Australia’s most iconic charity motoring event returns for 50th year celebrations
Children’s charity organisation Variety will celebrate its 50th year of operations in Australia in 2025 with the return of its iconic charity motoring event, the Variety Bash.
It will be the first ‘national’ Variety Bash in 10 years, whereby every Variety Bash route will be coordinated to be in one place to acknowledge the collective achievement. Traditionally, a National Bash is staged every five years; however, the 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID restrictions.
In the first two weeks of August 2025, around 650 cars with over 1,600 Bash entrants from across Australia will venture to South Australia to celebrate this momentous milestone. The journey is set to depart from Adelaide on Friday, August 8 and finish in Kalgoorlie on Saturday, August 16.
In 1985, famous Australian entrepreneur, aviator and businessman Dick Smith invited his mates for ‘a drive in the bush’ to raise funds for Variety. The Variety Bash was born and quickly became an incredibly successful fundraising event.
Offering a unique blend of adventure and philanthropy, participants in the event traverse remote and regional areas, raising essential funds to support children who are sick, disadvantaged, or living with disability.
Each year, the Variety Bash features a colourful convoy of creatively themed cars and a route that takes participants through some of Australia’s most stunning and remote landscapes, covering diverse terrains from outback tracks to coastal roads.
Participants also get the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact of their fundraising, visiting local communities and schools along the way to deliver Variety Grants that provide life-changing equipment and programs to children in need.
The Variety Bash runs from Friday, August 8 to Saturday, August 16, 2025. For more information and to donate, head to fundraise.varietywa.org.au