2026 Festival
Art Auction and dinner
Friday 27 March
Art auction catalogue - COMING SOON
Festival site map
COMING SOON
Festival Forum
Festival Forum 2026: Connecting Country and Culture
The Festival's Environmental Forum is held from 11:15am to 1:15pm 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.
These speakers will be joined by others for a facilitated dialogue, including Neil Murray (musician and Festival co-Founder).
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
Trudy Fatnowna Edgeley - Music Program Director
Trudy is a multidisciplinary artist of Yidinji and South Sea Islander descent whose work weaves together music, visual art and theatre. For 2026, Trudy takes on the role of Music Program Director, bringing her deep understanding of cultural storytelling to shape the festival's musical landscape.
Ruby Lou Band
The Ruby Lou Band blends funky beats with folk sensibilities, creating music that speaks to the heart. Lead singer Ruby Lou weaves stories of nature, love, and self-acceptance through her delicate guitar work and soulful saxophone. Backed by talented musicians, the band delivers performances that feel personal and uplifting, songs that celebrate both the beauty and challenges of being human.
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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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
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 Centre on (03) 5350 2204 between 10am – 5pm on weekdays, and 10am – 4pm on weekends/public holiday
Address
Frontage Road, Wickliffe, Victoria 3379
Phone 03 5350 2204
Email lbibc@bigpond.com
Lake Bolac caravan & Holiday Park
Lake Bolac Association (Caravan 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, VIC, 3351, 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
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)
Eel Festival partners 2026
