Junction Arts Festival is an annual festival of arts experiences in unusual spaces throughout Launceston, held in the first week of September.

Junction was first presented as a one-off event annexed to the 2010 Regional Arts Australia Conference.

In 2021 Junction celebrated its 10th anniversary festival, with a history of developing, commissioning and presenting participatory and community-engaged contemporary artwork.

The event kicks off on Wednesday, with Princes Square hosting live music, food ventures and art installations from 6pm, with the festival running until 4pm Sunday.

Executive producer Mary Shannon said that the programming strategy for 2022 was about empowering the creative community to use their skills to develop and present projects and events.

"This year's program is an amalgamation of some of Tasmania's best and brightest producers, curators, artists and arts organisations. Platforming their own strengths and intimate knowledge of the Tasmanian creative community, and the immense amount of art that breathes and thrives within it," she said.

"There will be a focus on collaborative performance - connecting a handful of interstate artists with our local arts community to create brand new works and enhance networks between Tasmania and the mainland. As always, there will be something for everyone."

One such collaborative work will be Up Late - a funky, late night cabaret with a heavy dose of circus. The project sees Tasmanian circus talent ROOKE collaborate with internationally renowned cabaret company YUMMY.

Across the five nights, the Main Stage in Prince's Square will play host to a huge lineup of talented musicians from a wide range of genres, both local and interstate.

The Opening Night Party will be soundtracked by Sex On Toast, with Friday night's party vibes courtesy of electronic act Haiku Hands.

Rounding out a jam-packed day of music, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks will headline on Saturday night. A total of 25 musical acts are programmed across the festival, with over 90 Tasmanians sharing their musical talents.

As always, the festival features plenty to entertain the kids across the five days. Tony's Imaginary Circus returns after sell-out shows in 2021, as well as the much-loved Tweed Ride. Catch Dr Hubble's Bubble Show or get involved in a range of workshops and participatory projects to create your own artwork.

Festival goers of all ages can embark on a city-wide adventure thanks to the inaugural Great Junction Scavenger Hunt. Grab a team, costume-up and get ready to embark on a quirky and competitive race around Launceston. If watching the action is more your thing, sit back and take in a show of cabaret or comedy, with Alice Tovey's Doggo, Cath Jamison & Aurora Kurth's Sass & Secrets, or Josh Earl's brand new comedy show, Josh Earl Talks.

The focus on Tasmanian artists extends beyond the festival program into the branding for Junction, this year engaging palawa artist Caleb Nichols-Mansell to create the artwork for the festival's 2022 brand.

"It has been a privilege to develop the branding for this year's festival," he said.

For more information visit the Junction Arts Festival website.

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