A street party in Gosford, greener living in Woy Woy, eight days of art and inclusion, and a weekend of chrome and rock ’n’ roll at The Entrance. The Central Coast is serving up plenty of reasons to round up your mates and make the trip south.
Across October, Woytopia, Gossy Weekender, Coastal Twist and ChromeFest will bring together musicians, artists, performers and local communities for everything from intimate gigs to sprawling outdoor celebrations. There’s plenty for families, too, with free entertainment, hands-on activities and opportunities to get involved.
Check it all out below.
WOYTOPIA
A sustainable living festival
11 October | Woy Woy Peninsula
You can come for the gardening advice and stay for the bands at Woytopia, where sustainable living shares the bill with a full day of music, food and family entertainment.
The festival has held eight editions since 2010 and welcomed more than 7,000 people through the gates in 2024. Powered entirely by renewables, it brings together around 50 eco-themed market stalls covering organic produce, clothing, bodycare, plants, solar and local environmental organisations.
On the main stage, The OB3 kick things off at 10am, followed by Amelie Ecology & band, Saint Milana, Lace, Lyzah and Ren Stone. Upcycled fashion shows run between sets, while the Heart Dancers-presented Chill Stage offers jazz-folk, funk, Afrobeats, Andean electronica and a kids’ bucket drum workshop.
There’s plenty to take home beyond a market purchase. Green talks cover home design, climate conversations, solar and electrification, and community food resilience. Jo’s Space, where those talks take place, honours the late Joachim “Jo” Muller, a member of the local environmental community. Gardening sessions tackle permaculture, tool maintenance, worm towers, composting and seed saving, while The Hexagon hosts practical talks on food, natural cleaning and beekeeping.
Families can explore wildlife shows, bushcraft, circus performances, storytime, a silent disco and all-day play spaces. A cleansing ceremony opens the Forest Stage program at 9.30 am, with dance and drumming participation sessions later in the day. Yoga, Zumba and sound bowl healing round out the wellness program.
Fashion fans can bring up to 10 clean, good-quality items to the 10 am–noon clothes swap, with drop-off at 10 am, then browse the pre-loved market from 1–4 pm. Underwear and used activewear aren’t accepted for the swap. When lunch calls, options range from Vietnamese food and Japanese onigiri to dumplings, Chilean empanadas and the festival’s eco-barbecue.
GOSSY WEEKENDER
A Music & Arts Festival
16 – 18 October | Gosford CBD
Gosford is turning up the volume for three days and nights of free gigs, art and entertainment, with more than 40 artists performing across 16 venues.
Created by Central Coast Music & Arts, Gossy Weekender returns for its third year in 2026 with Beddy Rays, Odette, Velvet Trip, Redd., Mac the Knife, Charlie Needs Braces, Axle Whitehead, Chloe Gill, Toola, The Smith & Western Jury and Butterknife among the acts on the massive bill.
The idea is to get out and explore, with music popping up across cafés, bars, breweries, hotels and other spaces around the CBD. The festival website’s interactive map will help punters plot a course between venues.
Saturday 17 October brings a free, all-ages community street party to Donnison Street from noon until 6 pm, complete with live music, market stalls and creative activities. Over in Kibble Park, the Kids’ Corner will keep younger festivalgoers busy with arts and crafts, face painting, circus performers and flower crowns.
COASTAL TWIST
An Arts & Culture Festival
27 September – 4 October 2026 | Woy Woy, Ettalong Beach, Gosford and Umina Beach
Coastal Twist’s eight-day program puts diversity, creativity and connection centre stage, with free and ticketed events across four Central Coast hubs.
Under the theme Radical Radiance, the festival champions LGBTIQIA+ voices and welcomes the wider community into a program spanning theatre, cabaret, live music, film, dance and exhibitions.
There are teen activities, events for people aged 55 and over, a beach picnic and the Coastie Carnie Fair Day, with the broader program designed to welcome people of different ages and abilities.
Festival director Glitta Supernova describes Radical Radiance as an invitation to be yourself while making room for others to do the same.
“The simple act of being fully yourself, while accepting others for doing the same, is powerful,” Supernova says. “It creates communities grounded in care, belonging and freedom.”
That spirit runs through a festival built around artists, local businesses, community groups and audiences coming together to help shape a more welcoming Central Coast.
CHROMEFEST
Cars, Chrome & Tunes
23 – 25 October 2026 | The Entrance
If your ideal weekend involves classic cars, vintage style and a dancefloor, ChromeFest has you covered.
More than 450 pre-1979 show cars, spanning all makes and models, will be on display across the three-day event, alongside car cruises, retro and market stalls, a fashion parade, dance demonstrations and roving entertainment.
Live music runs across five outdoor stages, beginning with the free Friday Night Concert in Memorial Park. Saturday Night Jive features Lucky Seven, The LineLockers and DJ George Galea, with more rock ’n’ roll performances across the weekend.
The Modern Muse PinUp Pageant festivities begin on Friday 23 October at the Waterfront Stage, where ChromeQuest introduces the 2026 finalists. The Muses will also share favourite market stalls, style tips and festival highlights.
Friday night brings a free, adults-only burlesque show to Diggers at The Entrance, with vintage-inspired costumes and a rock ’n’ roll and rockabilly soundtrack. Pinup entrants return to the Waterfront Stage on Saturday before Sunday’s grand finale at the Memorial Park Stage crowns the 2026 Modern Muse PinUp Pageant winner.
