5 Aussie outback events you can’t miss | Part one

Words Julija Zivanovic Pics Supplied

Join us as we explore five unmissable outback events coming up in the next few months. This week we’ve covered the first two and next week the final three. 

Impossibly bright stars filling the endless night sky, the smell of campfire lingering in the air and the family-like interactions with strangers from around Australia all make outback events a truly unforgettable experience. Enjoying a music festival, horse race or rodeo in the Red Centre should be on every traveller’s bucket list. And experiencing an event like the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash, for example, where approximately 14,000 visitors (2024 ticket numbers) flock to the otherwise remote location of Broken Hill for an annual opportunity to really let loose — outback style — is something you have to see in person at least once in your life.  

To celebrate outback events, we’ve decided to narrow down our five favourite events that are coming up over the next few months of 2024. We’ll also revisit the topic later in the year to bring you our top five unmissable outback events for the summer months.

The Birdsville Big Red Bash — 2–4 July 2024

The Birdsville Big Red Bash on the map

The Birdsville Big Red Bash is almost as iconic as the ‘Big Red’ dune that forms its background. Located in the famous Simpson Desert, Birdsville is a bucket-list destination marked by its unique location near where three state lines meet: Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia. The precise location of the event is just 35km west of Birdsville, which is affectionately known as ‘Bashville’.

Since its inception in 2013, the Big Red Bash music festival has been a very successful Aussie outback event, and it has brought much attention and visitors to the outback Queensland area. The Big Red Bash is marketed as the world’s most remote music festival, and it truly is both an aural and visual experience to remember. There is something indescribable about singing and dancing among thousands (11,000 tickets sold in 2023) of festivalgoers with a kaleidoscope of natural colour above you. 

This year’s Big Red Bash features the best of Aussie artists in its lineup, including Tina Arena, Jon Stevens, Ian Moss, Colin Hay, Tim Finn, Diesel, Baby Animals, Vanessa Amorosi, Richard Clapton, Sarah McCloud and many more. 

Aside from the music artists, there will be plenty of activities for festivalgoers including the Nutbush Dance World Record attempt, the second-ever Big Blue Day World Record attempt, the Bashville Drags Race, Doggie Dress Up Day, Sunrise Yoga World Record attempt, dunny door painting and much more. Many of the activities raise money for charity, so be sure to join in the fun and help raise funds for a good cause!

Of course, Hema Maps will again be at this year’s Bash, supporting festivalgoers with a selected range of products hand-picked and tailored for consumers travelling through the outback to the Big Red Bash. 

Hema Tours powered by the Adrenalin Offroad Centre will also be at the Bash, where you can find out all about our outback tours which vary in duration to suit all levels of four-wheel driving experience. Ben Carceller from Adrenalin will also have his famous Unimog expedition vehicle there, for you to explore and even climb inside of. For more information on Hema Tours, just hit this link. 

Pic National 4x4 Outdoors Show

Due to the remoteness of Birdsville, making the trip there can be a bit daunting for first timers. But there are a few different ways to get there, and one of them is via a newly sealed road which takes you right to the event — meaning you can reach Bashville with a 2WD. However, if you want to explore the surrounding area, you will definitely need a 4WD. 

Birdsville is approximately a three-to-five-day leisurely drive from all Australian capital cities. If taking your own car doesn’t appeal, there is a bus package called the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll road trip’ which takes you right to the event and even includes a number of optional extras including camping gear and festival tickets. Learn more here.

It’s important to remember Birdsville is in a very remote area of our country on the edge of the Simpson Desert where there is no phone reception. It’s therefore extremely important to have the necessary communications equipment and safety gear to ensure all bases are covered when you can’t reach help. Not to mention plenty of food and water.

Incredibly, tickets to the Big Red Bash are still available. You can secure yours by going here. 

The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash — 15–17 August 2024

The Mundi Mundi Bash on the map

There’s nothing quite like the coveted Mundi Mundi Bash! Held in New South Wales’ Broken Hill, this is a live music event that continues to grow with each year, turning the otherwise quiet township of Broken Hill into a busy metropolis. With 14,000 tickets sold to this year’s event — sold out, unfortunately — visitors can expect the largest Mundi Mundi that’s been ever been held and a festival to remember.

Believe it or not, the Mundi Mundi Bash is only in its third year in 2024, which is insane considering how much the festival has expanded in that time. Mundi Mundi was actually born from the Big Red Bash which, as mentioned, started in 2013 but in 2022 festival organisers decided there was enough demand for a second outback live music festival, and it’s proved to be a wise decision.

The 2024 Mundi Mundi Bash features some of Australia’s biggest and best artists, including James Reyne, Jon Stevens, The Living End, Ian Moss, Daryl Braithwaite, Diesel, Tim Finn, Baby Animals, Vanessa Amorosi, Mark Seymour, Phil Jamieson, Tex Perkins & Tim Rogers and many more. 

Aside from the impressive musical lineup, there are countless activities to join in and enjoy at Mundi which are always a lot of fun. These include the Mad Max World Record attempt, the largest Nutbush dance World Record attempt, the Mundi Undi Run, camel rides, sunrise yoga, scenic helicopter flights, a petting zoo and plenty more. 

Just like the Big Red Bash, Hema Maps will again be at this year’s Mundi Mundi Bash, supporting festivalgoers with a selected range of products hand-picked and tailored for consumers travelling through the outback. We’re actually finishing up our special one-off 40th anniversary trip in Broken Hill just prior to the Mundi Mundi Bash kicking off, so we’ll be extra excited for an epic event. 

There are a few different ways to get to the Mundi Mundi Bash, held 40km northwest of Broken Hill on the magnificent Mundi Mundi Plains. And just like Bashville the site is affectionately known as ‘Mundiville’.

Broken Hill is in a remote location in the NSW outback; however it is surrounded by sealed roads, so you don’t need a 4WD vehicle to access the event. We took the liberty of borrowing this handy travel guide from the Mundi Mundi Bash website (below), so you know just how far you need to travel from each capital city:

Broken Hill is also serviced by regular bus, train and flight routes, so if you aren’t bringing your rig, there are plenty of options. Just hit this link for more information regarding how to get to the Bash.

Return for part two

The festival fun isn’t finished yet — next week we’ll be sharing three more exciting upcoming festivals, so get ready for rodeo fun, races, ute culture and much more. 

Next steps

At Hema Maps, we strive to provide the most comprehensive and accurate maps and guides for outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore Australia's natural wonders.

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• Five Aussie outback events you can’t miss | Part two