Things to Do in Geelong — and the Pubs Next Door

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong hosts this eleven-day festival exploring how creativity shapes sustainable futures. The citywide program features over eighty events, including exhibitions, workshops, tours, and installations. Talks connect practitioners to share projects and ideas. A key component is the Victorian Regional Design Fair at Nyaal Banyul, where makers and studios from regional Victoria present trade showcases, products, and design experiences. Themes cover heritage reuse, fashion, landscape, and Sustainability & Circular Design.

• The festival runs from 1 to 11 October 2026.
• The Victorian Regional Design Fair takes place at Nyaal Banyul from 1 to 4 October.

Pop-up stalls serve freshly cooked paella and the area's famous blue mussels. The annual Hooked on Bellarine Festival is a family-friendly day at Portarlington Safe Harbour, 2A Harding St. Organised by the Victorian Fisheries Authority, it invites fishers to cast a line alongside seafood lovers.

• Entry is free
• Runs from 9am to 2pm on Sunday, October 4
• Family-friendly

Visitors to the Royal Geelong Agricultural and Pastoral Society grounds in Geelong East can explore livestock exhibits, agricultural competitions and thrilling rides from 15 to 18 October 2026. The four-day event features live entertainment, showbags and food stalls alongside family activities. Attendees may spend a single day or stay for the full weekend at this traditional community celebration.

• Gates open 9:30am on 15 October; event closes 5:00pm on 18 October
• Early-bird tickets are available online at royalgeelongshow.org.au

Catriona Rowntree hosts this gathering to mark the organisation's 70th anniversary. Guests enjoy a two-course meal with drinks, accompanied by live entertainment from Andy Pobjoy x Piano Bar. The programme includes magic and wonder, an animal psychic medium, guest speakers, plus a silent auction and raffle. This community event is held in The Captains Room at GMHBA Stadium.

• Event runs 6:30–10:30 pm
• Tickets are available via gaws.org.au

Australia's biggest citizen science event asks participants to spend twenty minutes in any outdoor space counting the birds they see. Tens of thousands of Australians of all ages and experience levels join to track urban bird populations. In Geelong, observers can search coastal heathlands and Point Addis for the rufous bristlebird. This species is found at the eastern limit of its range there, where it produces a call likened to the squeaking of an un-greased cart wheel.

• Each count takes twenty minutes
• Open to all ages and experience levels
• Submit results via app or web form

Ken Roczen battles Jo Shimoda, who makes his 450cc debut, on the largest AUSX Open track ever built. This marks the championship’s first appearance in Geelong at GMHBA Stadium. Cole Davies, Kiwi AMA Pro Motocross Champion, also competes. The night includes FMX stunts and stadium entertainment with lights and pyro. Attendees can access the paddock for meet-the-riders sessions and shop official merchandise.

• The event is held on 7 November 2026.
• Fan Fest features interactive experiences, sponsor zones and giveaways.

Ken Roczen, reigning AMA Supercross Champion, battles Jo Shimoda and Cole Davies on the largest track ever built for the series. The Boost Mobile AUSX Open moves to GMHBA Stadium in Geelong for its first appearance here. The venue’s expanded floor space allows a full-scale open paddock where fans can view bikes and mechanics up close, alongside Fan Fest activities and rider signings. This multi-year arrangement is estimated to deliver $18 million to the region while providing high-speed racing under lights.

• Open paddock access and rider signings are available at the event.
• Tickets are available via the AUSX website.

The 2026 Queenscliff Music Festival offers three days of diverse live performances across various town locations. The lineup features Matt Corby touring his fourth studio album Tragic Magic, alongside Tim Rogers and London sibling trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis. Melbourne funk and soul band The Bamboos also perform, as does ARIA award-winning neosoul artist KAIIT. Attendees can experience music in unique settings, including a cruise aboard the Peninsula Princess. Over 10,000 visitors are expected to attend this coastal event.

• Tickets are on sale via the festival website
• Bus tickets are available for travel to the festival
• The event runs from 27 to 29 November 2026

Boyz II Men headline this 1990s R&B and hip-hop bill at Mount Duneed Estate, joined by rap royalty Salt-N-Pepa and hip-hop pioneers Bell Biv DeVoe. The concert is the sole stop in Victoria on the Australian and New Zealand tour. Together, the three acts have sold over 100 million albums and accumulated more than four billion streams. Boyz II Men are known for hits like End of the Road, while Salt-N-Pepa helped bring rap into the mainstream. Bell Biv DeVoe perform in Australia for the first time, having made their name with the 1990 album Poison, which helped define new jack swing.

• Final tickets are currently on sale.
• The event falls on the same night as the Victorian state election.

The Fray headline Lookout Festival at Torquay Common, performing new material from A Light That Waits alongside fan favourites like the diamond-certified How to Save a Life. This show sits just weeks before the album releases on 13 March 2027, marking part of their Summer of Light Tour. Supporting acts include Bastille, known for Pompeii, plus Dashboard Confessional, Killing Heidi and Little Birdy.

• General Admission tickets are $169.90 plus fees
• Premium General Admission is $229.90 plus fees with early entry and dedicated lanes
• The event runs on 6 February 2027

As the southern hemisphere's largest airshow, this biennial event draws crowds to watch a wide range of aircraft perform flying displays. Qantas serves as the official airline partner for the 2027 gathering at Avalon Airport. The collaboration introduces new public experiences, including aircraft displays and activations alongside promotions and careers engagement. Organised by the AMDA Foundation with the Royal Australian Air Force, the event connects local businesses with global corporations while showcasing Australia's aviation industry and defence capability.

• The most recent staging in 2025 injected $241m into the state economy.