2 min read · Updated 18 June 2026
The Festival of Sails runs each January at Geelong over the Australia Day long weekend, and it is one of the most spectator-friendly regattas in the country — a huge keelboat fleet racing close inshore on Corio Bay, wrapped in a free public festival on the Geelong waterfront. You can watch world-class racing and enjoy live music and fireworks in the same afternoon. (For the event itself, see our Festival of Sails regatta guide.)
When and where
The festival is held over the Australia Day long weekend in late January, on and around Corio Bay at Geelong, about an hour from Melbourne. Crucially, the racecourse sits right in front of the city rather than out at sea, so the fleet manoeuvres close inshore where everyone can see it.
Best places to watch
The Geelong waterfront is the place to be. The foreshore around Eastern Beach and Cunningham Pier, and the area by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, all give clear views of the inshore racing on Corio Bay. Because the bay is compact and enclosed, the boats race close to shore throughout.
The festival ashore
What sets this event apart is the scale of the celebration on land. The waterfront hosts a free community festival — live music, food and drink stalls, markets, family activities and fireworks over the bay — running across the long weekend along the same foreshore. You can watch the fleet and enjoy the festival at once, which is rare for a keelboat regatta of this size.
Following the racing
Daily results and the festival programme are published through the official Festival of Sails and Royal Geelong Yacht Club channels, split by division and by one-design versus handicap scoring. Our guide to sailing in Melbourne and Port Phillip covers the wider bay, and the sailing terms glossary explains the vocabulary you will hear in the commentary.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Festival of Sails held?
- The Festival of Sails is held each year over the Australia Day long weekend in late January, at Geelong on Corio Bay in Victoria. The racing runs across several days, paired with a large free public festival on the Geelong waterfront.
- Where is the best place to watch the Festival of Sails?
- The Geelong waterfront is ideal, because the inshore racing on Corio Bay happens close to the city. The foreshore around Eastern Beach, Cunningham Pier and the Royal Geelong Yacht Club gives clear views of the fleet, while the festival precinct runs along the same waterfront.
- Is the Festival of Sails free to watch?
- Yes. Alongside the racing, the Geelong waterfront hosts a free community festival with live music, food and drink stalls, markets, family activities and fireworks. You can watch the fleet manoeuvring close inshore on Corio Bay while the festival runs behind you, making it a genuine free spectator event.
- What can you see at the Festival of Sails?
- The regatta draws a large fleet — often more than 300 yachts — across many divisions, from grand-prix raceboats and one-design classes to cruising yachts, plus the offshore passage races that open the regatta. Because Corio Bay is compact and the racing is close inshore, spectators get a good view of the action.
- How do I follow the Festival of Sails?
- Daily results, the programme and the festival schedule are published through the official Festival of Sails and Royal Geelong Yacht Club channels. Results are split by division and by one-design versus handicap scoring, so it helps to know which fleet a boat is racing in.