Tasmania festival DARK MOFO, the winter counterpart to MONA’s summer MOFO series, is set to return bigger and brighter darker this year.

The “darker sister” arts and music event will expand the festival repertoire of Tasmania’s MONA (Museum of Old And New Art) even further, building upon the success of DARK MOFO’s debut last year and of Hobart’s January MONA FOMA festival.

The dates for DARK MOFO 2014 reveal that along with it’s regular appearance in Hobart, to be held this year from Thursday 12th to Sunday 22nd June, the event will also bring its unique music lineup, arts curation, and winter-themed installations to Launceston – from Friday 20th June to Saturday 5th July.

DARK MOFO will once again be celebrating the colder months of the year by taking over the Harbour City and Launceston with large-scale public art, fine selections of food, and of course, an eclectic bill of music-makers and bands, with 2013’s final tally coaxing 128,000 people to events across 10 days.

Last year’s lineup featured international artists such as Martha Wainwright, Boris, and Mono, as well as Aussie favourites like You Am I, The Drones, and The Presets among a programme of 83+ musical acts“Immerse yourself in the shadows and lionize the light with Dark Mofo 2014.”

While the dates are locked in, the DARK MOFO 2014 lineup will be announced this April, but the festival has already confirmed the return of a number of events from the 2013 inaugural edition.

In Hobart, MONA will open until midnight to show off its new winter exhibition, while Launceston will enjoy a dose of the same esteemed art installations, performances, and exhibitions. Both DARK MOFO editions will also feature a curated cinema programme, the after-hours debauchery of Dark Faux Mo, along with the weekend-long Winter Feast, and the Nude Solstice Swim.

The latter skinnydip actually stirred a mild bit of controversial attention for DARK MOFO, when Tasmanian Police deemed the frostbitten sights of the general public’s bums and bits splashing about in the Derwent River as “too obscene”, cancelling the Nude Swim in the process.

Fortunately authorities soon re-negged on their views of the naked winter solstice splash-about and lifted the “obscene” ban, with the Police ultimately allowing the artistic event’s 200+ registrants – and 25 body-painted MOFO representatives – to engage in their 50 metre swim, designed as a ritualistic tribute to northern hemisphere winter traditions.

“We encourage Tasmanian residents to invite their friends and family from around Australia to join us,” note DARK MOFO’s organisers; “Immerse yourself in the shadows and lionize the light with Dark Mofo 2014.”

Stay tuned for the DARK MOFO 2014 lineup and ticket details, in the meantime scope the dates and details below.

(Photo Credit: MONA/Rémi Chauvin. Supplied)

DARK MOFO 2014

Hobart: Thursday 12th to Sunday 22nd June
MONA’S WINTER EXHIBITION OPENING, JUNE 17
WINTER FEAST, JUNE 19-21
NUDE SWIM, 7.42AM JUNE 22

Launceston: Friday 20th June to Saturday 5th July
WINTER FEAST, JUNE 27-28
NUDE SWIM, 7.38AM JUNE 22

DARK MOFO 2014 lineup to be announced in April.

Further info at: http://www.darkmofo.net.au/

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