34 Australian and international artists selected for AWAF 2026 on Saturday 11 July
The Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) has today announced its 34 finalists for the 2026 Festival, marking the beginning of a bold new chapter for the nationally acclaimed event as it prepares to start a new chapter with the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort on Saturday 11 July 2026.
Now firmly established as one of the Sunshine Coast’s most distinctive cultural events, AWAF showcases wearable art at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, material innovation and performance, attracting artists, audiences and industry attention from across Australia and overseas.
The 2026 finalists represent five Australian states and seven international entrantsfrom Romania, the United States, Indonesia, New Zealand and Poland, reinforcing the Festival’s growing global profile while remaining proudly Sunshine Coast–based.
The announcement follows AWAF’s strongest year to date, with the 2025 Festival welcoming more than 1,500 attendees across four shows and receiving award finalist recognition at both regional and national level.
Festival Co-Founder and Curator Wendy Roe said the move to Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort allows the Festival to not only accommodate the artists with more space but also elevate the entire audience experience.
“Moving to Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort has definitely been appealing to this year’s artists as it allows us to completely reimagine the AWAF experience,” Ms Roe said.
“For the first time, we have the scale to match the ambition of the work – a purpose-built u-shaped 40-metre runway, immersive environments, and space for audiences to move beyond simply watching a show and truly step inside the world of wearable art.
“From the moment guests arrive, this will feel like an artistic journey — whether they’re seated along the runway edge at our new VIP Art Lover’s Tables, engaging directly with artists, or discovering playful, imaginative experiences throughout the venue.
“What stays the same is our commitment to excellence. AWAF remains focused on showcasing extraordinary wearable artists and giving their work the platform, respect and audience it deserves — we’re just doing it on a much bigger canvas in 2026.”
With 19 returning AWAF artists and 15 artists exhibiting for the first time, the 2026 line-up reflects both the depth of talent within the AWAF community and the Festival’s increasing national and international reach.
Among those celebrating the next chapter are 2025 Supreme Award winners Dan Draper and Evita Camilleri (known as Derby Cross), who credit AWAF as a pivotal platform in their creative journey.
“AWAF is such a unique opportunity for artists and was one of the first events that provided a platform to showcase our work,” Derby Cross said.
“From our first showing in 2022 through to winning the Supreme Award, and then being recognised as finalists at World of WearableArt in New Zealand last year, AWAF has been instrumental in our growth as artists. That trajectory simply wouldn’t have been possible without a festival like this creating space for artists to be seen, supported and taken seriously.”
“After a very full and exciting few years, 2026 is about consolidation for us — we’re focusing on developing new material directions, preparing entries for World of WearableArt and SWELL Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast.”
“We didn’t enter AWAF this year, but it remains a festival we feel deeply connected to, and we’re excited to be there experiencing this new chapter as audience members — and staying open to future opportunities and commissions.”
Audience demand for 2026 AWAF is already strong, with early bird tickets sold out and second release tickets now on sale. Due to the move to Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, AWAF 2026 will feature increased capacity of up to 1,000 audience members per show, with both a matinee and gala performance delivered in one day – a perfect opportunity to get the girlfriends together and stay for the weekend.
Tickets and information: www.australianwearableart.com.au
