- Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival to return to WA waters in 2026 and 2028
- Events expected to attract thousands of spectators and competitors to South West
- Festival will boost local hospitality businesses and tourism operators
- Part of the Cook Government's economic diversification strategy to generate valuable tourism dollars for local business and support local jobs
Hundreds of competitors will again take to Western Australian waters with the return of the Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival in 2026 and 2028.
Taking place from 22 - 25 January next year in Bunbury, the events will draw thousands of visitors to the South West region, with hundreds of elite athletes and community swimmers to compete across various events.
The four-day festival is Australia's premier annual competition for open water swimming, featuring the Open and Junior National Championships alongside vibrant community participation events.
The 2026 events will offer a fresh landscape for competitors, with Bunbury's Koombana Bay to set the stage, and marks the fourth consecutive year that the annual events will be staged in WA following three successful events at the iconic Busselton Jetty from 2023-2025.
The confirmation the Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival will return to WA comes after the success of the 2025 events. The events have shown to attract more than 2,100 visitors to the region and injected over $2.1 million into the local economy.
The championships were also broadcast on Channel 9, reaching an audience of over 150,000 people, spotlighting WA and its pristine coastline on a national stage.
The 2026 and 2028 events are proudly supported by the Cook Government, through Tourism WA's Regional Events Program, and will be hosted by Swimming Australia with assistance from Swimming WA. Next year's events will also be supported by the City of Bunbury.
These mass participation events are part of the Cook Government's economic diversification strategy to drive out-of-State visitation and generate valuable tourism dollars for local business and industry.
The Championships are a milestone event on the qualification pathway to major international competitions, including the Pan Pacific Championships in California, and are comprised of 10km, 7.5km, and 5km races, plus relay events, and a community swim.
The 2028 events will return to the South West from January 19 - 22 with the location yet to be announced.
Find out more at www.swimming.org.au
As stated by Tourism Minister Reece Whitby:
"The Australian Open Water Championship and OceanSwim Festival is becoming an exciting and prominent fixture on Western Australia's sporting events calendar, showcasing the State's world-class coastline to the rest of the nation.
"The Cook Government is proud to support mass participation events like this, as they attract large numbers of participants and spectators from outside the region, boosting the local economy and supporting jobs by driving business to the hospitality and tourism sectors.
"Maintaining a dynamic, year-round calendar of events is a key priority of our economic diversification strategy, helping ensure that our State's regional communities continue to shine."
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti:
"We're really excited to welcome competitors and spectators to this fantastic family-friendly event taking place along a stunning shoreline in WA.
"Major events like these deliver a huge return on investment for our State's economy, repaying our investment into sport programs and infrastructure and ensuring a sustainable, long-term sports and events industry.
"These events are also vital for supporting local businesses in the community and helping to diversify our regional economy."
As stated by Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson:
"With its stunning beaches and coastline, the South West is a fantastic location to host these two premier swimming events.
"The Cook Government's Regional Events Program not only delivers a range of unique events to regional WA, it helps diversify local economies, creating jobs and boosting tourism in the regions."
As stated by South West Minister Don Punch:
"I am so thrilled Bunbury is set to play host to this wonderful event for the first time.
"Events like this not only showcase our beautiful State as a world-class sporting destination but also supports local businesses, helps to diversify our economy and create local jobs in the regions."
