The Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) has announced its 34 finalists for 2026, marking a new chapter as the acclaimed event moves venues.
The festival will be held at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort on July 11.
Now firmly established as one of the region’s most distinctive cultural events, AWAF showcases wearable art at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, material innovation and performance, attracting artists and audiences from across Australia and overseas.
The 2026 finalists represent five Australian states and seven international entrants – from Romania, the United States, Indonesia, New Zealand and Poland – reinforcing the festival’s growing global profile while remaining proudly Sunshine Coast-based.
Festival co-founder and curator Wendy Roe says the move will elevate the experience for artists and audiences.
“Moving to Novotel Sunshine Coast has definitely been appealing to this year’s artists as it allows us to completely reimagine the AWAF experience,” she says.
“For the first time, we have the scale to match the ambition of the work … a purpose-built, U-shaped, 40m runway.
“What stays the same is our commitment to excellence. We’re just doing it on a much bigger canvas in 2026.”
Nineteen returning artists and 15 first-time exhibitors feature in the line-up.
Derby Cross duo Dan Draper and Evita Camilleri, Supreme Award winners in 2025, call AWAF “a unique opportunity for artists and one of the first platforms where we were able to showcase our work”.
Earlybird tickets are almost sold out, with increased capacity of up to 1000 people per show across matinee and gala performances.
Visit australianwearableart.com.au.
