Australian Contact Festival

About this event

The Australian Contact Festival is a national gathering and playground for human movement through Contact Improvisation, held at Lake Ainsworth Sport & Recreation Centre in Lennox Head, NSW. The venue sits directly on a large tea-tree lake and the Pacific beach, with a spacious sprung dance floor and surrounding bushland. Lennox Head itself is a small village with cafes and restaurants; the festival coincides with the NSW and QLD Labour Day long weekend (Oct 2–5), so early travel booking is recommended. The 2026 edition brings together 18 teachers and facilitators representing the breadth and depth of the Australian CI community: from long-time Melbourne practitioners and founding-generation teachers to Mullumbimby- and Bellingen-based facilitators, Perth movers, and international guests. The programme weaves together morning workshops, afternoon labs, evening jams, an Underscore, a Live Music Jam (coordinated by Hamzah Mas), a Performance Jam night (coordinated by Jim Mant), and an ongoing CI Lab for research questions (facilitated by Eamonn O'Flaherty). There is also a daily emotional wellbeing check-in held by Noa Rotem. Class offerings span all levels, from beginner-friendly entries into weight-sharing and body structure through to intermediate-advanced explorations of momentum, falling, fascia, and somatic awareness. Organised by Contact Collective Inc (Hamzah Mas & Valentina Gombi) with an egalitarian, community-centred ethos. Shared lunches and dinners are included in the festival ticket to foster connection across communities. On-site accommodation is available as a bookable add-on in three styles: Beachside Lodge (dorm), Cabins, and Villas. Registration via Trybooking.