Australian MTB Events Calendar 2026/27: Races, Festivals and Season Openers

October alone stacks three of Australia's biggest mtb events: a four-day WA stage race, the national enduro title race, and Sea Otter's second year on the South Coast — all compressed into ten days. Then the lift parks open through November and December, Maydena goes daily through the holidays, and Cannonball closes the chapter in February. Here is every confirmed MTB event and season opener from now through March 2027, with dates sourced from each organiser.

Last verified: 2 October 2026. Dates change — confirm at each event's official site before booking travel.

Quick picks

• 15–18 Oct — Cape to Cape MTB, Margaret River WA — 4-day stage race, Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste
• 21–25 Oct — AusCycling Enduro Oceania & National Champs, Collie WA — Oceania 22 Oct, Nationals 24–25 Oct
• 21–25 Oct — Sea Otter Australia, Mogo/Batemans Bay NSW — main racing and expo 23–25 Oct
• 21–22 Nov — Thredbo MTB Park 2026/27 opens — new ~50-jump intermediate line on day one
• From 5 Dec — Mt Buller summer season opens, VIC — chairlift uplift, 120+ km of trail
• 27 Dec–11 Jan — Maydena Bike Park 7-day summer operations, TAS — daily uplift through the holidays
• 9–13 Feb 2027 — Cannonball MTB Festival, Thredbo NSW — Australia's biggest gravity festival

Full calendar at a glance

Cape to Cape MTB — 15–18 October, Margaret River WA

Cape to Cape is Australia's largest mountain bike stage race — four days, roughly 225 km, from Cape Leeuwin lighthouse in Augusta to Cape Naturaliste near Dunsborough. The 2026 edition starts 15 October.

The format is point-to-point with overnight stops in Nannup and Margaret River. Stages run between 45 and 70 km per day, mixing singletrack, fire roads and coastal scrub across the South West's best riding terrain. The field is genuinely wide: competitive solo riders chasing podiums ride the same stages as teams and first-timers who are primarily there for the trails and the social camping. It's one of the few events in Australian MTB where a 55-year-old on an XC hardtail and a 25-year-old sending it on a full-enduro rig are both doing exactly the right thing.

October is the prime window for the South West — past the bulk of winter rain, not yet into summer heat, with wildflowers hitting the coastal section approaching Dunsborough. Registration is through Westcycle; the field sells close to capacity most years.

For the broader WA riding context, the top MTB parks in Western Australia guide covers Nannup, Collie and Margaret River — all in the event's orbit.

AusCycling Enduro Oceania & National Championships — 21–25 October, Collie WA

The national enduro title race is at Collie's Wambenger Trails this year, across five days in the same week as Sea Otter. If you're thinking about combining both events, note that Sea Otter's main racing runs 23–25 October — east-west interstate travel in that window is genuinely ambitious.

Schedule at Wambenger:

Category brackets run Junior through Elite, with Masters divisions. The Wambenger network outside Collie is the WA home of gravity enduro racing — technical natural terrain on red dirt, with enough elevation change to run proper enduro stages without resorting to repeat climbs on a short lap.

Collie is about a 2-hour drive south-east of Perth, accessible from the city for a day-trip but worth staying local if you're racing. Entry and programme: auscycling.org.au.

Sea Otter Australia — 21–25 October, Mogo/Batemans Bay NSW

Sea Otter's second year runs the same week as Collie — different states, coinciding race weekends. Our full Sea Otter Australia 2026 guide has the complete logistics: race disciplines (Fox Superflow, gravity enduro, Ottercross, XC, gravel, eMTB), expo details (200+ brands), shuttle bookings and where to stay.

Short version: main racing and expo from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October at the Hanging Rock Precinct in Batemans Bay, with racing across Mogo Trails ~10 km south. 1,875+ entries at the 2025 inaugural, expanding for 2026. Book accommodation and shuttles before you book flights — both sell.

View park guide →

When does Thredbo MTB Park open in 2026/27?

The Thredbo MTB Park 2026/27 season opens 21 November 2026, running to 26 April 2027. The opening weekend is 21–22 November.

What's new on day one: a ~50-jump intermediate trail from the Cruiser chairlift zone down to the Merritts Gondola mid-station. Fifty features over a full descent — graded and sequenced, not crammed onto a short loop — with a mid-mountain gondola exit that enables faster relay laps rather than riding all the way to Friday Flat each time. It's the longest dedicated jump line the park has built.

The second new trail for 2026/27 — a race-grade double-black from the Merritts zone to Friday Flat — is targeting an early 2027 opening. If that lands in March, it turns the late season into a two-reason trip: ride the jump trail in November, come back for the double-black in March when it settles.

Gravity Season Pass is $779 (deposit $49 now, balance 7 October 2026). Day-pass pricing drops closer to the season; buy online rather than at the window — the advance rate is cheaper and popular dates sell.

Full season preview: Thredbo MTB 2026/27. Full park guide: Thredbo MTB Park Review.

When does Mt Buller mountain biking open for 2026/27?

Mt Buller's 2026/27 summer season opens from 5 December 2026, per the resort's calendar at mtbuller.com.au. Confirm the exact launch date as December approaches — the resort also typically runs a Big Bang launch weekend around the season opener.

What's riding: the Northside Express chairlift for uplift, a 120 km+ trail network across Mt Buller and Mt Stirling, and the five new trails (~10 km) that opened in April 2026. Day passes from $82 adult (pre-purchase).

Operating schedule runs through school holidays (roughly late December to Australia Day) seven days a week, then on weekends and public holidays through to Easter 2027. For quieter days, early December through mid-January is before the school-holiday surge.

For the Victorian alpine comparison — which resort suits which rider and when the lifts run — Mt Buller vs Falls Creek has both parks in detail.

Maydena summer 7-day operations — 27 December to 11 January

Maydena Bike Park in Tasmania's Derwent Valley runs daily uplift — seven days a week — from 27 December 2026 through 11 January 2027. Outside that window, Maydena operates on weekends and selected holidays through the rest of summer. The holiday fortnight is the only time the lift runs every day.

820 m of shuttle-served vertical. 80+ trails. The Tasmanian highland setting keeps temperatures reasonable in January when mainland options can be oppressively hot. That climate advantage is well understood — the holiday 7-day window books out. Lock in lift passes and accommodation before October if you're planning a summer Maydena trip.

Verify the exact dates at maydenabikepark.com before committing to flights — the specific holiday schedule is confirmed by the park each season and the exact start/end dates can shift by a day or two.

View park guide →

Cannonball MTB Festival — 9–13 February 2027, Thredbo

Cannonball is Australia's biggest gravity MTB festival, back at Thredbo for 2027. Five days: 9–13 February. The event anchors on the Australian Open Downhill — 450+ competitors, multiple DH and enduro disciplines, live music, night events, and enough atmosphere to justify five days in the village even if you're not racing.

For the 2026/27 season, Thredbo is also building a new race-grade double-black DH trail targeting an early 2027 opening. Whether it's race-ready by Cannonball week is something to watch; the resort hasn't confirmed a date. If it opens before February, Cannonball becomes the first competitive event on the new line.

One thing to factor: Cannonball Run — the park's flagship DH from the Kosciuszko Chairlift — closes to public riding during timed race windows. The festival atmosphere is exceptional, but if your goal is lap riding rather than spectating, the weeks immediately before or after Cannonball are better choices.

Register and programme: thredbo.com.au/cannonballfestival.

FAQ

What are the major MTB events in Australia in October 2026? Three events in ten days: Cape to Cape MTB in Margaret River WA (15–18 Oct, 4-day stage race), AusCycling Enduro Oceania and National Championships at Collie WA (21–25 Oct), and Sea Otter Australia at Mogo/Batemans Bay NSW (21–25 Oct, main racing 23–25 Oct). All three run concurrently from 21 October — cross-state event combining is ambitious that weekend.

When does the Thredbo MTB Park open for the 2026/27 season? 21 November 2026. The season runs to 26 April 2027. A new ~50-jump intermediate trail (Cruiser zone to Merritts mid-station) debuts on opening day. A race-grade double-black targeting the Merritts-to-Friday-Flat line follows in early 2027. Gravity Season Pass $779. Full preview: Thredbo MTB 2026/27.

When does Maydena Bike Park run daily operations in summer? 27 December 2026 through 11 January 2027 — seven days a week through the holiday fortnight. The rest of summer runs on weekends and selected public holidays. Verify exact dates at maydenabikepark.com before booking.

What is the Cape to Cape MTB and who is it for? Cape to Cape is a 4-day, ~225 km mountain bike stage race in the Margaret River region of WA, running from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste with overnights in Nannup and Margaret River. The field runs from elite riders through to teams and social participants; it's genuinely open to a wide range of abilities. Entry via Westcycle.

When is Cannonball MTB Festival 2027? 9–13 February 2027 at Thredbo, NSW. Five days centred on the Australian Open Downhill, with 450+ competitors and live events. Note that Cannonball Run closes to public riding during race windows. Programme and entry at thredbo.com.au/cannonballfestival.

Where do I find AusCycling's full mountain bike events calendar? AusCycling's event hub covers national-level racing across all disciplines. State-level calendars — club races, series rounds, state championships — are listed under each state on the AusCycling site. For trail network closures during events, Trailforks is the fastest check for most major venues.

This post covers the major mtb events australia 2026/27 calendar. We update it when dates change — if you spot an error or a missing event, reach out via the contact page. For the full picture of when Australian lift parks open each season, the MTB park opening dates guide covers season windows across every major lift and shuttle venue.