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!

Feature event: Light Up the Lake

Sat 8 November, 4-9pm, Memorial Park, 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!

See line up

Sustainable Future Festival

Sat 15 November, 10am-3pm, Memorial Park, The Entrance
Featuring Costa Georgiadis, Lottie Dalziel’s DIY workshops, upcycling with Unwanted FC, expert panels on circular living, and nature-inspired kids’ activities. It’s a vibrant celebration of sustainability, creativity, and community action for a thriving Central Coast.

Learn more

Family Fun

Enjoy live music, sustainability education, and hands-on activities, alongside water-inspired art experiences, artisan markets, and delicious local food. With so much to explore, from creative workshops to eco-friendly fun, The Lakes Festival offers something for everyone—keeping both kids and adults entertained while celebrating our waterways and community spirit.

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Download Scavenger Hunt

Arts and Crafts

From exhibitions and lakeside painting to artisan markets, immerse yourself in water-themed art as talented local makers and creators showcase their work. These engaging events invite the community to participate, encouraging hands-on involvement and a deeper appreciation for the environment through creative expression.

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Sports and Outdoor

Get outside and enjoy family-friendly adventures, from coastal runs and ecotours to SUP experiences, outdoor cinema, seafood workshops, and vibrant markets. The Lakes Festival offers epic outdoor fun for everyone!

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Music and Entertainment

From live music and hands on workshops to roving performers and artists, The Lakes Festival is bursting with entertainment. Explore our itinerary and mark your calendar for these vibrant, must-see events.

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For the big kids

Celebrate 10 thrilling days with friends and family, feast on seafood, cruise scenic rivers, run the coast, explore bush food, enjoy live music, cabaret, and eco-living demos across the Central Coast

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singers with blue light on them lakes festival

Flavours of the festival

Enjoy all the foodie delights at The Lakes Festival. Celebrate coastal cuisine with a seafood festival, hands-on cooking classes, and immersive culinary experiences. Discover local flavours, meet passionate producers, and savour vibrant food culture by the water.

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Eco Tourism

The Lakes Festival promotes eco-tourism through certified sustainability, nature-based events, and community education. Activities like kayak tours, bushwalks, and workshops teach simple ways to protect waterways and wildlife.

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

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