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Home » Australia » Australia - People and Culture » CultureAustralian culture brings together pieces of other country’s cultures from every corner of the earth. You’ll find everything from the dragons and fireworks of Chinese New Year, to the gongs and flowers of a Laotian Buddhist festival, multi-cultural celebrations are as much a part of Australian culture as Christmas and cricket.
Australia’s diversity also is evident in its world class performing and visual arts. With some of the world’s best orchestra, opera, avant-garde theatre, Shakespearean classics and rock concerts, to dance, Aboriginal art, comedy, cabaret and world-touring exhibitions, Australia is a hub of artistic expression.
Australians are known as a nation of festival-goers, residents are happy to visit mainstream and fringe arts festivals or hit the dance floor at country folk festivals. Some of Australia’s entertainment reflects their very dry sense of humor, such as cane toad races and brick throwing competitions.
Each state’s capital city holds huge annual carnivals and Sydney also celebrates the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras every February - attracting an international crowd of over 600,000 and lasting an entire month. The Adelaide International Festival is held each March and is one of the largest of its kind.
Many of Australia’s festivals are “tongue-in-cheek,” such as the annual Alice Springs “Henley-on-Todd” Regatta. At this festival a range of competitors form teams that “wear” homemade boats and race on foot down a dry riverbed. Three four-wheel drive “ships” follow the race with flour bombs and water cannons!
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