Regrettably we have made the decision to cancel Byron Writers Festival 2020, which was scheduled to run from 7-9 August. In light of current public health advice regarding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and non-essential public gatherings, we have come to this difficult and inevitable choice to protect the health of writers and the entire community. We believe storytelling, ideas and connection matter more than ever at a time like this and we are reimagining how we might connect writers and thinkers with our audiences this year, including investigating the possibility of a virtual version of the Festival. Watch this space.

If you joined specifically for Festival ticket discounts and wish to discuss, please get in touch with us via [email protected]. Over the next few weeks we will be looking at new ways to connect with and to add value for our members, and we believe that now more than ever we need a strong creative community. Thank you, as always, for your support.

We recommend you get in touch with your accommodation provider and ask them about their refund and cancellation policy in light of Covid-19 regulations and restrictions.

All 2020 Festival vouchers will be transferred and valid for use at the 2021 Festival.

Contributions of any size will go a long way in supporting our organisation. Should you wish to donate, please head to our Give Now page. Amounts over $2 are tax deductible.

The Byron Writers Festival 2021 dates are 6 – 8 August

The full program of events will be available online from mid-June. The release will include all Marquee sessions, feature events and workshops. For program updates including workshop and special event announcements, please subscribe to our e-newsletter.

You certainly do. Access to the Festival site is only available to 3-Day or 1-Day Pass holders. A program of separately ticketed workshops and feature events – some of them free –  runs in the lead-up to and throughout the main Festival weekend. Ticket prices vary and details are released when the full program is announced. Release dates for Early Bird and Full Program tickets can be found here. Please subscribe to our e-newsletter for writer announcements and ticket release updates.

Byron Writers Festival puts particular emphasis on celebrating Australian writers and storytellers, although many of these writers will be of international renown. You will find an international guest scattered among the line-up, but our philosophy ensures that Australian writing is of core significance in the program.

The Festival site is located at Elements of Byron Resort, approximately 5km from Byron town centre. Refer to our travel page for maps, directions and transport options.

No! Byron Writers Festival is all about words and ideas, perfect for all readers, writers and thinkers. Most attend to listen to contemporary writers, engage with new ideas, meet other curious-minded people and fall in love with new books.

At the Byron Writers Festival site, you will find five beautiful white marquees plus two indoor conference rooms filled with conversations, panels, readings, lectures, performances and book launches running concurrently. Most sessions are 45 min – 1 hour in length, and you can sit and listen for an entire session or wander between marquees as the fancy takes you. There are coffee and food vendors or you more than welcome to bring a picnic. Our official bookseller, The Book Room, has a splendid bookshop in operation, so you may indulge yourself with the books by the authors to whom you have listened. Most authors will be in the book signing area after their sessions. On Festival Sunday, one marquee is turned over to children’s authors and the kids can have a special day meeting their favourites. In the evening, you can enjoy one of the feature events around town.

Selected sessions from the main program and the Kids Big Day Out are interpreted each day of the Festival. Floating Auslan interpreters will also be available at the Festival site on an as-needs basis. If you require an Auslan interpreter, look for the Auslan symbol in the printed program, and head to the Information Tent at the Festival to book an interpreter for a session of your choosing. Thanks to Multicultural NSW for funding this initiative.

Limited disabled parking is available and our parking volunteers will direct you accordingly. Please have your sticker on display.

Marquees and stages have wheelchair accessible allocated seating. Please make yourself known to the marquee supervisor and you will be ushered accordingly.

Byron Writers Festival is curated by the Festival Director and programming committee, in wide consultation with publishers and industry bodies. Participation is by invitation only. The Programming Committee does not accept unsolicited submissions, and due to the large quantity of messages we receive, we are not always able to reply to individual pitches. The program gives a broad definition to the concept of writing and incorporates many genres.

Festival opportunities and competitions are listed on our website as they arise. We encourage people to subscribe to our e-newsletter for opportunity and competition announcements.

The Byron Writers Festival is organised by the six staff and a hands-on Committee, we are a not-for-profit member-based organisation. Employment opportunities within the office are rare, but will always be placed on the Festival website.

The Byron Writers Festival relies on its enthusiastic volunteer workforce, with approximately 160 volunteers being rostered before and during the event. More information about volunteering can be found here.

Tickets are emailed to you via our ticketing site, TryBooking. If you have purchased your ticket online or via the telephone, you should receive your tickets via email (note: mailed FROM TryBooking) as a PDF attachment. Be sure to check your junk mail for this email if you can’t find it. PLEASE PRINT YOUR PDF TICKET before you come to the Festival to facilitate ease of scanning at the entrance gates. Before you approach the Festival gates:

• Have your printed ticket with you, with your barcode visible for scanning, OR
• Have your ticket displayed on your mobile device.

Please go to the Festival box office where a staff member will assist you. DO NOT join the queue at the Festival gates.

If you have lost your Byron Writers Festival ticket, workshop, special event ticket or membership number, please click here: LOST TICKETS You will just need the email address you booked with. Your lost tickets will be sent from Trybooking, please check your junk email if you can’t find them.

Yes. Once we scan your ticket, you will receive your wristband. You must wear your wristband at all times while at the festival and you may be checked as you enter various venues. 3-Day wristbands are non-transferable and non-removable so be sure to keep it on for the whole three days

Gates open at 8.30am daily.

The Festival encourages all patrons residing in the Byron Bay CBD to use public transport if possible. A Festival shuttle bus and train service will be operating between Byron CBD and the Festival site from 8.00am and 8.00pm, Friday 7 – Sunday 9 August. If you plan to drive, limited car parking is available on site. PLEASE NOTE: Traffic congestion expected. We highly recommend that if there is an option to ride-share or catch the train, that you do so. If driving we recommend arriving 45 minutes before Festival entry. For more details on planning your trip including timetables and maps, please refer to our travel page.

Limited onsite parking will open at 7.45am.  Onsite parking is approximately 200m from the Festival Entrance. Our parking volunteers will direct you as you approach the parking area. Parking is by donation.

• Please be advised there may be significant delays on Ewingsdale Road and Bayshore Drive due to Festival traffic. To alleviate congestion and save time, we encourage those coming from Byron CBD to use the Festival shuttle or take the train.
• Please obey all signage and the directions of our volunteers.
• Byron Writers Festival is not responsible for fines imposed by Byron Shire Council or NSW Police for parking that is contrary to signage.

For car directions, please refer to our travel page.

Please tell the parking volunteers you are ‘drop off only’ and follow directions to the public drop off area (bus stop).

There is no cloakroom at the Festival site. If you have baggage or suitcases, you will need to arrange your own safe storage.

Unfortunately, we do not offer phone-charging services. Please come fully charged up!

Lost property is located as the Festival Information Booth. All unclaimed items will be returned to the Festival office and will need to be picked up from there after Thursday 15 August.

Byron Writers Festival is a plastic water bottle free event. Please BYO bottles for refills. There will be a water refill station of spring water on site, and Byron Writers Festival water bottles for sale at the Information and Merchandise tent.

Yes! A range of food stalls will be serving delicious local meals throughout each day of the Festival from our food marquee. Elements of Byron will be offering snacks, light meals and drinks from Barefoot Kiosk and a range of dining options at resort restaurants Graze and Drift.

Printed programs are available at the Festival entrance and Festival Information Tent. Please note our printed program is subject to last minute changes. An up-to-date daily program of sessions is available from our website. Keep a look out at the Festival site for signage and handouts advising of unavoidable last-minute program changes.

Yes. Please refer to the Festival Map for location. This will printed in the Festival Program.