JOIN US FOR THE
GOLD COAST WHALE & Ocean FESTIVAL 2026
The Gold Coast Whale & Ocean Festival will be held on Saturday 4th July 2026 at Burleigh Heads. Organised by Humpbacks and Highrises (HHR), the festival aims to increase awareness in the local community for our oceans and the magnificent whales that visit the Gold Coast every year.
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where and when
Location: Burleigh Heads, Justins Park, Gold Coast
Dates: 4th July 2026
Time: 9:30am-330pm
The Whale Festival is a great opportunity for everyone to learn more about whales in the Gold Coast bay, and how they can participate to make a difference. There will be stalls and exhibits from various organisations which are leading our community to marine and coastal sustainability. There are activities for the whole family throughout the day giving everyone a chance to learn and be the change they want to see: a guided whale survey from Burleigh Hill, colouring, games and fluke matching for our youngest with over 20 stalls to learn more about whales and the marine environment. We have live music from our finest local artists as well as exciting science talks on rays, whales, dolphins and turtles from leading researchers.
FESTIVAL LINE UP
4th July 2026
9:30 OPENING (Olaf Meynecke & Cr Josh Martin)
9:35 WELCOME TO COUNTRY Justine Dillon (Ngarangwal)
9:40-9:50 SCIENCE TALK on TURTLES ( Dr Melissa Staines)
9:50-10:50 LIVE MUSIC – Harmony Breen
10:50 – 11:00 SCIENCE TALK on RAYS (Dr Asia Haines, Project Manta)
11:00- 12:00 LIVE MUSIC – Chloe Behrens
12:00- 12:10 SCIENCE TALK – WHALE & DOLPHIN HEALTH (Natalie Palmer, GU)
12:10 – 1:10 LIVE MUSIC – Tia Barnes
1:10 – 1:20 SCIENCE TALK on DOLPHINS (Dr Liz Hawkins, DRA)
1:20 – 2:20 LIVE MUSIC – Sacha Speaks
2:20 – 2:30 SCIENCE TALK – WHALES (Dr Olaf Meynecke, WCP & HHR and QPWS Rangers)
2:30 – 3:30 LIVE MUSIC – Jasmine Rain
3:30 – 3:35 Closing Remarks
ACTIVITIES
9:30 – 3:30 FLUKE MATCHING KIDS ACTIVITY at HHR STALL
9.30 – 3:30 FACE PAINTING with PAINTS and GIGGLES
9:30 – 3:30 OCEAN PAINTING, puzzles, stories, play with ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY
10:00 – 3:30 KIDS COLOURING and EDUCATION at HHR STALL
LIVE WHALE ART PAINTING with TROY
9:30-10:30 OCEAN EDUCATION ACTIVITIES at DRA & OEC STALL
9:30 – 3:30 GIANT JENGA, OCEAN COLOURING & DISENTANGLING WHALES AT SEA WORLD FOUNDATION STALL
10:30-12:30 LAND BASED WHALE SURVEY MEET AT HHR STALL
12:00 – 2:00 BEACH CLEAN AND MICROPLASTIC DETECTIVES MEET AT HHR STALL
Sponsored by : Gold Coast City Council – Rotary Club Burleigh Heads – Whales & Climate Research Program
Musicians & Performers & SCIENTISTS
STALLS & Tables
Supporting the whales
Since 2011, HHR has been running Queensland’s largest marine mammal monitoring program dedicated to the protection and research of marine mammals. Our mission is to ensure present and future generations of the community have access to enjoy, appreciate and care for whales and dolphins through research, rescue and education.
HHR spokesman, Olaf Meynecke, said, ”We have been collecting data on humpback whales and other marine mammals since 2011 – in fact, it is Queensland’s largest marine mammal monitoring program. Now, we want to share some of our excitement about these amazing creatures.”
Contact Us
Get in touch if you would like to know more about Gold Coast Whale & Ocean Festival 2026. Become a sponsor or hold a stall at the event.
Proudly Supported by:
Thank you to our sponsors:
