After the roaring success of its inaugural year, Zest Fest is officially back in 2025, this time with more stages, more art, and more zest.
The festival is proudly funded by the NSW Government's Open Streets Program led by Transport for NSW, Destination NSW Regional Event Funding, Orange City Council and The Hotel Canobolas.
Orange Mayor Tony Mileto is excited to invite the community to Zest Fest 2025.
"We have an expanded vision for this year's free festival, which is again backed by the NSW Government and is now officially part of the Orange Wine Festival calendar," Cr Mileto said.
Minister for Transport, Arts, Music and the Night-Time Economy, John Graham said:
"The NSW Government is proud to provide $350,000 in funding to Zest Fest under the Open Streets Program.
"We're backing Orange City Council to make the festival bigger, better, and zestier over the next three years."
Building on the momentum of last year's 4500 crowd, Zest Fest will return to Robertson Park and the surrounding streets – Byng Street, Lords Place and McNamara Street – on Saturday, 1 November 2025, transforming the heart of the city into a dynamic, multi-program cultural celebration.
Zest Fest 2024
This year's event will feature four distinct program areas, with a strong focus on street-level activity:
Main Stage – Hosting major live acts and headline performances including San Cisco, one of Australia's most-loved indie-pop bands known for hits like Awkward and Too Much Time Together".
Live & Local Stage – Showcasing emerging and homegrown talent from the region.
Art Activation Zone – Interactive installations, and street art experiences.
Museum Activation – A cultural collaboration bringing the Orange Regional Museum to life with festival-themed programming.
"The second year of the event will build on its reputation for celebrating local talent and drawing visitors to the region," Cr Mileto said.
"Zest Fest was one of the biggest cultural moments in Orange last year. We're proud to see it return, not only bigger and brighter, but now as a key closing event of the Orange Wine Festival. It brings together the best of what our city has to offer, music, food, creativity and community," Cr Mileto said.
While tickets are free, registration is essential, head to www.zestfest.com.au
