What are the best summer festivals of the Great Ocean Road

Celebrate the season of festivals along the Great Ocean Road as you enjoy the beautiful summer air with the countless music, food, and marathon events.

The Great Ocean Road is a picture-perfect landscape during the summer, with glorious beaches, epic rainforests, and endless sunny days. However, its not just the clear blue skies the summer brings, but a herd of festivals and events! Celebrating the local produce and talent with musical events, terrain marathons, and food festivals. Here are our top events that are well worth the summer visit!

• Falls Festival

  Celebrate coming into the new year at Great Ocean Road’s picturesque beach region! The Falls festivals are one of the most popular new years festivals in the country, featuring some of world’s biggest named bands performing during this three-day festival! Thousands of locals and tourists come from all over Australia to enjoy this beach-vibe celebration, camping in the nights away and enjoying a boogie in the sweet summer sun in the day!

• Lorne Pier to Pub

  The Lorne’s Pier to Pub is almost 40 years old, and is listed as the largest ocean water swim event in the entire world! Starting at Lorne Pub, the swim is a 1.2-kilometre course, finishing right out front of the Lorne Surf Lifesaving Clubhouse. The festival is all about celebrating fitness and the Great Ocean Road ommunity, with all the finishers encouraged to celebrate together at the pub afterwards. You don’t even need to be a local, as everyone is welcome with open arms, getting to know the annual swimmers and pub owners while refueling with a pint of beer.

• Gellibrand River Blues and Blueberry Festival

  Enjoy both a market and music festival, held at the scenic Otway’s Tourist Park. The market section of the festival offers a large range of local produce, including food, art and crafts, and even beer and wine. The musical aspect is all blues, with every Sunday a blues band performs at the Otway Estate Winery & Brewery.

• Apollo Bay Seafood Festival

  There is no better place to try the local food than at Apollo Bay, one of the best coastal beach towns that are famed for its world-class seafood. The town celebrates this achievement every year with their annual Seafood Festival, putting on a show for both the locals and tourists. The festival is chock a block with delicious food and drink stalls, live entertainment, and a range of fun activities.

• Otway Odyssey

  Dubbed as the country’s largest off-road cycling events, this annual festival is held in the glorious wilderness of the Otway’s National Park. There is a little something for everyone in this event, regardless of your fitness level. From the famous 100-kilometre mountain bike marathon to the 50-kilometre option, 30-kilometre race, to even a race for the local kids’ ages 3 to 8 years of age. One of the main draws for this biking event is the terrain, with a range of road types including dirt, sand, tar, challenging the competitive riders competing in this exciting festival.

Related article: How to enjoy the Great Ocean Road’s Summertime?

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.