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After winding back its program in 2024, Dark Mofo will make a full return in 2025.
The iconic Tasmanian midwinter solstice festival was this year scaled back due to rising costs, but organisers on Friday announced next year would see the festival "roaring back to life".
"This will be another classic Dark Mofo featuring a massive line-up of international, local and Tasmanian artists," artistic director Chris Twite said.
"We're fantastically blessed here in this state to make sure that we have this cultural community that produces incredible work, and we'll continue to showcase that."
Organisers said the full program would be announced next April, but have confirmed all of the staple events will return — including Night Mass, the Winter Feast, the Ogoh-Ogoh, and the Nude Solstice Swim.
The midwinter festival drew in some 30,000 visitors from interstate and overseas when it ran at full capacity in 2023. (Supplied: Dark Mofo/Jesse Hunniford)
Mr Twite said those staples were "moments that all Tasmanians look forward to every year" and that he was "excited to see them come back".
"We've got a lot of things up our sleeve, I don't want to give the game away too much, but we will see a lot of interesting things happening in Tasmania.
"What we want to do, is you turn up on day one and know it's Dark Mofo."
While tight-lipped on the full extent of the festival's 2025 program, Mr Twite said tickets to after-dark affair Night Mass would be "available for a very limited pre-release" next week.
Most of Dark Mofo's events will take place next year from June 5 to 15, with the Nude Solstice Swim set for June 21.
The midwinter solstice nude swim in Sandy Bay has always been a major drawcard, with participation capacity increased this year. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Coming back from the dead
Dark Mofo was heavily scaled back in 2024 amid "rising costs" and the need for a "period of renewal," with only a few of its regular events, including Winter Feast, offered.
Mr Twite said while it had been a "big decision", the year off had allowed the festival to "look and find ways we could reduce those costs while still [maintaining] our quality".
It will be the first full festival with new artistic director Chris Twite at the helm. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)
"It was not something that we did lightly, but it was to ensure that we could have another festival moving forward," Mr Twite said.
"Our goal is to have 10 more of these."
"What we have done over the past … two years is really look back at what the festival is, to reshape, renew and find those efficiencies that we can do to combat a dramatically changing economic climate, to deliver the world class and internationally recognised festival that we've come to love."
Organisers 'very thankful' for funding boost
The Tasmanian government has announced that it will invest $21.6 million to support the delivery of Dark Mofo through to 2027.
Events Minister Nick Duigan said the festival was a significant driver of "interstate and international visitation to Tasmania during our off-season", and between 2013 to 2023 "attracted more than 300,000 unique visitors to Tasmania".
The Burning of the Ogoh-Ogoh will make its return, allowing people to purge themselves of their fears once again. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
"The last time Dark Mofo ran in its full iteration in 2023, some more than 30,000 visitors were attracted to Tasmania from interstate and overseas," Mr Duigan said.
The minister said the event delivered "a strong return on investment to the state," and helped to "drive our tourism and hospitality sector through those darker days of winter".
"We've come to know and understand through the work of this festival that winter in Tasmania is a time to celebrate and not to hibernate."
Mr Twite said Dark Mofo was "very thankful" for the state government's funding support, acknowledging that David Walsh "remains a significant funder for the festival".
"He's spent almost $30 million over the last 10 years to deliver Dark Mofo, and give the gift of the festival to the state."
Welcome news for Tasmania's tourism industry
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Amy Hills said she was "incredibly happy" the festival would be making its full return.
She said the state's tourism industry "did struggle a little bit" during its absence.
"We absolutely heard from our operators that winter has been tougher than normal," Ms Hills said.
"We always knew that June in particular was going to be a really difficult month."
The festival is backed by David Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art, and is a notable driver of winter tourism. (ABC News: Lucy MacDonald)
Data from the Tasmanian Hospitality Association found that hotel occupancy in June this year was the lowest it had been in a decade, with only 56.76 per cent of rooms full.
"So, we're so incredibly grateful and excited to have Dark Mofo back," Ms Hills said.
"We say to our interstate visitors, watch out, look what's coming, and book those tickets to Tassie now because you know the dates, and we want to see that demand coming in."