Winter is far from over, but the first signs of spring are beginning to appear. One of the city’s most colourful annual events, the Cherry Blossom Festival, is set to return, transforming Auburn Botanic Gardens into a sea of soft pink for nine days of food, culture and family-friendly fun. Touted as Australia’s largest cherry blossom festival and the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the festival will return with hundreds of flowering cherry trees, Japanese street food, cultural performances, hands-on workshops and a packed program of entertainment taking over the popular Western Sydney gardens. Here’s everything you can expect from this year’s festival.
Sydney’s Cherry Blossom Festival returns this August
This year’s program includes several new and returning experiences spread throughout the gardens. Visitors can wander the Cherry Blossom Trail beneath the pink canopy, choosing between a 30-minute walk or a shorter express route, while a new Zen Zone offers a serene space to unwind away from the crowds. Guided Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) walks will also return, inviting guests to slow down and reconnect with nature under the guidance of certified natural therapy practitioners.
Elsewhere, the Sakura Stage will host a packed lineup of live demonstrations and performances throughout the festival, including appearances by TV gardening personality Costa Georgiadis, comedian Takashi Wakasugi and Japanese cooking expert Yoshiko. Visitors can also try traditional crafts like origami and Japanese fan making at the Takumi Pavilion, catch a high-energy ninja stunt show or sample everything from ramen and dumplings to matcha desserts and fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes in the Japanese Food Village.
While the cherry blossoms are undoubtedly the star attraction, the festival has grown into one of Sydney’s biggest celebrations of Japanese culture, attracting thousands of visitors from across Sydney and NSW each year. Tickets are on sale now, get them here.
Key details
- What: Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival
- When: Auburn Botanic Gardens, Chiswick Road, Auburn
- Dates: Saturday, August 22 to Sunday, August 30, 2026
- Hours: 9am to 4:45pm daily
Getting there
Auburn Botanic Gardens is around a 10-minute drive from Parramatta or a short bus ride from Auburn Station. A free shuttle bus will run between Auburn Station and the gardens every 20 minutes from 8:30am to 5:30pm throughout the festival, while additional parking is available in nearby Tavistock Avenue and Killeen Street, around a five-minute walk from the entrance. Plan your trip on Transport for NSW.
