Nimbin MardiGrass

Visit NSW lists MardiGrass 2027 for Friday 30 April to Sunday 2 May 2027. It's traditionally held on the weekend around the start of May. In 2022 it was moved to September because of flood damage to the roads and the village water supply, so check the organisers' announcements closer to the date.

MardiGrass began in 1993 as a protest against Australia's drug laws, and it's still a law reform rally at heart, with a rally through the village and music and events over the weekend. The 2026 event was the 34th. The Nimbin Hemp Embassy on Cullen Street, long the centre of the village's law reform campaigning, sells hemp goods and drug information, but not cannabis.

Despite Nimbin's reputation, recreational cannabis is illegal in New South Wales, in Nimbin as everywhere else. Possessing, using, growing or supplying it are offences under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985, and the law is enforced in Nimbin as anywhere else. Police can choose to give a caution for a small amount, but that's at their discretion, not a right.

Driving with any THC in your system is also an offence, and police run roadside drug tests. A change announced in June 2026 means registered medicinal cannabis patients on full licences won't be automatically penalised for THC when driving, but roadside testing continues and it doesn't make recreational use legal.

A NSW parliamentary inquiry recommended staged decriminalisation in 2025, but the law has not changed. If anything is offered to you on the street, you don't know what it is or what's in it.

• Stay: accommodation sells out months ahead. See where to stay; Lismore is the usual fallback.
• Getting here: roads into the village are narrow and busy over the weekend. See getting to Nimbin for buses and shuttles.
• Weather: early May is usually mild by day and cool at night. Check the Nimbin weather forecast.

When is Nimbin MardiGrass 2027?

Friday 30 April to Sunday 2 May 2027, according to Visit NSW. It's usually held on the weekend around the start of May.

Is weed legal in Nimbin?

No. Recreational cannabis is illegal in New South Wales, including in Nimbin. Possession, use, growing and supply are all offences, and driving with THC in your system is an offence too.

What is the Nimbin Hemp Embassy?

A cannabis law reform landmark on Cullen Street that sells hemp products and offers drug information. It doesn't sell cannabis.

How long has MardiGrass been running?

Since 1993. The 2026 festival was the 34th.