The Barossa Vintage Festival runs from 21 to 25 April 2027, according to its official site. It is held every two years, in odd-numbered years, so there is no 2026 edition. Tickets and event registration go through the festival website, and the full 2027 program is due in mid-December 2026.
Every other April, the Barossa Valley, about an hour’s drive north-east of Adelaide, stops to celebrate the vintage. The Barossa Vintage Festival began in 1947, and its next edition runs from 21 to 25 April 2027. Wine, food and a long list of events fill those five days, spread across the valley’s cellars, towns and venues rather than gathered in one hall.
This guide is written for planning. It separates what the festival has confirmed from what it has not published yet. The 2027 program is due in mid-December 2026, so individual event times and venues stay provisional here. What you can plan now are the dates, the way into the valley, the ticket process, the budget and the wine tours that run in April. The tours are not festival events, and the festival does not sell them. They are the days you book around the program.
The dates, and how the festival has grown
The festival runs in odd-numbered years. Its 2027 edition is set for 21 to 25 April, which runs from a Wednesday to a Sunday. A third-party listing shows a 2026 edition, but it is wrong: there is no festival in 2026, and the next one after the 2025 edition is 2027.
| Edition | Dates | Events reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 19 to 23 April | 75 | Tourism South Australia |
| 2025 | 23 to 27 April | 85 to 91, depending on the source (86 in the printed program) | Barossa Leader |
| 2027 | 21 to 25 April | More than 80 over five days | Official site |
The number of events has grown from one edition to the next. Tourism South Australia’s 2023 announcement tied that edition to the festival’s 75th anniversary. Attendance figures are less consistent: the festival’s about page cites more than 70,000 visitors, while a 2025 report gives 54,000. Treat both as orders of magnitude rather than exact counts, and plan around the program, not the headline.
A harvest festival that began in 1947
The first festival took place in 1947. According to the history published by Fifty Plus SA, it began with a Thanksgiving Ball organised by Bill Seppelt and Colin Gramp, marking the end of the harvest and the end of the Second World War. The idea of closing the vintage with a celebration has stayed. What has changed is the scale: the official site now describes more than 80 events spread across the valley over five days.
Shiraz is the valley’s signature red. Wine Australia’s regional profile puts it at about half of the Barossa’s plantings, which explains why so many of the tours below spend their time in cellars and vineyards rather than in town.
Getting to the Barossa from Adelaide
Adelaide is the usual gateway, and the valley is close enough for a day trip. Your choice depends on whether you want to drive yourself, take public transport or hand the logistics to a tour operator.
| Option | Journey time | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Car | About 54 minutes to 1 hour | Easiest for independent cellar visits. Keep the car parked on tasting days. |
| Train and bus | About 2 hours 28 minutes | Train to Gawler, then the LinkSA bus into the valley. Check the timetable before the festival week. |
| Day tour from Adelaide | Depends on the tour | Many listed tours include pick-up in the city or in Glenelg. |
| Private airport transfer | Varies | Quotes exist for Adelaide Airport to Tanunda. Confirm the currency and the total before you pay. |
Two practical points matter more than the timetable. First, 25 April is ANZAC Day, a public holiday across Australia, so expect busier roads and check opening hours for the cellar doors you plan to visit that day. Second, a car gives you freedom in the valley, but on tasting days it is better to leave the wheel to someone else. Plan a driver or a tour for the days you intend to taste.
Tickets, registration and the official calendar
Tickets are sold through the festival’s official website. You can also buy them in person at the Barossa Visitor Centre, 66-68 Murray Street, Tanunda SA 5352. The center’s phone number is 1300 852 982. According to the festival’s contact page, its hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check the hours on the day, because they can change around public holidays.
Event registration is a separate step. The official site opened it on 7 September 2026 and gives 30 October 2026 as the closing date. One event listing gives 26 October instead, so keep to the official date. The festival expects to publish the full 2027 program in mid-December 2026, which is the point to start building an itinerary.
The festival dates come from the official site and its listings, but the full 2027 program and the 2027 ticket prices are not published yet. Check the program in mid-December 2026 before you book non-refundable flights, hotels or tickets.
The wine tours to book around the festival
Viator lists about a dozen Barossa products that fit a festival week. We kept nine. Each one is rated 4.8 or higher, and each one is open on every day of the window from 21 to 25 April 2027. The prices below are per adult, on a two-adult basis, as shown by Viator on 19 October 2026. Prices move with dates and availability, so confirm the final amount at checkout.
| If you want | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A flexible day you can shape | Hop-on hop-off wine tour | Stay at one cellar as long as you like and move on when you are ready |
| Wine and lunch in one day | Premium small group tour (featured) | Lunch, several tastings and a chocolate stop, with a local guide |
| A long day with four wineries | Discover Barossa | Four tastings, a gourmet lunch and a chocolate factory visit |
| A northern valley day | Voyager tour from Adelaide | Small group, hotel pick-up, lunch and tasting |
| A valley day from your accommodation | Local guide wine tour | Pick-up from your valley accommodation, lunch and tastings |
| A splurge with lunch | Wine tour for a maximum of six guests | Multi-course lunch, luxury transfers and tasting fees |
| A short tasting | Old Vine Expressions Tasting | Fifty minutes at the Château Tanunda cellar door |
| Something active | E-bike ride | A cellar tour, a cooperage visit and lunch on two wheels |
| Something different | Helicopter flight | A private flight over the vines, from Lyndoch |
Premium Barossa Small Group Tour: Wine tasting, Lunch & Chocolate
The option for a day that combines a proper lunch with several tastings. The group travels by air-conditioned bus from the Adelaide CBD or Glenelg with an experienced local guide. The listed program includes a structured tasting at a family estate, a private barrel room visit at a sixth-generation winery, and an exclusive tasting of a fortified wine and chocolate. The day runs about eight hours, and gratuities are not included. The listing does not state a meeting point, so confirm the pick-up place when you book.
Barossa Valley Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour
The most flexible option for a first visit. A hop-on, hop-off bus moves you between wineries and venues across the valley, so you can stay as long as you like at one cellar. The listing gives a 10:50 a.m. pick-up time and a day of about eight hours. Lunch is not included, and cellar door tasting fees are paid directly at each venue, so budget for both. A full refund applies if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure.
Discover Barossa: 4 Wine Tastings, Gourmet Lunch, and Hidden Gems
A long day built around four wineries, a gourmet lunch and a chocolate factory visit, with an English-speaking guide. The listing says the Lambert Estate stop depends on availability and is offered as a replacement stop. Hotel pick-up is available from Glenelg and the city. If you do not need a pick-up, the operator asks you to wait outside Stamford Plaza Adelaide on North Terrace at 8:45 a.m.
Small Tour Barossa Valley Voyager Tour from Adelaide
A small-group day into the northern valley, with hotel pick-up and drop-off, a lunch and a wine tasting. This is the one card on the list with a hard policy: all sales are final and no refund is available for cancellations. Book it only once your dates are fixed.
Barossa Valley Wine Tour. Local Guide, Barossa pickup, & lunch
A six-hour day hosted by a local guide, with pick-up from your Barossa accommodation. Lunch and scheduled cellar door tastings are included in the price, and bottled water too. Alcoholic beverages you buy, and gratuities, are extra. The format suits anyone staying in the valley rather than in Adelaide, because the day starts where you sleep.
Barossa Valley Wine Tour - Max 6 guests with restaurant lunch
The top-end lunch option, capped at six guests. It includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, a multi-course lunch with a choice of premium drink, luxury transfers and tasting fees at the wineries. Take-home wine is extra. The listing does not state a duration, so ask the operator how long the day runs before you book.
Old Vine Expressions Tasting
The shortest option, fifty minutes at the Château Tanunda cellar door, with a guided tasting and complimentary water. It is the cheapest tasting on this list and the easiest to fit into an afternoon of the festival week. Transport is not included, and all sales are final, so there is no refund for cancellations. The meeting point is the cellar door itself, where an ambassador greets you on arrival.
Experience Barossa Valley by E-bike
A six-and-a-half-hour ride through the vines, with a signature cellar tour, a cooperage tour at Yalumba, a lunch with snacks, and a wine tasting taken straight from the barrel. Tea and coffee are included, and the bicycle is provided. The listing says to meet at the cellar door without naming it, so confirm the exact place when you book. Check the operator’s requirements for riders before you commit.
Private Barossa Valley Helicopter Flight: Jacob's Creek & Lyndoch
A private flight for up to three people in a Robinson R44, from the Barossa Helicopters base at 261 Hoffnungsthal Road, Lyndoch. The listing sets a 10-minute flight as the base option, with 15 and 20-minute options as well, so check which one you are booking. Hotel pick-up, food, drinks and gratuities are not included. This is the one card where the view matters more than the wine.
Viator also lists products that fit a festival week but did not make this shortlist. Eight Barossa products had no open day in the 21 to 25 April window at the time of the check, and one group tour is built for four to seven people, so it does not suit a couple. Three others were open only four or three days out of five. Their absence is a constraint of the calendar, not a judgment of quality, so check them again once the 2027 availability opens.
What it costs: a budget you can plan
The festival’s own tickets for 2027 are not yet published, so the figures below cover the tours only. Across the nine tours, the per-adult price runs from about 44 euros for the old vine tasting to about 252 euros for the six-guest lunch tour.
Three habits keep the budget under control. First, buy one paid tour per day rather than two, because the festival week is long and the cost of tasting fees adds up quickly. Second, pair a cheaper cellar tasting with a full-day tour, which gives you a short visit without a second full-price day. Third, check whether the tour includes tasting fees before you compare prices: the hop-on hop-off option excludes them, while the local guide and the lunch tours include them.
A five-day plan around the festival
The festival week runs from Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 April 2027. The plan below is a model, not a timetable: check the official program once it is published in mid-December 2026, then slot the events you want into the gaps.
Wednesday 21 April, arrival. Arrive in the morning if you can. Stop at the Barossa Visitor Centre in Tanunda, collect printed material and ask about the week’s events. Keep the afternoon light: the Old Vine Expressions Tasting takes fifty minutes at the Château Tanunda cellar door and is a good way to start.
Thursday 22 April, a full wine day. Take the day tour that suits your pace. The hop-on hop-off option works if you want to choose your own cellars; the Premium small group tour works if you want lunch and a guide. This is the day to book, and you should book the tour in advance.
Friday 23 April, a second day out. Choose between the e-bike, the four-tasting tour or the local guide tour, and keep one slot free for a festival event you have noted in the program.
Saturday 24 April, festival weekend. This is usually the busiest day. Book the morning for the events you care about most, and keep the afternoon for a rest. If you have a tour that day, make sure it does not end too late for the evening events.
Sunday 25 April, ANZAC Day and departure. Check the opening hours of any cellar door on your list before you leave, since 25 April is a public holiday. A helicopter flight is a good send-off if the operator’s weather policy allows it. Otherwise, keep the afternoon free for the drive back to Adelaide or the airport.
Mistakes to avoid
The most common errors come from trusting the wrong listing or the wrong year. A few in particular cost travelers time and money.
- Do not look for a 2026 festival. The event is biennial, and the next edition is 2027.
- Do not use the 2025 price or the 2025 auction timing as a 2027 figure. The 2027 program and prices are not out yet.
- Do not expect lunch on the hop-on hop-off tour. It is excluded, and tasting fees are paid at the venues.
- Do not book a cellar tasting on the assumption that transport is included. The Old Vine Expressions Tasting excludes it.
- Do not drive yourself between tastings. Plan a driver, a tour or a train-and-bus day instead.
- Do not treat the grape stomp as a Viator product. It is a festival event with its own program and times.
- Do not rely on a single event date from a listing site. Use the official site, and keep the closing date for registration as 30 October 2026 unless the site says otherwise.
Variations by profile
First-time visitors should start with the hop-on hop-off tour. It shows the valley’s geography in one day and makes the other bookings easier to choose. A second day with a small-group tour or a local guide then fills in the rest.
Couples have the most choice. The six-guest lunch tour and the private luxury day are the top-end options, and the e-bike ride or the helicopter flight give the week a memorable shape. Many couples pair one full wine day with a short cellar tasting.
Families need to check the age and group rules before booking, because the listings do not all state them. The helicopter option carries up to three people, so check the group size. Most tours in this guide are built around wine tastings, so confirm with the operator whether minors can join the tasting elements.
Travelers on a tight budget should combine one full-day tour with one or two short tastings. The Old Vine Expressions Tasting is the lowest-cost entry, and the hop-on hop-off day shows the valley without a guide’s fee on top of the tasting costs.
Travelers with reduced mobility should ask each operator about access before booking. The listings in our data do not state wheelchair access. Private tours with hotel pick-up reduce walking and waiting, but confirm the vehicle and the cellar door layout directly with the operator.
If you are comparing the festival with another harvest-season event, the Mendoza Vendimia harvest festival and the Cape Winelands harvest season in Stellenbosch follow a similar logic: the events fill the days, and the tours fill the gaps. For a food festival with a longer program, see the Charleston Wine + Food Festival 2027 guide.
Practical info
FAQ
Are the 2027 dates confirmed?
Yes. The official site lists the Barossa Vintage Festival for 21 to 25 April 2027. The festival is biennial and runs in odd-numbered years, so there is no 2026 edition, and a third-party listing that shows one is wrong. The dates are firm. The full 2027 program, with event times and venues, is due in mid-December 2026, so check it before you fix your travel days.
How many events are there, and how many people attend?
The 2025 edition was reported at 85 to 91 events, depending on the source, and its printed program listed 86. For 2027 the official site describes more than 80 events over five days. Attendance is harder to pin down: the festival's about page cites more than 70,000 visitors, while a 2025 report gives 54,000. Use the event count as a guide, and check the program for the events that matter to you.
How do I buy tickets, and where?
Tickets are sold through the festival's official website. You can also buy them in person at the Barossa Visitor Centre at 66-68 Murray Street, Tanunda. Event registration is a separate step: the official site opened it on 7 September 2026 and gives 30 October 2026 as the closing date, although one listing says 26 October. Use the official date, and check the 2027 ticket prices on the site, since they are not published yet.
How do I get from Adelaide to the Barossa Valley?
By car, the drive takes about 54 minutes to an hour, according to two route guides. By public transport, take a train to Gawler and then a LinkSA bus, a journey of about 2 hours and 28 minutes. Many day tours include pick-up in Adelaide or Glenelg, which is the simplest option on festival days. Private airport transfers also exist; ask for the quote in the currency shown on the booking before you pay.
What is the Peter Lehmann wine auction?
Peter Lehmann Wines hosted a wine auction in 2025, on 4 April, a few weeks before the festival week. It cost AUD 195 per person and was open to guests aged 18 and over. The 2027 date and price are not published yet, so check the program when it comes out in mid-December 2026.
Can I book a grape stomp on Viator?
No. The grape stomp is a festival event, not a tour. None of the Viator products in this guide is a grape stomp, a harvest or a pressing experience, and our search of the Barossa catalog found no vintage workshop. Look for grape stomp times in the official program and follow the festival's own booking channels for them.
Where should I stay for the festival?
Tanunda is the easiest base, since the Barossa Visitor Centre is there and most day tours in this guide start in the valley or in Adelaide. Nuriootpa, Angaston and Lyndoch are also worth a look, depending on which cellar doors you want to visit first. Festival-linked accommodation offers have appeared in past editions, so check for them when you book. Festival weeks are busy, so book early.
Sources
- Barossa Vintage Festival, official site — Barossa Vintage Festival
- Barossa Vintage Festival, about the festival — Barossa Vintage Festival
- Barossa Vintage Festival, contact and Visitor Centre — Barossa Vintage Festival
- Barossa Vintage Festival 2027, listing — southaustralia.com
- Barossa Vintage Festival to showcase best of the Barossa (2023) — Tourism South Australia
- Barossa Vintage Festival 2025 printed program released — Barossa Leader
- The Barossa Vintage Festival celebrates 75 years — Fifty Plus SA
- 2025 Barossa Wine Auction, hosted by Peter Lehmann Wines — Peter Lehmann Wines
- Adelaide Metro, regional buses to the Barossa — Adelaide Metro
- Barossa, South Australia wine region — Wine Australia
- How to get to Barossa Valley — Intrepid Travel