Step into the heart of the Island Whale Festival! It’s your go-to spot for immersive hands-on activities, live entertainment, creative workshops, and family-friendly fun all weekend long!
Grab your Festival Experience Hub Pass and dive into the action. There’s something magical waiting for every age and stag!
When: 10am - 4pm
Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July
Weekend Pass 11-13 July: $30 (Family – 2 adults + up to 4 children 15 & under) - $12 (single weekend pass)
Day Pass: $15 (Family – 2 adults + up to 4 children 15 & under) - $5 (single entry)
Where: Festival Hub
Be swept away by the sights and sounds of Millowl’s marine life in this breathtaking immersive experience.
When: 10am - 4pm
Cost: Included in your Festival Experience Pass
Location: Festival Hub
Snorkel the Great Southern Reef without getting wet in this unforgettable virtual reality adventure!
When: 10am - 4pm
Cost: Included in your Festival Experience Pass
Location: Festival Hub
Meet the team of DRI researchers and volunteers and ask questions about their work, getting involved and careers in marine science.
When: 10am-4pm
Where: Festival Hub
Included in your Festival Experience Pass
Discover coastal-inspired creations, featuring the work of talented local artists.
When: 10am - 4pm - Friday 11th, Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July
Cost: FREE - drop in
Where: Clay & Co, 4 Shoreland Way, Cowes
Your little ones will love our super cute face painting - choose from a whale, dolphin, seal or penguin.
When: 10am - 4pm
Where: Festival Hub
Cost: $10 each
Tap into your creativity by designing your own unique whale on wooden cutouts. Every child will receive a whale and have access to a variety of paint pens to bring their creation to life in the vibrant atmosphere of the Whale Festival.
Open Daily: 10am - 4pm
Cost: Included in your Festival Experience Pass
When: Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July
Location: Festival Hub
Come and see some of the most beautiful, innovative and affordable art and craft works by the local people of the Bass Coast. Show a printed or digital copy of the Phillip Island Gallery whale logo and choose a FREE unique handmade keyring. All keyrings have been handmade by members of the Phillip Island Gallery.
Cost: FREE
Open Daily: 11am - 3pm
When: Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July
Location: Phillip Island Gallery, 119 Settlement Road, Cowes
Enjoy an immersive and unique experience as you step into a cozy wood-fired sauna. Relax with soothing heat and aromatic cedar scent and be transported by beautiful Whale Music.
When: Sunday 13th July - 8am, 9:30am, 11am & 12:30pm
Where: Cleeland Bight Beach, Cape Woolamai
Cost: $45 per person. Adults only
Join our panel of experts with decades of experience both within Australia and overseas for a discussion on how, when and where opportunities exist for a career in marine science. Not academically minded? No problem, we have solutions for you too!
When: Sunday 13 July 2025, 9.30 - 10.30am
Where: Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Cost: Free - Bookings Recommended
Explore Australia’s strangest ancient whales with palaeontologist Ruairidh Duncan. Discover the bizarre, toothed ancestors of today’s baleen whales and why they vanished—leaving behind clues in the fossil record as to how modern whales evolved and just how weird things got in Australia.
When: 10.00am - 10.45am
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Join the team in the Phillip Island library to celebrate the Whale Festival with art and craft activities for all the family.
Presented by: Myli Libraries
When: Sunday 13 July - 11am - 12pm
Cost: Free - Bookings open 23 June
Where: Phillip Island Library
Discover the fossil secrets of Megalodon and Livyatan—Victoria’s ancient ocean giants. Join palaeontologist Ben Francischelli as he reveals epic prehistoric predators and the citizen science discoveries rewriting our state’s ancient marine story. Suitable for all ages.
When: 11.00am - 11.45am
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Hear about the whales of Victoria and how to spot them from local researchers in our 50-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute guided whale-spotting experience, kids' activities featuring real whale bones, sounds, and games, and an opportunity to talk all things marine with our team.
When: 11.30am-1:30pm; 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Where: Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Cost: $15 per adult, $10 per child (under 15)
Discover the incredible whale and dolphin species that can be seen around Milowl | Phillip Island—whether from clifftops or onboard a local ecotourism cruise.
When: 2.00pm - 2.45pm
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Dive deep into the world beneath the waves, where up-close encounters with curious marine creatures come to life on the big screen
Screening Thursday 10th, Friday 11th & Sunday 13th July
When: 7:00pm-9:40pm.
Cost: Adult 16+ $25, Concession $20
Where: Berninneit Cultural Centre - Theatre
