Published 31 October 2026
Chapter 1Two days late
I finished the market pages of this guide two days after the market packed up for the year. The Mindil Beach Sunset Market always runs from the last Thursday in April to the last Thursday in October; in 2026 that last Thursday was the 29th. So the stalls, the music at The Sound Shell and the 7.30pm whips at the casino end are gone from the foreshore until next autumn.
Chapter 2What comes back, and when
By the same rule, the 2027 season should open on Thursday 29 April and close on Thursday 28 October 2027. The market had not published a 2027 calendar when I checked, so treat those as my reading of its rule. 2027 is also the market's fortieth year: its About page says it was founded in 1987 by four visionaries, inspired by the night markets of South-East Asia, and the National Trust named it a national icon in 2000.
Chapter 3What the beach is like without it
Quieter, obviously. The sunset does not close: in mid-November it falls at 6.52pm, and by mid-January at 7.19pm. Without the stalls, the evening moves to the resort — Sandbar from 4pm, the lagoon until the light goes, dinner at il Piatto from Wednesday to Sunday. It is a different kind of trip, and in some ways an easier one.
Checked 31 October 2026: Mindil Beach Sunset Market · market About page · US Naval Observatory