Reef-reshing Fun! Dive into the Great Barrier Reef Festival

The region is bustling with activity ahead of the upcoming Great Barrier Reef Festival which is due to take place from 1-4 August.
Many people within the community are enjoying last minute preparations, putting the finishing touches on their immersive art pieces, lanterns and recyclable rafts and perfecting their wearable art costumes. Athletes are gearing up for the Magic Mile, car-lovers revving their engines. In town, shops are starting to deck themselves out in festive decorations in anticipation of this grand event.
Event organiser, Margie Murphy, stated that she is looking forward to seeing the activities come to life:
“There's so much art and entertainment going on, and the most exciting part is the interactive events where everyone from the community gets involved.”
The event kicks off on Thursday the 1st August, with the opening of the festival Art Exhibition at Whitsunday Sailing Club and Immersive Reef Trivia at Coral Sea Marina Lookout Lounge. The Reef Trivia is hosted by Master Reef Guide James Unsworth and is a fun, educational evening filled with trivia and footage of marine creatures and their unique behaviours.
Now is also the time to start booking your tickets for the special experiences the festival has on offer. These include the Exclusive Reef Experience led by Cruise Whitsundays Master Reef Guides, the all-new Taste for Treason event and the Camira Twilight and Fireworks Cruise.
The Exclusive Reef Experience is an informative and rewarding tour which will get you up close with coral formations and giant clams whilst you learn about reef ecology. You will also get the opportunity to see turtles, parrotfish, angel fish and clown fish.
Experience the Friday night fireworks in style at the festival’s new ‘Taste for Treason’ event, at The Bali Hut, Whitsunday Sailing Club. The event is brought by Whitsundays own ‘Act of Treason’ Agave spirit, tickets to this exclusive soiree include an Australian Margarita on arrival perfectly paired with sensory canapes by Whisper Events and Catering, alongside entertainment consisting of fire twirlers and roving performers, and tantalising tunes from DJ Bad Girl.
Or finish off your Friday with a drink in hand cruising around the bay, while the sun sets around you and fireworks fly over the water on the Camira Twilight and Fireworks Cruise.
If you don't fancy booking one of the tours, there is lots of free events that you can enjoy at the festival. One of the free events you can enjoy is the Sebel Whitsundays Fireworks on the Foreshore.
The evening will open with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony by Yooribaya Cultural Experiences followed by traditional dance performance.
The festivities include a showing of the much-loved prequel ‘Finding Dory,’ where you can unwind at the Airlie Beach outdoor Cinema.
As dusk arrives the ever expanding and enchanting art installation ‘Immerse’ will light up showcasing the beauty of the underwater world.
The non-for-profit event, hosts plenty of entertainment including performances from the amazing internationally known Conrad Sewell, international DJ Charly Templar and local rock band Gleezus. While all this amazing entertainment is free, there is a small charge of $10 for entry to the bar.
For a week full of laughter, fun, and excitement, book your tickets or head on down for some free entertainment at the GBRF.

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What: Great Barrier Reef Festival
Where: Airlie Beach
When: 1-4 August 2024

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Lanterns to light the streets of Airlie Beach
Magic Mile countdown begins
Set sail with Camira Twilight and Fireworks cruise

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