Horizontal Festival 2026: Dates, Tickets and What to Expect
Horizontal Festival 2026 brings regional wine, artisan food, live music, chef-led sessions and NSW makers to Centennial Vineyards from 2 to 4 October. Visitors planning the Horizontal Festival in Bowral need to choose between four festival sessions, compare General Admission and Platinum access, and arrange either a station shuttle or prepaid parking.
This guide covers the confirmed dates, ticket inclusions, program highlights, satellite events, transport information and accommodation options for turning the October long weekend into a relaxed Southern Highlands stay.
Festival Details at a Glance
The Horizontal Festival dates cover one Friday evening session, two Saturday sessions and one Sunday daytime session. Each ticket provides access to one four-hour session, and attendees must leave the venue after their selected session finishes.
| Festival Detail | Confirmed Information |
| Main festival dates | Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026 |
| Venue | Centennial Vineyards, 252 Centennial Road, Bowral NSW 2576 |
| Friday session | 5:30 pm–9:30 pm |
| Saturday sessions | 12:00 pm–4:00 pm and 5:30 pm–9:30 pm |
| Sunday session | 12:00 pm–4:00 pm |
| General Admission | A$59 plus booking fee |
| Platinum ticket | A$149 plus booking fee |
| Transport | Bowral Station bus option or private vehicle with prepaid parking |
| Festival contact | hello@horizontalfestival.com.au |
| Accessibility | Accessible facilities are available; contact the organiser for individual requirements |
Festival schedules, ticket availability, workshop places and transport arrangements may change as the event approaches. Visit the official Horizontal Festival website for the latest program announcements and booking details.
What Is The Horizontal Festival?
This Bowral food and wine festival brings together five main elements: food, wine, art, music and culture. Rather than placing every exhibitor in one undifferentiated market, the event divides Centennial Vineyards into themed spaces for wine conversations, regional produce, distillers, craft beer, live performances and culinary demonstrations.
The 2026 exhibitor program includes producers such as Centennial Vineyard, Brokenwood Wines, Lerida Estate Wines, Bilpin Cider, Dharawal Distillery, Tilba Dairy, Second Mouse Cheese Co and Little Creek Cheese. Food vendors and makers operate alongside wine, cider and spirits producers, allowing guests to move between complimentary tastings and separately purchased meals or drinks.
The festival hub is organised into several distinct areas:
- Wine & Conversation Place: Sparkling, white and red wine zones with producer discussions, tastings and pairing experiences.
- Produce, Plates & Pairings: Cheese, artisan products, prepared food and sweet pairings from NSW makers.
- Hops Garden and The Orchard: Craft beer, cider, distillers, food trucks, lawn seating and the main concert stage.
- Maldon Salt Culinary Stage: Thirty-minute chef presentations included with festival entry.
- Our Food Stories: Smaller, separately booked workshops held in indoor and outdoor kitchens.
- Wilson & Dorset Connection Tent: A social space for sitting, tasting and meeting other festivalgoers.
Ticket Prices and Inclusions
Horizontal Festival tickets are sold for individual four-hour sessions. General Admission costs A$59 plus the applicable booking fee, while Platinum access costs A$149 plus the booking fee and is limited to 200 ticket holders per session.
| Inclusion | General Admission | Platinum |
| Entry to one four-hour festival session | Yes | Yes |
| Wine, distillery and cheese tastings | Yes | Yes |
| Live music and performances | Yes | Yes |
| Maldon Salt Culinary Stage sessions | Yes | Yes |
| Wine & Conversation activities | Yes | Yes |
| Take-home festival wine glass | Yes | Yes |
| NSW maker stalls | Yes | Yes |
| Festival map and water refill stations | Yes | Yes |
| Priority entry | No | Yes |
| Platinum Lounge access | No | Yes |
| Welcome cocktail | No | Yes |
| Grazing table | No | Yes |
| Exclusive Brokenwood and Centennial tasting | No | Yes |
| Bowral Station bus transfer | Separate option | Included |
General Admission covers the listed tastings and programmed experiences but does not include all meals or beverages available onsite. Oysters, food-truck meals, cocktails, craft beer and other dishes can be purchased separately during the session.
Ticket prices may change before purchase, and booking or transaction charges are displayed at checkout. Buyers should check the selected date, session and add-ons carefully because each ticket is tied to a specific admission period.
What to See, Taste and Hear
This Southern Highlands food festival combines tastings with scheduled entertainment and chef appearances, so the experience is broader than moving between wine stalls. The program is designed around four-hour sessions, making it useful to check music and culinary timings before choosing between a daytime or evening ticket.
Travellers building a food-led weekend around the festival may also enjoy a quieter daytime experience away from the main event grounds. Compare vineyard, country-estate and village settings by menu, price and dietary flexibility in our guide to high tea in Bowral.
Wine, Spirits and Regional Produce
General Admission includes complimentary wine, distillery and cheese tastings across the festival zones. The Wine & Conversation program also gives visitors opportunities to hear directly from winemakers, producers and distillers rather than tasting without context.
Guests purchasing six or more bottles can use the festival’s wine pick-up area instead of carrying the order throughout the session. Filtered water refill stations are also included within the festival grounds.
The festival introduces several regional producers within one venue, while a cellar-door visit allows more time to understand individual estates, varieties and tasting styles. Continue exploring the region through our guide to 10 Southern Highlands wineries to visit.
Live Music Across Four Sessions
Furnace and the Fundamentals are confirmed as the Friday evening headliner, with their main-stage performance scheduled after 8:00 pm. The Friday session therefore carries a livelier, dance-led finish than the daytime sessions.
Wollongong sound collective Sultans of Spin will perform from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm during the Friday and Saturday evening sessions. Their daytime sets run from noon to 2:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday, providing music through the opening part of each afternoon session.
Further performers may be added to the program. Attendees choosing a ticket primarily for the music should review the official lineup again before booking, particularly as the organiser has indicated that additional announcements are still to come.
Chef Demonstrations and Food Workshops
The Maldon Salt Culinary Stage is included with festival entry and presents short chef sessions throughout the weekend. It offers a flexible option for visitors who want culinary content without committing to a separate workshop.
Our Food Stories workshops are smaller ticketed experiences lasting approximately 45 to 60 minutes. The announced chefs include Mark Best, Mindy Woods and Simon Evans, while Francis Mallmann will lead a separate two-hour cooking experience at Centennial Vineyards. A valid festival hub ticket is required before adding one of these workshops.
Chef demonstrations and tasting sessions may shape the day, but they do not necessarily replace a complete lunch or dinner. For a seated meal before an evening session or after a daytime ticket, compare locations and dining styles in our guide to the best restaurants in Bowral.
Satellite Events Across the October Long Weekend
The main festival hub operates from 2 to 4 October, while related events extend the wider program from Thursday 1 October to Monday 5 October. These experiences take place at Centennial Vineyards and other venues across Bowral, Berrima and the Southern Highlands.
The weekend also overlaps with the final days of Bowral’s major spring flower event. Visitors planning time between festival sessions can review the dates, admission arrangements and Corbett Gardens program in our Bowral Tulip Festival 2026 guide.
| Event | Date and Time | Location | Format |
| Bites & Barrels with Matt Moran | Thursday 1 October, 7:00 pm | Centennial Vineyard Cellar Door | Six seasonal bites paired with estate wines |
| Battle of the Banger | Sunday 4 October, 5:00 pm–6:30 pm | Surveyor General Inn, Berrima | Free sausage competition, tasting and public voting |
| Fiesta del Fuego with Francis Mallmann | Monday 5 October, 11:30 am–4:30 pm | Osborn House | Six-course fire-cooked lunch matched with six wines |
| Jam Exchange | Monday 5 October, 9:00 am | The Mill, Bowral | Free jam market, swap and preserving competition |
Bites & Barrels is an intimate cellar-door event featuring Matt Moran and six wine-paired dishes. Fiesta del Fuego is a longer five-hour experience built around Francis Mallmann’s open-fire cooking, including a welcome cocktail, six courses, six matched wines, live music and a post-lunch whisky bar.
Battle of the Banger is free to attend and invites visitors to taste and vote alongside the judging program. Jam Exchange is also free, combining preserving, market stalls, coffee, scones, jam doughnuts, music and a community competition.
Families looking for a child-focused event during the same long weekend can travel to Robertson on Sunday for fair rides, animal encounters and local stalls. Check the confirmed venue, announced activities and planning details in our guide to the Babe Country Fair Robertson 2026.
Getting to Centennial Vineyards
The Centennial Vineyards event is held at 252 Centennial Road, Bowral. Guests can reach the venue by festival bus from Bowral Station or by private vehicle, but onsite parking must be purchased in advance rather than arranged on arrival.
Platinum tickets include bus transfers from Bowral Station. General Admission holders should select the appropriate transport or parking add-on when booking, rather than assuming the ticket automatically covers the journey to and from the vineyard.
The official tourism listing notes that accessible facilities are available and recommends contacting the operator for specific access requirements. Festival terms also allow the event to proceed in varying weather conditions, so suitable outdoor footwear and an additional layer are sensible even when the forecast appears settled.
Guests should also keep these practical details in mind:
- Choose one session carefully: A ticket grants entry to one four-hour period, and attendees leave the grounds when that session ends.
- Carry valid identification: Licensed festival events may require proof of age for entry or alcohol service.
- Bring a refillable water bottle: Filtered water stations are included onsite.
- Pre-book transport: Secure the station bus or parking before festival weekend.
- Check workshop requirements: Our Food Stories sessions require both the workshop booking and a festival hub ticket.
- Review event conditions: Program times, prices and arrangements remain subject to the organiser’s ticket terms.
Make a Bowral Weekend of the Festival
A day among the vines feels more relaxed when there is no need to return to Sydney or Canberra immediately after the session. Links House is a 17-room heritage guesthouse at 17 Links Road, offering ensuite accommodation, onsite parking, garden courtyards and breakfast prepared each morning. Explore the available Links House rooms and suites when planning an overnight or long-weekend stay in Bowral.
The hotel also gives guests somewhere quieter to return to after the music and tastings. Ethos Restaurant serves lunch from noon to 3:00 pm Thursday to Saturday and dinner from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Tuesday to Saturday, while Leslie Lounge provides a fireside setting for in-house guests and private groups.
For a considered local base during Horizontal Festival 2026, reserve your festival session first, then coordinate accommodation and dining around the selected day or evening program.