Thousands of courageous souls marked the end of this year’s Dark Mofo by stripping off and plunging into the River Derwent at dawn for the Nude Solstice Swim, a cleansing ritual to follow the longest night of the year.
With 3000 participants braving the icy waters, the Swim is the closing event for the midwinter festival, which welcomed huge numbers of visitors and locals to its numerous events. Featuring Australian-exclusive music gigs, live performances, art installations, late-night parties, firelight feasting and beloved rituals, Dark Mofo 2026 recorded 550,000 entries across its various locations, including Spirit of Tasmania V, a 48,000 tonne ship moored in Dark (P)ark.
Chris Twite, Dark Mofo’s Artistic Director said: ‘Once more, tens of thousands have braced themselves for the Tasmanian winter and dived headfirst into Dark Mofo. There have been moments of silence and stillness cast against scenes of chaos and cacophony. It has been truly incredible to see so many people finding their own path through the whole festival, from a single viewer sitting alone to watch cinema’s rarest artefact to the thousands filling the street last night to cast off their fears with the Ogoh-Ogoh.
We’re so thankful to everyone who has supported us and made this festival happen—our phenomenal teams, partners, and community—and to all the visitors from near and far who have once again trusted us to challenge, disorient and delight them. Now to start work on 2027!’
