Wentworth’s next big tourism drawcard is getting real: FOSO is in its final stages (and it opens Easter long weekend)

Photo Credit - Serena Munro SENS8928

If you’ve been following the momentum around arts tourism in our patch, here’s something properly exciting and very topical right now: Wentworth’s Fibre Optic Symphonic Orchestra (FOSO) has hit major construction milestones and is now in its final stages.

This isn’t a small “pop-up” either, it’s being described as a major new cultural attraction, set between Perry Sandhills and Thegoa Lagoon, Wentworth, designed as a fully immersive visitor experience that combines big Australian landscape with fibre optic light installations and an accompanying orchestral score. 

The key tourism detail: opening date + perfect timing

Photo Credit - Serena Munro SENS8928

According to project updates, FOSO is on track to open to the public on Friday 3 April 2026, lining up with the Easter long weekend — which is basically tourism gold for the region. 

That means anyone planning an autumn road trip (or looking for an excuse to head to Wentworth) will have a brand-new “wow factor” experience to build a weekend around.

Why this matters for Sunraysia tourism

Sunraysia has always had the natural assets: rivers, sandhills, big skies, food and wine, and those magic sunsets that make visitors stop mid-sentence. What FOSO does is add a fresh, bookable, night-time experience that can extend stays — the kind of thing that turns a quick stop into “let’s stay another night”.

And it also pairs beautifully with the classics nearby:

• Perry Sandhills for the daytime/sunset adventure (photos don’t even do it justice)

• Wentworth township for the history, river junction vibes, and a good pub feed

• Trail of Lights (Mildura) style visitors who already love immersive light experiences.

The Out & About Sunraysia take

This is exactly the kind of project that shifts perceptions of the region. Not “just pass through on the way to somewhere else” — but a destination in its own right.

If you’re a local: this is one of those “how good is it that it’s happening here?” moments.

If you’re a visitor: start circling early April and build a weekend around Wentworth + Mildura, because with nights like this on the menu, Sunraysia doesn’t pack up when the sun goes down anymore.

And here’s the kicker for visitors chasing that wow factor: the Perry Sandhills backdrop is half the magic. Those dunes are iconic in daylight, but pair that vast, otherworldly landscape with a fibre optic installation at night and you’ve got a setting that feels cinematic. It’s the kind of place where you’ll take photos… then put the phone down for a minute because it’s better in real life.