THE Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) has unveiled its 34 finalists for 2026, ushering in a bold new era as the nationally acclaimed event prepares to debut at 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 showcases, AWAF celebrates wearable art at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, material innovation and performance.
The 2026 finalists span five Australian states and include seven international artists from Romania, the United States, Indonesia, New Zealand and Poland underscoring the Festival’s expanding global profile while remaining proudly Sunshine Coast–based.
The announcement follows a record-breaking 2025 event, which attracted more than 1,500 attendees across four shows and earned award finalist recognition at both regional and national level.
Festival Co-Founder and Curator Wendy Roe said the move to Novotel would elevate both artistic ambition and audience experience.
“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 step inside the world of wearable art,” Ms Roe said.
Nineteen returning artists join 15 first-time finalists, reflecting both loyalty and growing reach.
Among those celebrating AWAF’s impact are 2025 Supreme Award winners Dan Draper and Evita Camilleri (Derby Cross), who credit the Festival as pivotal to their creative trajectory.
With early bird tickets almost sold out and expanded capacity of up to 1,000 guests per show, anticipation is already building for AWAF’s most ambitious chapter yet.
Tickets and information: www.australianwearableart.com.au