of people expected across both weekends of this year’s Dark Mofo.

The Winter Feast will feature over 70 stallholders - 40% of them new - from across Tasmania, along with crackling fires, music and community.

‘The Winter Feast is a candlelit haven from the cold weather," says Chris Twite, Dark Mofo’s artistic director.

"It’s where we refuel, nourished by the ritual of coming together around the fires, enjoying the incredible array of food and drink, and sharing stories of exploration and discovery among friends and strangers."

Hobart micro restaurant Scholé will makes its first appearance at the Feast, with Luke Burgess serving up a Japanese-inspired dish of crispy potato mochi.

Star local chefs will include David Moyle and Lilly Trewartha, along with Analiese Gregory, while Mona executive chef Vince Trim will be back, cooking with fire at the Heavy Metal Kitchen.

Beverages will include a refreshing Strawberry Bubble from Cygnet's Tasmaniac Distillers, a hot buttered whisky from Battery Point Distillery and a selection of cocktails from Local Absinthe.

"The generosity, abundance and creativity of Tasmania’s food culture is on full display once again this year, with tasty offerings from all around the island," says Winter Feast food curator Amanda Vallis.

The music program kicks off with The Gathering, a First Nations-led celebration of culture, connection and storytelling for the first night of the Feast. Curated by Dark Mofo’s Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural advisor Caleb Nichols-Mansell, the Gathering centres the ‘Matriarchs of Music’, presenting by artists like Emma Donovan, BADASSMUTHA, DENNI, Bumpy, Stiff Gins and Nidala Barker.

The Feast spreads across Salamanca Lawns and Princes Wharf Shed 1 and runs on both weekends of the festival: Thursday 11–Sunday 15 and Thursday 18–Sunday 21.

Season passes are still available at darkmofo.net.au/winter-feast.

As part of the Winter Feast’s commitment to reaching zero waste, all stallholders will stock reusable cups and compostable crockery and cutlery. The Winter Feast is a cash-free event.

From camel skewers to squidlipops: Dark Mofo's Winter Feast to push boundaries

Dark Mofo's Winter Feast is promising to dish up a mixture of old favourites and rising culinary stars.

The the food and drink element of the winter solstice festival will returns to the Nipaluna/Hobart waterfront for eight nights of feasting next month.

The waterfront location will welcome over 70 stallholders along with music, firelight and community vibes.

‘The Winter Feast is the warm, beating heart of Dark Mofo," says Dark Mofo artistic director Chris Twite.

"Gathered around fires and feasting by candlelight, it’s where we come in from the cold to share stories of where we've been and what we've seen. Eating together - friends, strangers, locals, visitors - is an important festival ritual, and the staggering array of incredible food on offer means there is always something for everyone.’

The Feast will welcome guest chef Niyati Rao from acclaimed Mumbai restaurant Ekaa, who will collab with Craig Will, Bianca Welsh and James Welsh from Stillwater in Launceston.

Other food collaborations include Thi Le + Fat Pig Farm, which sees award-winning Melbourne chef Thi Le teaming up with locals Fat Pig Farm; Salvage Drink Co. X Braised presenting infused cocktails paired with spiced offerings from Hobart's premium lamb providore; and Marla Singer X L’Appel Wines pairing an octopus slider with pinot noir.

Chef Analiese Gregory makes her return to the fires of the Feast, this year bringing a taste of the Tasmanian sea. She’ll be serving up skewers of baby abalone, shiitake and black garlic, grilled over fire (top image).

New Feast stallholders include Dark Dogs, serving their take on dagwood dogs; wine bar South will presents a slow-cooked possum bao; Elle’s Pantry will have pockets stuffed with seasonal pickles, tabbouleh, and green harissa hummus; and Bass Strait Seafood & Co by Sabina Newton will offer dishes ranging from creamy chowder to buttery marinara.

Joining the new stallholders will be familiar favourites, from Lilly Trewartha’s katsu sando, to Queen Sheba’s injera with slow-cooked chicken; Soufra & Co’s folded layers of filo pastry and custard baked fresh to order, to the famous squidlipop from Formosa Bites (above).

Fresh from his appearance on ABC’s Eat the Invaders, Mona’s executive chef Vince Trim is back with Heavy Metal Kitchen, eating the problem with a feral feast: fire-charred camel, skewered and served with an array of spiced and braised condiments.

Visitors can wash the dishes down with new offerings from New Norfolk’s Welcome Swallow Brewery, fizzy blush from Common Wine, or a Pressing Matters pinot noir.

Mona’s own wineries - Moorilla and Domaine A - will be on site, along with Moo Brew.

Amanda Vallis, the Winter Feast curator, says: ‘The food community in Lutruwita/Tasmania is one of the best things this island has to offer, and nowhere is it more pronounced than when everyone comes together to feast around the fires in the depths of winter.

"Whether it’s a hot take on a dagwood dog, or the flavour explosion offered by a guest chef all the way from India, the Winter Feast is sure to fill your cup and feed your soul.’

A number of events will celebrate the power of music, storytelling and First Nations cultures.

The Winter Feast takes over Salamanca Lawns and Princes Wharf Shed 1 and runs and runs on both weekends of the festival: Thursday June 5-8 and June 1-15.

Season passes are available via darkmofo.net.au/winter-feast

As part of the Winter Feast’s commitment to reaching zero waste, all stallholders will use compostable crockery and cutlery, with reusable cups and schooners available for beverages. The Feast is also a completely cash-free event.

# Dark Mofo is Tasmania’s mid-winter festival celebrating the dark through large-scale public art, food, music, fire, light, and noise, in Hobart.

Images: Dearna Bond, Dark Mofo  

Dark Mofo promises a car crash - and lots more

From car crashes to artworks, performances to food and wine, Tasmania's favourite winter festival Dark Mofo returns from June 5-15 and 21.

Organisers today announced an ambitious program designed to entertain locals and bring tourists to the island state during its coldest month.

The mid-winter festival will showcase large-scale public artworks in the Dark Park art hub and across Nipaluna/Hobart, along with annual rites such as the sprawling Night Mass parties, the Winter Feast gourmet festival, the traditional Ogoh-Ogoh burning, and the Nude Solstice Swim.

Dark Mofo Films also make a comeback under new artistic director Chris Twite.

"Once again we will bathe the city in red, filling it with art and taking over disused and hidden spaces all across Nipaluna/Hobart," Twite says.

"Night Mass - the late-night labyrinth of revelry - will carve new paths through the city and a host of Australian-exclusive artists from around the world will storm our stages."

The festival will utilise deconsecrated churches, rooftops, basements, bars, bank vaults and the shores of River Derwent. Dark Mofo will also stretch its tentacles to a theatre in Launceston and the planetarium in Ulverstone.

"It feels incredible to bring so many boundary pushing artists to Tasmania in 2025 for the full-scale return of Dark Mofo," says Twite.

The festival features new artwork commissions from Paula Garcia and Carlos Martiel, the Australian premiere of a massive light installation from Nonotak and performances from the likes of The Horrors, Tierra Whack, Beth Gibbons and Crime and the City Solution.

In Crash Body (above), two cars will engage in an exchange of near misses, building to a visceral head-on collision between Brazilian artist Paula Garcia and a stunt driver. This event will unfold at the Regatta Grounds over two hours and festival-goers will encounter the aftermath at Dark Park.

SORA by Nonotak will create a dancing, hypnotic firmament inside a cavernous warehouse. Lights on kinetic armatures will spin and pulse at the whim of an invisible wind at times and raging like the apotheosis of an electrical storm at others.

In a brand new Mona exhibition, in the end, the beginning, Italian sculptor Arcangelo Sassolino plays with fire.

The Winter Feast will take over Princes Wharf and Salamanca Lawns throughout the festival. This year the Feast welcomes guest chef Niyati Rao from Mumbai restaurant Ekaa.

She will be teaming up with Chef Craig Will and fellow co-owners of Launceston’s Stillwater, Bianca and James Welsh.

This year’s Ogoh-Ogoh ritual solicits fears to feed a giant Maugean skate - an endangered species found only in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour and threatened by polluting fish farms.

Tickets are now on sale. Subscribe for updates at www.darkmofo.net.au.

# Accor Pacific has once again be named an Official Accommodation Partner for Dark Mofo.

Accor has four hotels in Hobart and five hotels in Launceston, including brands such as Mövenpick, Peppers, The Sebel, Mantra, Mercure and ibis Styles.

Festival-goers can take advantage of the following rates during the event period, starting from $201 per night in Hobart and from $199 per night in Launceston.

To book visit all.accor.com/darkmofo

Dark Mofo to return in 2025

Tasmania’s leading cultural and culinary festival, Dark Mofo, will be back in 2025 - bigger than ever.

Many Dark Mofo events were on hiatus in 2024, but organisers of the midwinter solstice festival today announced a full return in 2025 with an ambitious art and music program including Dark Mofo rituals Winter Feast, the Ogoh-Ogoh, Night Mass and the Nude Solstice Swim.

Dark Mofo 2025 will take place in Hobart from Thursday June 5 to Sunday June 15 with the swim making a splash on Saturday June 21.

While the full festival program will be announced next year, organisers have revealed that a limited pre-release of tickets to Night Mass - Dark Mofo’s expansive art and music CBD takeover - will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday November 5 to those who have pre-registered via the Dark Mofo website.

Dark Mofo artistic director Chris Twite said: "Dark Mofo is back. For our eleventh chapter once more we’ll bathe the city in red and deliver two weeks of inspiring art, music and ritual. Today we’re giving Dark Mofo devotees a chance to access a limited pre-release of tickets to the sprawling behemoth, Night Mass."

Twite added: “Night Mass is a beast, and this year it will evolve once more; worming its way through the city with new spaces, performances and experiences to dance, explore or crawl your way through.”

The full Dark Mofo 2025 program details will be announced early next year. Sign up to the mailing list for updates www.darkmofo.net.au.

* Dark Mofo is a project of the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.

Looking good: Hobart's Winter Feast glows

I get asked a lot: "What is Hobart's Dark Mofo Winter Feast like?"

OK. Think some of the best drink producers in Tasmania, some quirky food options, a main hall that is disturbingly red (colouring all my photos) , and an outside area with warming heat pots. 

There is a great vibe and it is very easy to spend a lot of money. Cards only. No cash allowed. 

The festival continues through Sunday and is well worth a visit. 

Here are some images of some of my favourite stalls, some I wish I'd got to but didn't, and some hints at the atmosphere. 

Get along if you can. You'll find all the details here: https://darkmofo.net.au/winter-feast 

  

Winter Feast to feature some of the best of Tasmania

Tasmania's Dark Mofo festival is back - and so is the Winter Feast on the Hobart waterfront. 

A huge number of Tasmania's best artisan producers have signed up the June gourmet event. 

“Human beings have been gathering over food to celebrate the end of the winter months for thousands of years,” said new Winter Feast food curator Amanda Vallis.

“One of the things I love about living in Tasmania is the distinct division of seasons, and so I think the Winter Feast is particularly suited to our way of life here.

 

“We also have an incredibly rich and diverse community who call Tasmania home, so the Winter Feast is a beautiful way to showcase all of the different cuisines that we are lucky to have access to here in Tasmania.

 

“The last few years have reinforced to me the importance of gathering together for events like Dark Mofo, particularly gathering together over food. It’s something I don’t think any of us will take for granted ever again."

 

Dark Mofo has announced more than 80 stallholders that will operate at this year’s Winter Feast, including 25 first-time stallholders from across the state like Utizinger Wines from the Tamar Valley, Callington Mill Distillery from Oatlands, La Cantara Artisan Cheeses from Smithton, and Hobart-based OCA Brazilian Inspired Food.

 

Vallis said the theme for this year’s event was the ancient Roman winter solstice ritual of Saturnalia.

 

Princes Wharf I's outdoor deck area will be transformed into a roaming Saturnalia-inspired feast, featuring antipasto-style dishes presented by Sirocco South, Roman-inspired honey-spiked desserts by Queens Pastry in collaboration with Tasmanian-based Italian mamma Giuliana White, and the feast’s hero pork dish - handcrafted by guest chef Giovanni Pilu in collaboration with Meat Mistress.

Another "culinary highlight" of this year’s Winter Feast will be the collaboration between palawa kipli project manager Kitana Mansell and guest chef Jo Barrett, with the pair to serve mutton bird grilled over fire with a variety of accompaniments that showcase native Tasmanian ingredients.

Having tasted mutton bird before, I will pass on this "treat". 

The 2022 Winter Feast will also offer a series of special activities for kids, between 4pm and 6pm each night. 

The City of Hobart Dark Mofo Winter Feast will run for five nights, from June 15-19. Ticket prices will be $10 on Wednesday, June 15; $20 on Thursday 16, Friday 17 and Saturday 18 with free entry on Sunday, June 19. See www.darkmofo.net.au

Gourmet highlights unveiled for Dark Mofo

 

Probably the best time to visit Hobart is during Dark Mofo's annual Winter Feast, where visitors can eat and drink the finest produce from Tasmania's gourmet artisans. 

Crackling fires, live music, warming comfort food and a range of delectable drinks will be on offer on the Salamanca waterfront for five nights from Wednesday, June 16 to Sunday, June 20. 

Returning for its eighth year, the Winter Feast is a contemporary take on pagan solstice celebrations and is the hedonistic hub of the Dark Mofo festival. 

Continuing the event’s long-running 'cooking with fire' theme, the 2021 Winter Feast will host more than 80 stalls offering a diverse array of ethically-sourced Tasmanian produce.

Winter Feast food curator Jo Cook said this year’s event would feature a range of returning favourites alongside 30 first-time stallholders - including several exciting new collaborations which emerged during the pandemic.

“We have many stallholders who are thrilled to return with new and delicious menus, and a whole lot of stallholders who will be showcasing their products for the first time,” she said.

“There's rare-breed beef from regenerative farms, free-range pork from small producers, filter-feeding bi-valves such as fresh oysters and mussels, octopus from Bass Strait, Maria Island arrow squid, scallops from the east coast, and a variety of Tasmanian-grown mushrooms and other vegetables.

“Mona’s Heavy Metal Kitchen has gone vegetarian, and teamed up with other local businesses Annapurna, Urban Bounty and Tunnel Hill Mushrooms," Cook said. "There's also plenty of plant-based foods including desserts like ice creams, apple pies and marshmallows; and a massive range of exciting new-release spirits, craft beers, wines, ciders and low-sugar soft drinks.” 

All Winter Feast stallholders are going completely cashless this year, meaning all transactions will be digital for the first time. 

New measures have also been introduced to ensure the event complies with Covid protocols, including capacity restrictions. Patrons are advised to arrive early, and allow extra time to buy tickets and enter the site - there may be a queue. 

Patrons will also need to check in with the Tasmanian Government’s ‘Check in TAS’ app, individually or as a group. 

Visitors will need to be seated while at the venue, except when browsing stalls and buying food and drink.

Additional seating will be available both indoors and outdoors. Limited standing drinking and dancing will be permitted, but patrons may be asked to take a seat if things get too crowded. 

A number of stages across the Winter Feast precinct will host live musical performances, with the program to feature King Stingray, Boil Up, Baba Bruja, Claire Anne Taylor, Son Del Sur, Arauco Libre and many more.

The venue for the festivities is Princes Wharf No.1, Castray Esplanade, Hobart waterfront

See www.darkmofo.net.au