Launceston is poised to soak up the sun this weekend as the Mona Foma summer arts festival returns to the city for 2022.
With a program featuring a giant block of ice suspended in the Cataract Gorge, legendary Australian rock band Midnight Oil, meditation sessions at Riverbend Park medieval music, and sentient construction machinery, Mona Foma's line-up has something for everyone.
Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said he was excited to see the festival back in the city.
"Mona Foma brings enormous buzz to Launceston and there's a huge program of events running between now and Tuesday when the festival moves down south to Hobart," Mayor van Zetten said.
"Events like these are fantastic for Launceston, and I hope people take advantage of the incredible summer weather over the next few days to get out and about and see what's on offer.
"I want to congratulate and thank the Mona Foma team for bringing this event to us in what are undoubtedly difficult times for event organisers, and I can't wait to experience the program over the weekend.
"There's a breakdown of COVID-safe information for each Mona Foma event on the Mona Foma website, and I encourage people to take advantage of that resource."
Launceston Deputy Mayor Danny Gibson said Mona Foma had quickly established itself as a must-see event on Launceston's cultural calendar.
"Along with amazing summer weather, there's something else in the air in Launceston at the moment — the electric energy of Mona Foma," Deputy Mayor Gibson said.
"What a thrill for Launceston to be welcoming acts like Midnight Oil, and to see a program full of really vibrant, diverse and engaging performances.
"The Mona Foma team has done an incredible job to get this event off the ground, and they've made a significant array of changes to the program to ensure the majority of their events are outside.
"With the weather forecast over the next few days, I hope Launceston families have an amazing time experiencing Mona Foma 2022, and I look forward to plenty of visitors from across Tasmania enjoying this great event as well."
