Can seaweed save humanity? What’s next if no shark nets? Are whales talking to us? Some big questions and
brilliant answers will be shared when the annual Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival returns to Bondi on March 23
and 24 with a jam-packed program of events and experts to discuss the ocean, artists to celebrate their love
of it and heaps of ocean-friendly activities – free for the public.
The program at Bondi Pavilion and surrounds offers markets, music, art, workshops, and activities plus two
full days of talks anyone can rock up to for some science in your swimmers.
Festival founder Anita Kolni said, “we are injecting lots of entertainment and fun activities alongside the
important discussions with science, innovation and solutions being shared with the public throughout the
festival to increase awareness and inspire action to support a healthy ocean.”

“We know our Sydney community love the ocean and want it to thrive, including all the precious species it is
home to, so the festival is truly an accessible and fun way to find out a bit more, connect with actions and
ideas that are helping the ocean and celebrate with fellow ocean lovers through art and music,” she said.
The fourth annual weekend festival will be preceded by two packed days of school excursions and showcase
events for hundreds of students to attend on March 21 and 22, made possible with the support of the IMC
Foundation, Inspiring Australia, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and The University of Sydney.

A partnership with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science and the NSW Department of Environment at the
festival will showcase Project Restore – a blockbuster program to rewild and repair the biodiversity and
seascapes within Sydney Harbour.

The Ocean Lovers Talks in the pavilion (free bookings), will cover topics ranging from coral reefs to sharks and
other giants of the sea like dugongs and whales, exploring the wonders of algae, hearing about what is
happening on the high and deep seas that is so important to the planet, understand how to eat seafood with
a conscience, and find out about the real impact of shark nets and their alternatives!

Adults and kids workshops range from freediving and hypnotics to art classes and origami whales.
The popular Big Bondi Beach Clean with Take 3 will return, as well as a free sunrise yoga and meditation
session on the beach and a Sand Sculpture competition with prize money from Blue World. Interactive art
projects to take you under the surface and into wonder will be on display with ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ by underwater Earth and the ‘Ocean Sentinels’ from the Museum of Underwater Art, a student waste-art exhibition Litterarty, plus a performance art show ‘Tidal Traces’ with DJ sets by Nicholas Wilkinson and Claudia Leonard as well as Beach Couture art from Marina Debris.

Festival highlights:
 20 March – Paint & Splash art event ticketed.
 20 March – Blue Solutions Summit at ANMM ticketed.
 21 March – Sea Science Student Expo here.
 21 March – Climate Action: What’s brilliant and what’s bullshit – Bondi Pavilion 5.30pm.
 21 – 24 – art exhibitions ‘Tidal Traces’ music and interactive art show, Out of Sight, Out of Mind
interactive photographic exhibition, Litterarty student art exhibition, Beach Couture: A Haute Mess by
Marina Debris and Ocean Sentinels from the Museum of Underwater Art.
 22 March – School excursions here.
 23 March – Sunrise Yoga on the beach with Rare Studio Bondi, free booking.
 23 March – Big Bondi Beach Clean with Take 3 for the Sea, free booking.
 23 March – Valerie Taylor’s Grey Nurse Shark Census
 23 March – Films: The Power of Activism | Macquarie Island: Australia’s Jewel in the Southern Ocean
 23 – 24 March – Ocean Lovers Talks in the High Tide Room – free bookings.
 23 – 24 March – Live music on the Sunshine Stage and markets.
 23 – 24 March – free kids activities in the Pavilion courtyard and adult workshops
 24 March – Marine Sand Sculpture competition on the beach – register for prizes.