Australian Wearable Art Festival artist entries now open
Australia’s most imaginative runway returns – bigger, bolder and brimming with creativity. Entries for the 2026 event are now open to all artists, designers, crafters and creatives.
The Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) celebrated its most successful year yet — recognised nationally and regionally for excellence, drawing record crowds, and announced a major new chapter that will see the event step onto Australia’s longest catwalk at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre, Novotel Twin Waters, on 11 July 2026.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli congratulated the festival for its success and highlighted the importance of supporting grass-roots regional events.
“The Australian Wearable Art Festival is a unique event that has turned heads for a reason,” Mayor Natoli said.
“The event showcases the innovation, sustainability and creative spirit of our region.
“In 2025, the festival generated more than half a million dollars in local economic return, with half of the audience members coming from outside the region.
“AWAF enriches the diversity of our events calendar, strengthens our cultural identity, and demonstrates why the Sunshine Coast is a premier destination for both creativity and tourism.”
Invitation to designers
It's time now to call on artists, designers, crafters and creatives to prepare their entry for the 2026 edition of the Australian Wearable Art Festival, with organisers inviting bold thinkers and creative risk-takers from across Australia and the world to bring their imagination to life on the runway.
Entries are open across multiple categories including Avant Garde, Trashion, Elements of Nature and Abstract Form, with additional awards recognising Sustainability, Textile Innovation and Performance Excellence.
The total prize pool for 2026 is valued at $15,500, with the Supreme Winner receiving $5,000 and opportunities for national exposure, commissions and career development.
Artists must submit their concepts by 12 January 2026.
Next year’s festival promises an extraordinary new experience for Australia’s preeminent showcase of wearable art —where fashion meets sculpture, movement and performance.
Festival Co-Founder and Curator Wendy Roe said entries are officially open, with the submission deadline 12 January 2026, and while final works can be completed closer to the event, early entry is essential.
“Every year, we see artists step up in scale, creativity and courage — and 2026 will be no exception,” Ms Roe said.
“With our new venue, we’re offering artists the opportunity to showcase their work to our biggest audiences yet — two full-scale shows with 1,000 guests each. The Convention Centre gives us a world-class canvas to immerse audiences completely in storytelling, artistry and design.”
“From recycled plastics and metals to beads, fabric and light, wearable art is where imagination has no limits. Whether you’re a professional artist, costume designer, student or curious creator, this is the platform to explore what’s possible.”
A launchpad for artists
Each year, the Australian Wearable Art Festival draws entries from across Australia and overseas, celebrating sustainability, innovation and theatrical design. The event has become a launchpad for artists seeking national exposure, professional development and creative collaboration.
Reigning Supreme Winners Evita Camilleri and Dan Draper, who took home the top prize in both 2022 and 2025, encourage new artists to take the plunge and enter.
“AWAF completely changed our creative journey. Our very first wearable art piece - made from 50,000 cable ties - won the Supreme Award in 2022. We came back with a beaded creation in 2024, and then another evolution of our cable-tie design in 2025,” Ms Camilleri said.
“This year we were also selected as a finalist in this year’s World of WearableArt in New Zealand – something that we couldn’t have imagined could happen in just a few short years.
"The AWAF platform is an incredible experience - not just the competition itself, but the community, the mentoring, and the chance to see your work come alive on stage.
"We encourage anyone who’s ever dreamed of creating something extraordinary to give it a go. You never know where it might take you.”
The new venue
From its humble grassroots beginnings in Eumundi with just 100 attendees in 2017, AWAF is now recognised as a nationally significant cultural tourism event, attracting international artists, boosting the Sunshine Coast economy, and inspiring audiences with its unique fusion of fashion, sculpture, performance and storytelling.
Looking ahead to 2026, the move to the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre will allow the event to expand to two shows of 1,200 guests each, creating the capacity for more than double the current audience.
Guests will step into a world of captivating creativity where more than 40 national and international entries will take to a 40-metre catwalk — the longest of its kind in the country.
Co-Founder and Co-Director Helen Perry said the growth reflected a clear vision for the festival’s future.
“Our dream has always been to create a platform that provides Australia’s preeminent showcase of wearable art, and truly transports people into the heart of creativity.
"With our new expanded space at the Convention Centre, we not only accommodate a larger audience but can deliver a fully an immersive art experience which is far greater than just a runway show,” Ms Perry said.
“From the moment people arrive, they will be taken to a world brimming with innovation, story-telling and WOW-factor moments.”
Michael Daviss, General Manager Accor – Shakespeare Property Group and General Manager of Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort and Sunshine Coast Convention Centre, said the venue was thrilled to be the official host partner for the festival’s next evolution.
“AWAF has become one of Australia’s most exciting cultural events, and we’re thrilled to be its home for the next stage of its journey. The Sunshine Coast Convention Centre provides the perfect backdrop for an event of this scale, and our Resort setting allows guests to immerse themselves in art and creativity while enjoying everything our region has to offer,” said Mr Daviss.
“From the runway to the Resort, we want visitors to experience a weekend that is as memorable and inspiring as the art itself.”