Bunbury's large population of bottlenose dolphins is set to be joined by the green and gold of Australia’s open water swimmers following the announcement that the 2026 Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim festival will be held in Bunbury, Western Australia.
The four-day festival in January is Australia’s premier event for open water swimming, featuring the Open and Junior National Championships alongside vibrant community participation events.
Taking place in Koombana Bay from 22-25 January, hundreds of elite athletes – including an international field – will vie for a $50,000 prize purse on offer for the Top Eight finishes of the men’s and women’s 10km.
The men’s field is set to be headlined by proud Bunbury Olympian Kyle Lee, who broke through for his maiden national open water title in January and then went home with the triple crown.
About the 2026 Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival
For the third consecutive year, the event combines high-performance racing with community-focused OceanSwim races, attracting hundreds of amateur swimming enthusiasts.
A variety of distances are available for the community swim, including 500m, 1.25km, 2.5km, 5km, 7.5km, and 10km options, with registrations accepted up to race time.
2026 marks the fourth consecutive year that the annual event will be held in Western Australia, following three successful events at Busselton Jetty from 2023 to 2025.
Last year’s Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival attracted more than 1200 participants and injected more than $3.3 million into the local economy.
The 2026 Open Water Championships are a key milestone event on the qualification pathway to international competition, including the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in California.
The 2026 and 2028 Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival are proudly supported by the WA Government, through the Regional Events Program, and will be hosted by Swimming Australia with assistance from Swimming WA.