Where the Sails Meet the Sound: Festival of Sails 2026 Sets the Waterfront Alive

Geelong’s iconic summer celebration returns with world class sailing, a powerful local music program and three days of community, creativity and coastal energy by the bay.

Every January, Geelong’s waterfront slips into festival mode. Sails stretch across the horizon, music drifts over the bay and the foreshore hums with movement from morning through to night. In 2026, Festival of Sails returns from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 January, once again transforming the Royal Geelong Yacht Club precinct, Eastern Beach and the Esplanade into a full scale celebration of sailing, sound and summer. With roots dating back to 1844, Festival of Sails remains Australia’s (and also the southern hemisphere’s) largest keelboat regatta, but it is the energy on land that makes it a defining moment on Geelong’s calendar.

FESTIVAL OF SAILS

WHEN: 24 – 26 JANUARY 2026

Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.

 

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This is a festival built for everyone. General admission is free, with the waterfront alive from day to night. After 5pm, the Regatta Village hosts ticketed (but still free) live music while the wider precinct remains open and buzzing. This year also marks the first full use of the new Victorian Sailing Centre, creating a striking new gateway to the event via Eastern Beach and setting the tone for a refreshed era of Festival of Sails.

While world class sailing action plays out across Corio Bay, the music offering anchors the festival with purpose and personality. Across three days, the Regatta Village Stage becomes a showcase of local talent, regional favourites and headline moments that feel distinctly Geelong.

“Today, original artists form the backbone of the program. Many hail from Victoria’s famously vibrant music scene, with a selection of emerging interstate performers adding new textures to the line-up. These aren’t just musicians filling a stage; they are artists on the rise. Acts like Quivers and Body Type – both Festival of Sails alumni – have gone on to sign international record deals and tour globally. Their early appearances here were not just performances, but statements of intent: that this festival is a place where talent can grow, be seen, and be celebrated,” says Royal Geelong Yacht Club General Manager, Steve Harper. 

2026 offers the same platform for budding artists. Saturday kicks off with a strong community focus, as the Emerging Artists Series takes to the main stage alongside established acts. Presented by Forte Magazine and K rock 95.5, the series runs across both Saturday and Sunday this year, giving local musicians a rare opportunity to perform in front of the festival’s largest crowds. It is grassroots music elevated to centre stage.

Returning winners Holly Droomer and Will Gibb step back into the spotlight on Saturday, one year on from taking out the major prize. Their return is a full circle moment, proof of what happens when local talent is given space to grow. Both artists bring sharpened confidence and a deeper sense of identity, setting a high bar for the next wave of performers.

Saturday’s broader lineup leans into regional grit and crowd pleasing energy. Zoe Fox and The Rocket Clocks deliver bright, punchy songwriting, while Watty Thompson and His Total Fire Band bring undeniable firepower. Thompson’s neo bush storytelling, fused with classic rock spirit and raw country swagger, is built for open air stages and long summer afternoons. It is loud, loose and gloriously alive. TJR and the Longhorns round out the day with high spirited country pop covers, turning the waterfront into a collective dance floor as the sun drops.

Sunday opens with the Emerging Artists Series continuing its run on the main stage. This year’s entries reflect the depth of Geelong and the region’s creative scene, with Zoe Alysia, Jasmine Jade, Celltowers, Corey Cookson, Farah, Bonnie Jackson, Karyn Bourne, Abigail Grace, Lily and Zac, Alaska, Rose Miller, Dani Segedinski, Lana Karlay, One Part Gin, and Kate Robinson all stepping forward. Competing for a $500 cash prize, a return slot at Festival of Sails 2027 and invaluable exposure, these artists bring everything from stripped back intimacy to full band ambition, each carving out their moment by the bay.

 

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After a mid-morning reset with local family favourites The Mik Maks, Sunday’s program builds steadily into one of the strongest musical days of the festival. Daisy Kilbourne and the Chains arrive with their signature seventies inspired charm, blending groove, soul and sharp songwriting into a set that feels both nostalgic and fresh. They are followed by Melbourne outfit The Prize, whose polished indie rock cuts clean through the afternoon, balancing melody with bite.

Sunday’s defining moment belongs to The Ferguson Rogers Process, the collaborative project from Tim Rogers of You Am I and Lance Ferguson of The Bamboos. Fresh off the release of their debut album Substance And Or Style in November 2025, the pair bring a charged and charismatic performance that feels tailor made for Festival of Sails. It is a meeting of musical minds built on rhythm, storytelling and undeniable chemistry. As the sun dips low over the bay, their set lands with weight and warmth, reminding the crowd just how powerful collaboration can be.

The night closes with Blaze of Glory, a Bon Jovi tribute act ready to turn the waterfront into a mass singalong. Expect raised voices, arms in the air and a sea of locals belting every word under the stars.

Monday offers a more reflective close to the festival, with category presentations underscored by the soulful sounds of Geelong favourites The Sweethearts. It is a fitting finale that brings the focus back to community, celebration and shared experience.

“The Festival of Sails music program has not just evolved, it has found its voice. And in doing so, it has helped the event become more than a regatta. It has become a cultural moment, a summer ritual, and a showcase of the extraordinary creativity thriving in Victoria and beyond,” Harper adds. 

Beyond the stage, Festival of Sails continues to expand its Made in Geelong focus. Steampacket Gardens hosts a Made in Geelong artisan market spotlighting local creators, while the Made in Geelong Classic Car Showcase pays tribute to the city’s automotive history. At the East Lawn entrance, the Made in Geelong Showcase Stage gives growers, makers and producers the chance to pull back the curtain on their craft, offering insight into the people behind the products.

 

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The Tall Ship Enterprize will be docked along Wangim Walk across Saturday and Sunday, with STS Young Endeavour arriving from 10am Sunday to celebrate the end of its latest voyage. Add in the RAAF Roulettes aerial display on Saturday afternoon, a spread of food vendors and pop up bars, and fireworks lighting up the waterfront at 9.30pm Saturday night, and the festival delivers spectacle at every turn.

Presented by TLC Healthcare, with major partners Visit Victoria and the City of Greater Geelong, and proudly run by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, Festival of Sails 2026 is a celebration of movement, music and place. It is Geelong at its most alive, where the wind fills the sails and the sound carries long into the summer night.

Find out more about the Festival of Sails here.