It costs just $5 cash per adult, and free for kids, to enter the Portarlington Mussel Festival with all surpluses redistributed to local charities and community organisations for the benefit of the community.

We ask that you don’t bring dogs to the festival, as it can be very crowded – Service dogs exempt.

The Portarlington Mussel Festival is held from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM on the second Saturday in January every year in the picturesque village of Portarlington on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria. The next festival is Saturday 11th January, 2025.

No, this is just a one day festival on Saturday. We hope to see you there.

YES! The event is run solely by volunteers, including the organizing committee, so we are always on the look out for volunteers, for the set up, on festival day, and pack down of the festival. Please register your interest on the Volunteer page.

Stallholder applications can be found on the Stallholders page. Applications close on 8th November. Each year we host over 200 stall sites and a wide variety of food, drink and market style stalls to cater for everyone.

For those Bellarine artists wishing to exhibit this January, please the entry form on the Art & Photo Exhibition page.

No, strictly no alcohol can be brought in to the festival. There will a range or stalls selling local beer and wine.

There are card readers at every entrance for quick and easy card payments. There will be an ATM near the entrance but it is always very busy, so PLEASE bring small cash denominations with you. Most stallholders do have EFTPOS facilities. The closest ATM outside the festival is at Bendigo Bank, on the corner.

Each year we strive to become more eco-friendly, and since 2019 we have removed plastic straws and encouraged the use of reusable bags. We also have a water fountain on site where you can fill up your drink bottles, and we have recycling bins throughout the festival site.