Courtesy: Swimming Australia
After two incredibly successful years, the 2025 Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival returns once again to the beautiful foreshore of Busselton, Western Australia.
The announcement of the return of the event from 23 to 26 January was today made by the WA Government, Swimming Australia and Swimming WA.
The event is once again proudly supported by the Western Australian Government through Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program, funded by Royalties for Regions, as well as the City of Busselton, and will not only attract Australia’s best marathon swimmers including local Paris Olympic hopeful Kyle Lee, but hundreds of swimmers from across the country.
The high-performance racing takes place on the 23rd, 24th and 26th January with selection on the line for World Championships.
The community focused OceanSwim event will be raced on 25th January, attracting hundreds of amateur swimming enthusiasts across a variety of distances including a 500m, 1.25km, 2.5km, 5km, 7.5km and 10km race, with registrations to be taken right up to race time.
Spectators attending the OceanSwim Festival will also be treated to a number of onshore activities across the four days, including music and entertainment for kids, a night market and other activities.
Swimming Australia’s Executive General Manager of Commercial, Jodie Hawkins, said the return to the Busselton Jetty was due to the success of previous events.
“Over the past two years we have built a really exciting event series in Busselton in conjunction with Swimming WA and our Government and Tourism partners,” said Hawkins.
“The picturesque location and ocean swimming culture in WA creates an experience for the swimmers unlike any in Australia so we are delighted to be back for another year.
“We look forward to seeing swimmers from across the country come to the region once again.”
Swimming WA’s new CEO, Emily Randall commented, ““We are thrilled to see the Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival return to Busselton for the third time. This event showcases WA’s stunning coastline and the iconic Busselton Jetty, bringing our community together to celebrate the sport we love. We look forward to welcoming athletes and spectators for another fantastic year.”
City of Busselton Mayor Phill Cronin said, “The City is delighted to again play host to Australia’s leading Open Water Swim. The crystal clear waters of Geographe Bay not only make for an iconic swim course for competitors, but spectators can delight in the Busselton Jetty and foreshore as a stunning backdrop from which to cheer them on.”
\Mayor Cronin also commented, “Beach swimming is deep-set in Australian culture and the Ocean Swim Festival brings together competitive and recreational swimmers of all ages to celebrate healthy outdoor living and a chance to dip your toes into a South West WA getaway while you’re at it. With direct flights to Busselton from Sydney and Melbourne, it just got a whole lot easier to dive in too.”
Entries for this event will open later this year and will be available via the Swimming Australia events page.
