2026 Festival
Festival program overview
Friday 27 March
Art Auction and dinner
Venue: Lake Bolac Memorial Hall
Note: Tickets are required for this event.
Doors open at 5pm. Pre-view of artworks and drinks in foyer.
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6:00–9:30pm: Welcome to Country
Auction of art (see the Art Catalogue) and feast on a delicious dinner by Mullum Mullum Indigenous Caterers.
Sunday 29 March
Early morning nature listening with Andrew Skeoch, acoustic ecologist. Lakeside at 8.00am
Lake Walk with Beyond Bolac Catchment Action Group 10am–12pm. Lake Bolac Boatshed to Glenelg Highway.
Saturday 28 March
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​Early morning nature listening with Andrew Skeoch, acoustic ecologist. Lakeside at 8.00am
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GATES OPEN 10:00am
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Welcome to Country and Eel trap sculpture installation talk 10.30am. Lakeside
Lakeside events 11.30am–5:00pm-
Workshops for all ages
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Activities for children
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Buskers stage
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Market stalls
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Information stalls
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Food vans, BBQ eel
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Festival Forum in the main marquee: 11.30am–1pm The Forum theme is Connecting Country and Culture.
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Music in the main marquee: 1.30–10.30pm
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Twilight Ceremony: 7.30–8.30pm. Lakeside. As the sun sets, the Twilight Ceremony will unfold as the fires are lit and the traditional dancing begins.
Program subject to alteration.
Art Auction and dinner
Friday 27 March
Artists' works include:
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Bec Napanangka Clayton
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Brett Clark
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W. Howard Brandenburg
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Jeanné Browne
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Tinika Clifford
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Jane Triojus
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Sue Anderson
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Stuart Davidson​​​
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Dr Aunty Eileen Harrison
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Willow Ingram
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Josh McLean
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Kylie Moroney
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Rachael Peters
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Ken Rookes
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Gill Venn
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Skye Williams​
Not final copy. Check back​ for updates.
Festival Forum
Festival Forum 2026: Connecting Country and Culture
The Festival's Environmental Forum is held from 11:30am to 1:00pm on Saturday, following the Welcome to Country and before the afternoon Music Program.
The 2026 Forum theme is Connecting Country and Culture. Diverse perspectives will be provided by keynote speakers, with presentations followed by a facilitated conversation about how country and culture connect in the history, ecology and community of Lake Bolac and other significant places.
Confirmed speakers
David Allen. Representative of Beyond Bolac, a local group working to improve biodiversity in the Fiery Creek, Lake Bolac and Salt Creek catchments. David will share his appreciation of the country and culture he has grown up and farmed in.
Andrew Skeoch. Audio ecologist who brings his deep listening practice to the Festival. Andrew will share principles of listening to country and invite us to open our ears to the natural world.
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Marj Thorpe will speak about the campaign to save the Djab Wurrung trees. Marj has been involved with the case to protect ancient, culturally sacred trees in southwestern Victoria, including 800-year-old birthing trees and directions trees deeply significant to the Djab Wurrung people for women's business, birthing, and songlines.
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Meekah Merriman, named the 2026 Warrnambool Young Citizen of the Year, is a proud young Indigenous woman, using art and storytelling to create belonging, share culture and advocate for young people.
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After the four speakers have presented, there will be a facilitated Q&A and discussion, led by the MC.
The Forum is included with your festival ticket.
Music Program
The 2026 music program features eight talented artists whose work embodies the festival's spirit of cultural storytelling and musical excellence:
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Pirritu
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Heart Songs
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Charlie Needs Braces
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Stretch & The Truth
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Trudy Fatnowna Edgeley
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Neil Murray
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Ruby Lou Band
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Ganga Giri Band
Download the performers bios here
Twilight Ceremony
A key part of the festival is the twilight ceremony which features Indigenous dancing and storytelling.
The Twilight Ceremony marks the transition into the evening events. It's a really special part of the festival, and everything else stops during this time.
Workshops
The Lake Bolac Eel Festival offers hands-on workshops that allow participants to learn new skills, connect with cultural practices, and engage creatively with Country.
2026 workshops include:
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Presentation - Deep Listening to Nature
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Creating Sculptures from Farm Waste
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Endangered Fauna and Flora Tattoos and Card Making
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Hand Crafted Green Wood Carving
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Botanical Headbands
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Weaving Sculpture - Fish
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Weaving - Bush Animals
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Eel Skin Tanning
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Deadly Damper on a Stick
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Rainbow Water
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Water Bugs
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Roving Environmental Swap Cards
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Dawn Listening Session
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Cartooning the Amazing Eel Story
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Ukulele Fun With Songs That Don't Suck
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Face Painting
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Presentation - Connecting Country and Culture
Lake Walk
The Eel Festival, in collaboration with Beyond Bolac Catchment Action Group (BBCAG), will host a lake walk on the shores of Lake Bolac on Sunday morning, 29th March 2026 which is the final event of the Lake Bolac Eel Festival. This walk is an initiative of BBCAG to revitalise Lake Bolac.
To register for the walk, go to Lake Walk on the Eel Festival tickets site or contact Beyond Bolac (see the advertisement)
Accommodation
Camping is available on the foreshore or caravan park. Both are right by the festival site. The motel is unfortunately already booked out (you could try in case there is a cancellation). Otherwise, Ararat has many options and is only a 40min drive away.
​Lake Bolac Foreshore
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​​Camping is permitted on most of the accessible foreshore except where restriction signs are displayed. Toilet facilities are located at North, East, South and Main Beaches with hot showers located only at Picnic Point at the end of Main Beach.
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Fees apply for shower – $5 for 5 minutes. Tokens can be purchased from Lake Bolac Diner and Café or Lake Bolac Information Centre.
$10 per vehicle per night, please pay at honesty box at Picnic Point.
The Foreshore Committee Is A Volunteer Committee
Please respect the work done by a few.
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More information:
Contact the Lake Bolac Information & Business Centre on (03) 5350 2204 between 10am – 5pm on weekdays, and 10am – 2pm on weekends/public holiday
Address
2110 Glenelg Highway, Lake Bolac
Phone 03 5350 2204
Email lbibc@bigpond.com
Lake Bolac Caravan & Holiday Park
Lake Bolac Caravan and Holiday Park offers you a great holiday at most reasonable rates for all your family and friends.
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Situated at 115 Frontage Road, Lake Bolac, the caravan park has powered sites, cabins, playground, camp kitchens, BBQ area, laundry, clean amenity blocks and friendly staff.
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Contact: 03 5350 2329
Eel Festival sponsors 2026
MAJOR SPONSORS
