Festivals and Events Worth the Drive

MotoGP moves to Adelaide from 2027, racing on a new street circuit in the East Park Lands beside the city. It is the first Australian MotoGP away from Phillip Island, with caravan parks a short drive from the track.

There is no camping at the circuit, so book a powered site at an Adelaide caravan park early.

A three day electronic and left field music festival in the bush near the Murray River, known for its art, workshops and relaxed atmosphere. Tocumwal makes a handy supply stop, about three hours north of Melbourne.

All tickets include free general camping with your car from Friday to Monday; confirm larger vehicles with the organisers.

An independent, ballot ticketed music festival in a natural amphitheatre near Meredith, between Geelong and Ballarat, on Wadawurrung Country. Campers stay on site for the three days, and tickets are hard to get.

Campers stay on site in six main camping grounds, all close to toilets and drinking water; a festival ticket is required.

Six days and nights of folk, world music, circus and ideas in a purpose built village in the hinterland north of Brisbane. It suits campervan travellers well, with powered sites for RVs on the grounds and Brisbane about an hour south.

Powered sites are available to caravans, RVs, buses and camper trailers; bring a 25 metre power lead, as water is not connected.

A New Year's Eve camping festival on a Gisborne wine estate, with four nights on site and a countdown to sunrise on the East Coast. The 2026 edition is the last at Waiohika Estate, before a move to a new location.

Onsite camping is sold as four-night passes from 28 December; the official pages list tent camping and do not mention campervan sites.

Rhythm and Alps sees in the new year with electronic and local acts in the mountain-ringed Cardrona Valley near Wānaka. It is a big summer weekend in the Southern Alps, with nights that cool off quickly.

Self-contained campervans can book Roadie Camp, which needs a camping pass per person plus one vehicle pass per vehicle; sites are non-powered.

Wineries across the Okanagan Valley host tastings, dinners and vineyard events through the winter, spring and fall festival seasons. A campervan lets you roam the lakeside wine trail between Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton and Osoyoos at your own pace.

The festivals are spread across member wineries with no festival campground, so base yourself at a local RV park or campground.

Held in the Arizona desert each January, this show draws more than 150,000 RV enthusiasts to browse dealers, exhibitors and seminars. It suits a winter RV trip well, with desert camping all around town.

Visitors typically dry camp on surrounding BLM desert land or stay in Quartzsite's many RV parks.

Ten days of country music across Tamworth, with hundreds of free and ticketed gigs in streets, pubs and venues, finishing with the Golden Guitar Awards. The town fills with caravans and motorhomes, so book campervan hire and campsites well ahead.

Design RV Riverside Camping Grounds by the Peel River welcome caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers and tents, alongside caravan parks and temporary sites.

Quebec City's ten day winter festival fills the old town and the Plains of Abraham with snow sculptures, night parades and the mascot Bonhomme. Visit in a heated, winter ready campervan and plan for sub-zero nights.

The official site lists hotels only and gives no RV or camping information, so book a heated winter campground or powered site outside the city.

The Daytona 500 opens the NASCAR Cup Series season at Daytona International Speedway, and is the biggest race in American stock car racing. Late February is a sunny time for a Florida RV trip, with beaches close by.

The speedway lists camping options for Speedweeks, which includes the Daytona 500; call the Pit Shop for space details.

A multi day electronic music and arts gathering in central Victoria, the festival formerly known as Rainbow Serpent. Expect large sound stages, art installations and a camping crowd, within about two hours of Melbourne.

Camping is part of the festival experience on the Glenaroua site; check the official ticket page for 2027 camping and vehicle rules.

A weekend of world music, dance, art and food in the Bowl of Brooklands, a lakeside amphitheatre in New Plymouth. Pair it with Mount Taranaki and the Surf Highway 45 coast, which are both close by.

A dedicated Motorhome Camping area takes motorhomes, caravans, campervans and house buses for the full weekend; tents are not allowed in it.

Classic cars, hot rods and rock 'n' roll take over the Coromandel beach town of Whangamatā for five days each March. The festival also stretches to Waihi, Pauanui and Onemana, so a campervan suits the roving schedule well.

The official FAQ says Whangamatā motels, apartments and motor camps are typically fully booked for the festival, so book accommodation very early.

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is a historic endurance sports car race on a former airfield circuit in Florida, and 2027 is its 75th running. Camping at the track is a fan tradition, which suits an RV trip.

Tent camping is included with tickets, while RV parking passes are extra, and reserved RV spaces with power and water are limited.

A three day country music festival at Willowbank Raceway near Ipswich, headlined by major American and Australian country acts. Camping is part of the experience, with powered sites for caravans and RVs less than an hour from Brisbane.

Powered camp sites at the ACE Campground include RV and caravan only options, booked in advance; campground gates open Wednesday 17 March 2027.

The Repco Supercars Championship returns to the Taupō circuit each autumn, with V8 touring cars racing a short drive from the lake and town. It pairs neatly with a Taupō and Rotorua road trip.

No event camping details published yet; Taupō has several holiday parks and lakeside camps nearby, so book early for race weekend.

A one day electronic music event on the Broadwater waterfront at Southport, part of the Ultra Australia tour with international DJ headliners. Gold Coast holiday parks make an easy base for campervan travellers.

This is a day event with no on site camping, so base yourself at a nearby Gold Coast holiday park.

Coachella is one of the world's biggest music and arts festivals, held over two April weekends in the desert at Indio. Pair it with a Southern California road trip, as camping at the polo grounds is part of the experience.

The festival offers car camping and tent camping on site, and the 2027 pass page does not list RV camping.

Stagecoach is California's big country music festival, held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio the weekend after Coachella. Its on site RV lots make it one of the easier festivals to enjoy by motorhome.

On site RV sites in the Resort lots are sold by reservation per night through AXS, with festival admission sold separately.

Electric Daisy Carnival turns Las Vegas Motor Speedway into a huge neon playground of music, rides and art, and 2027 runs across two weekends. RV guests can stay on site at Camp EDC for the festival.

Camp EDC offers bring your own RV camping, with one pass covering the vehicle for up to eight people; festival passes are separate.

The Indianapolis 500 is one of motorsport's great races, run on Memorial Day weekend at the legendary Brickyard in Speedway, Indiana. Camping at the track turns race weekend into a classic American RV party.

The Speedway sells RV and pull behind camping passes for race weekend, with each pass covering one vehicle and space.

Electric Forest is a four day electronic and jam band festival set in the woods of Michigan's Double JJ Resort, known for its glowing forest art and lighting. Many guests camp on site, which suits an RV trip.

Guests bringing an RV need a GA Car Camping or RV Pass, one per vehicle, and furnished pre set RVs are also offered.

Canada's largest festival of its kind fills downtown Toronto with parades, street parties, concerts and community events around the Church and Wellesley village. It is an easy add-on to a campervan trip around southern Ontario.

There is no festival camping in downtown Toronto, so stay at a campground outside the city and use transit.

The Southern Hemisphere's biggest agricultural expo fills Mystery Creek with more than 1,100 exhibitors over four winter days. Expect tractors, new farm tech and plenty of country food, all about 15 minutes from Hamilton.

Campervans and motorhomes cannot stay overnight on site; the organisers point visitors to accommodation in Cambridge and Hamilton, both about 15 minutes away.

Downtown Montréal becomes a giant jazz stage for ten days, with many free outdoor concerts around the Quartier des Spectacles. Park the campervan at a campground outside the city and ride transit in.

There is no camping at the festival, which is held in downtown Montréal, so stay at a campground in the greater Montréal area.

Each July Ottawa Bluesfest takes over LeBreton Flats beside the Ottawa River, with rock, blues and pop across multiple stages. It slots neatly into a campervan trip linking Ottawa with Montréal and Toronto.

There is no festival camping at LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa, so stay at a campground on the edge of the city.

The farewell edition of the outback music festival held beside Big Red, the giant sand dune west of Birdsville, with Australian artists playing on one of the country's most remote stages. Allow several days to drive in and book campervan hire early.

Camping passes work from a roll in date and include day parking; full 2027 camping and vehicle pass details are still to come.

Birds Hill Provincial Park north of Winnipeg hosts four days of folk, roots and world music across multiple stages, with thousands camping on site. Book your RV permit early and pack warm layers for the evenings.

Unserviced RV and trailer camping is offered in both festival campgrounds, and an RV or trailer permit must be bought in advance.

Ten days of rodeo, evening shows, a midway and free community pancake breakfasts take over Calgary each July. Book an RV park well ahead, as motorhomes cannot park at Stampede Park itself.

There is no on-site camping, and the official parking page bars RVs, trailers and oversized vehicles from Stampede lots, so stay at a Calgary campground.

The park's headline race weekend brings IMSA sports car racing to the near 4 km Grand Prix circuit about an hour east of Toronto. Camp at the track for the full weekend atmosphere.

On-site camping takes tents, pop-up trailers and RVs, sold separately from tickets, with RV sites priced around CAD 100 in 2026.

Cheyenne Frontier Days is billed as the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration, with rodeo finals, parades, concerts and a carnival across ten days. A campervan makes it easy to pair the event with a Wyoming and Rocky Mountains road trip.

Frontier Park does not allow overnight camping in its parking lots, so RV travellers need to book a nearby campground or RV park.

An electronic music and arts gathering on a 500 acre farm beside the Salmo River in the Kootenay mountains of southern British Columbia. Tickets for 2027 are sold out, but a waitlist is open.

Camperized vehicles and trailers can camp in paid Starlight and Sunshine zones, with no power supplied; free tent camping needs a valid ticket.

Camrose hosts a long running country music weekend, with main stage headliners, a songwriters' showcase and Bulls for Breakfast. It sits roughly 90 minutes south-east of Edmonton, so a campervan makes an easy base.

Paid on-site campsites suit motorhomes and trailers, with one vehicle per site, and full event admission is required to camp.

Billed as Canada's largest camping and music festival, it brings three days of country headliners to Burl's Creek, north of Barrie. Campsites suit tents, trailers and motorhomes, making it a natural RV weekend.

On-site RV campsites are about 20 by 50 feet, with limited hydro sites, plus water and pump-out services.

Outside Lands brings major music acts, food, wine and beer to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco over three days each August. Park the campervan at a campground outside the city and take public transport in.

Outside Lands is not a camping festival and overnight vehicle stays in Golden Gate Park are not permitted, so book a campground outside the city.

Each August the South Dakota town of Sturgis fills with huge crowds of riders for ten days of rides, concerts and rally events in the Black Hills. It makes a classic RV road trip, with Mount Rushmore and the Badlands close by.

The rally site lists nearby campgrounds and RV parks, and Pappy Hoel Campground has been named its official campground.

Fergus celebrates Scottish heritage over three days with pipe band contests, Highland dancing, heavy events and a clan village. It lies roughly an hour and a half north-west of Toronto, handy for a campervan weekend.

On-site camping is available on the Sportsplex grounds with one vehicle per site, though it has sold out before and 2027 pricing is coming soon.

The CNE runs for more than two weeks on the Toronto waterfront, with midway rides, concerts, food halls and live shows. Stay at a campground outside the city and take transit to Exhibition Place.

There is no camping at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, so choose a campground outside the city and travel in by transit.

A temporary city rises on the Nevada desert playa for a week each year, built around art, self reliance and participation. An RV makes a handy home base, as long as you bring your own power, water and waste plan.

RVs are welcome in Black Rock City, but there are no hookups or on site dump station, and RVs must be driven in.

Five days of quirky outback fun in Winton, including the Dunny Derby, bush poets, whip cracking and nightly live music. The Winton Showgrounds offer powered and unpowered sites for caravans and campers during the Queensland school holidays.

Powered and unpowered sites at the Winton Showgrounds suit caravans, campers and tents, plus Club Paterson Tent City packages for those without gear.

A loud, friendly celebration of utes, country music and outback larrikin spirit on the Riverina plains. Expect ute competitions, big night concerts and thousands of campers, with Deniliquin roughly four and a half hours north of Melbourne.

General camping is free with every ticket and unpowered; caravans and camper trailers are welcome in general camping but not in the Ute Paddock.

Australia's most famous touring car race, a 1000 kilometre enduro around the steep Mount Panorama circuit above Bathurst. Many fans camp around the mountain, so book campervan hire early for race week.

Ticket holders can book campgrounds around Mount Panorama, with powered options for caravans and motorhomes sold through Supercars each year.

Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta fills the sky with hundreds of hot air balloons over nine days, with mass ascensions at dawn and glowing evening displays. RV travellers can dry camp right at Balloon Fiesta Park.

Dry camping RV sites at Balloon Fiesta Park are sold by reservation per night, and all 2026 sites sold out, so book early.

A biennial music and arts festival on the NSW Sapphire Coast, with Australian and international acts in a forest and beach setting. The October long weekend suits a campervan trip along the far south coast.

The on site campground is not suitable for caravans or camper trailers, while Discovery Parks Pambula Beach is listed as another campground option.

A scenic drive linking Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Emu Park and the rainforest at Byfield, with beaches, hinterland and access to the Keppel Islands. A campervan suits it well, with holiday parks along the coast.

Capricorn Coast has tourist parks and caravan parks around Yeppoon and Emu Park, listed on the official Places to Stay page.