The Lakes Festival

The Lakes Festival is back in 2025!

This popular annual event will be making a splash across the entire Central Coast between 7-16 November 2025.

This huge 10-DAY celebration of our waterways across the Central Coast that brings locals and visitors together to enjoy exciting family-friendly activities, cultural and educational programs hosted by local organisations and businesses.

The Lakes Festival is a great opportunity for everyone to get out and about, rediscover some places right on your doorstep and celebrate our diverse lakes and waterways with your family and friends.

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Choose your own adventure!

Featured event: Light Up the Lake

Sat 8 November, 4-9pm, The Entrance
Catch the incredible Ruby Fields, Dear Sunday, Dizzy Days, Chloe Parche and Elaskia on the main stage. Fun activities, licensed area, roving performers, and fantastic food, followed by fireworks display that will literally Light Up The Lake!

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Family Fun

With live music performances, sustainable education and interactive activities, an exploration of water through art, and not to mention artisan markets and delicious local food to try, there is so much to do that will keep the kids and adults entertained during The Lakes Festival

Download Scavenger Hunt

Bianchi Photography Marine Discovery Centre

Arts and Crafts

From a swimwear and accessory exchange, to painting by the lake and immersing yourself in water themed art, our talented makers and creators will showcase their works encouraging the community to get involved.

Sports and Outdoor

From coastal runs and kayaking ecotours to SUP experiences, beach netball and soccer, the list of adventures for you to undertake is epic!

Group of people playing ball Games on SUP baords

Musican playing guitar looking out from the stage

Music and Entertainment

Don’t miss Light Up the Lake, headlined by Boo Seeka, with BELLA AMOR, RAAVE Tapes, False London, and Daytrip, on Saturday 9 November at Memorial Park, The Entrance

For the big kids

From stand up comedy to live cabaret and competitive beach games, how will you choose what to do first during The Lakes Festival?

singers with blue light on them lakes festival

Blue Take 3 Fro the Sea rubblish bag full of plastic on a beach setting

Eco and Education

Learn how to make simple changes to help protect and care for the environment through sustainable practices. Throughout the Lakes Festival get involved with keeping our waterways and oceans free of rubbish and the importance of protect the wildlife that need the waterways to survive.

Sustainability

The Lakes Festival has officially completed the national Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard with Ecotourism Australia!

We’re on a journey to create a more sustainable event for the Central Coast. This Scorecard has helped us to measure where The Lakes Festival sits on its sustainability journey in 2024, aligned to the four pillars of sustainability impacts: environmental, socio-economic, cultural, and sustainable management.

This is a huge learning milestone for us, as we continue to educate our community and guests about the Central Coast’s waterways.

How are we being more sustainable?

This year we’re taking even more steps to improve our sustainability.

We’ve switched the paper used for printing - The PEFC Certified uncoated paper is recyclable and compostable and does not receive any coating during the manufacturing process.

Our merchandise promotes re-use! You can pick up some merchandise at Light Up the Lake, or at surprise locations throughout the festival, so keep your eye on the Facebook page!

Eco friendly cotton tote bags
Bottles made from 98% sugar cane with a natural cork lid, making them 100% ecofriendly, plant based, CO2 negative and they’re BPA free!
Sunglasses with frames made from 50/50 rice husk fibre and BPA-free polypropylene

Sustainability pledge

Photo by Destination Central Coast x James Vodicka

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