Festival of Sails
Festival of Sails takes place Jan 22 - 26, 2027 (Australia Day long weekend) in Geelong, Australia. The dress code is Casual and family-friendly - hat, sunscreen and closed shoes for the foreshore; nothing dressier is needed anywhere. Typical cost ranges from 300 to 900 EUR per person.
The Southern Hemisphere's largest keelboat regatta, sailed on Corio Bay off Geelong over the Australia Day long weekend and running in some form since 1844. Several hundred yachts race while the foreshore hosts a free festival of live music, food stalls and family activities that pulls crowds well beyond the sailing world. The 2027 edition incorporates the Australian Yachting Championship.
- When
- Jan 22 - 26, 2027 (Australia Day long weekend)
- Where
- Geelong, Australia
- Dress code
- Casual and family-friendly - hat, sunscreen and closed shoes for the foreshore; nothing dressier is needed anywhere
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 300 to 900 EUR per person.
- Weather
- 15 - 28C, high summer, occasionally hot and windy on Corio Bay
- When to book
- Book Geelong accommodation 3 to 4 months out; the long weekend fills the whole waterfront
- Getting there
- MEL (Melbourne), about 1 h to Geelong; AVV (Avalon) about 20 min
- Where to stay
- Novotel Geelong, The Sailors Rest, Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong
- Official site
- https://festivalofsails.com.au/
How to attend
The waterfront festival on the Geelong foreshore is entirely free with no ticket - music, food and family programming run all weekend. Boat entries and crew registration go through the Royal Geelong Yacht Club and festivalofsails.com.au, and the regatta takes cruising-division entries as well as racers. Geelong is an easy train ride from Melbourne if you would rather not compete for a room on the long weekend.
The waterfront festival on the Geelong foreshore is entirely free with no ticket - just turn up; the only booking on the official site is the boat entry guide for competitors.
Insider tip
Cunningham Pier and Eastern Beach give the best mix of racing views and festival access, and the passage race down from Melbourne arrives into Corio Bay on the opening day.
Get inside Festival of Sails
Booking matters here: book Geelong accommodation 3 to 4 months out; the long weekend fills the whole waterfront. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.