January 25th, 2024Geelong gears up for a big weekend

The Geelong and Great Ocean Road region is gearing up for a big weekend featuring two major world-class events — the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the historic Festival of Sails.

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend both the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and Festival of Sails, providing a massive boost to the region’s economy over this Australia Day long weekend.

The 2023 cycling event pumped $10.7 million into the wider City of Greater Geelong local economy and the sailing festival provided $11.6 million.

A fireworks display will be staged on Corio Bay directly in front of Eastern Beach Reserve as part of Festival of Sails tomorrow night, Friday at 9:30pm.

To ensure the safety of the participants and the community, there will be both rolling and fixed road closures in place across Saturday and Sunday.

Delays of 15-20 minutes are expected on the Surf Coast/Bellarine Loop when the race passes by once each day and there will be local access only on the Geelong Circuit.

Drivers are also encouraged to be extra careful during the recreational TAC People’s Ride on Saturday as thousands of riders will take to the road, predominantly under normal traffic conditions.

Mayor Trent Sullivan: “The City is currently seeking public feedback on how to further position Geelong as a premier destination for major events, festivals, and cultural gatherings and encouraged people to have their say on the new Major Events Strategy.

“Major events like the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the Festival of Sails play a huge role in our visitor economy.

“Community input is vital in helping us to identify new opportunities and securing a wide range of exciting events for our region.”