SATURDAY 10TH JANUARY 2026!
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Welcome to the Portarlington Mussel Festival
Held each January on the stunning Bellarine Peninsula, this vibrant community celebration brings together fresh local food, live music, and family-friendly fun — all in support of the local community.
What to Expect
For just $10 entry per adult (children 16 and under go free!), enjoy a full day of entertainment and activities, including:
🎵 Live Music across three stages
🦪 Mussels cooked every way you can imagine
🎨 Art & photography exhibitions
👩🍳 Cooking demonstrations
🎡 Kids’ activities and entertainment
🍷 Local beer and wine tastings
🛍️ Over 200 market stalls to browse and enjoy
Getting Here is Easy
Located right on Portarlington’s beautiful foreshore, the festival is an easy day trip from Melbourne or Geelong. Better yet, leave the car at home and take the ferry from Docklands direct to Portarlington!
🚢 Visit our Transport page for details on ferry services, bus services, parking, and accessibility.
Event Details
📍 Location: WG Little Reserve (Main Street), Portarlington VIC
🗓️ Date: 10th January 2026
🕤 Time: 9:30am – 5:00pm
🎟️ Entry: $10 per adult | under 16yrs old FREE
NO DOGS are to be brought into the festival (service dogs exempt)
Remember, every ticket helps fund local community projects — so by joining us, you’re giving back too.
Don’t Miss Out!
Come for the mussels, stay for the music, and enjoy a fun-filled day by the bay.
The Portarlington Mussel Festival is your perfect summer day out — we can’t wait to see you there!
2026 Entertainment Line Up
Andrea Robertson
The Australian Midnight Oil Tribute Show
Carl & Matty O
Curly Joe (aka Neil Wise)
The Divinyls Story - It's a fine line
Elton Jack
Hot Club Swing
Larry Hall
MS J & THE RESCUE CATS
The Oh! Down
PASH
Possums on the Porch
Rising Tide
Smack Bang!
The Sound Collective
Trojan
Frequently Asked Questions
$10 entry (under 16s FREE)
All surplus funds are redistributed to local charities and community organisations for the benefit of the community.
We ask that you DO NOT bring dogs into 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 10th January, 2026.
No, this is just a one day festival on Saturday. We hope to see you there.
YES! The event is run entirely by volunteers, including the organising committee, so we are always on the lookout for helping hands—for set-up, festival day, and pack-down. 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 os an ATM located within the festival.
Most stallholders have EFTPOS facilities. The closest ATM outside the festival is at Bendigo Bank.
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.
Contact
For all enquiries, please email portmusselfest@gmail.com and we will forward your query to the relevant person.
Postal Address: PO BOX 377, Portarlington, VIC 3223
Please help us by reading the FAQ’s before submitting an inquiry.