Published on Tuesday, 11 August 2026 at 10:32:42 AM
The City of Busselton’s winter events season is entering a new era, with Saltwater Busselton providing a purpose-built indoor venue that is helping some of the region's most established events expand their offering, attracting new audiences and delivering greater economic benefits during the traditionally quieter tourism months.
Saltwater has already seen over 17,000 visitors since opening in May. With the 2026 winter events season well underway, the venue has been chosen to host to a series of high-profile events including Cabin Fever, CinefestOZ and Margaret River Region Open Studios (MRROS), showcasing its versatility while strengthening the region's reputation as a year-round destination.
Collectively, these events attracted more than 11,000 attendees from outside of the region and delivered an estimated $17 million to the regional economy in 2025. Organisers expect strong attendance again in 2026, with updated projections to be confirmed.
Mayor Phill Cronin said: “Saltwater Busselton is providing opportunities that simply have not existed before. Together, these events reinforce Saltwater's growing importance as a catalyst for regional economic development, supporting local businesses through increased visitation, extending visitor stays and strengthening the City's shoulder and off-peak tourism seasons.
As the Events Capital of Western Australia, Busselton now has an indoor venue capable of attracting and hosting large events year-round, further enhancing the region’s appeal as a premier destination for business, tourism and major events.”
For Cabin Fever, the venue's foyer was recently transformed into ‘The Cabin’, an immersive indoor festival hub that gave organisers access to a large all-weather venue for the first time. At the same time, Saltwater's Mezzanine hosted a special exhibition featuring the work of ten Margaret River Region Open Studios artists, marking the first time Australia’s largest Open Studios has presented a preview exhibition within the precinct. The exhibition offered valuable early exposure for participating artists while encouraging festival visitors to discover the broader Open Studios event taking place from 12 to 27 September 2026.
The collaboration between Cabin Fever and Margaret River Region Open Studios demonstrates the potential for the region's major events to work together, creating richer visitor experiences and encouraging audiences to explore multiple events, businesses and attractions during a single visit.
Director of Ahoy Management, Erin Molloy said: "Celebrating ten years of Cabin Fever felt like the perfect time to give The Cabin a new home, and we were so excited to bring it to Saltwater this year.”
“The new venue meant we could deliver our biggest and most diverse free program yet, with an incredible line-up of live music, family-friendly activities, food pop-ups and gallery exhibitions all under one roof, with guests able to enjoy the atmosphere in comfort, regardless of what the weather was doing outside."
In September, Saltwater Gallery will present Confluence, a landmark group exhibition featuring works by more than 80 artists participating in Margaret River Region Open Studios, making Confluence one of the largest and most significant preview exhibitions in the event's history. More importantly, it acts as a gateway to the wider Open Studios experience, encouraging visitors to continue their journey by visiting artists' studios throughout the region.
Saltwater will also host 2026 CinefestOZ events next month, including Deadly Day and the CinefestOZ Film Prize Celebration, an opportunity to celebrate the premiere destination film festival’s grand finale, full of glamour, exceptional food, wine and live entertainment.
Later in the year, Saltwater Busselton will continue its role as a premier events venue when it hosts the Australian Regional Tourism Convention from 20–23 October 2026, attracting tourism leaders from across Australia to the region.
To find out what’s on at Saltwater Busselton click here.
Objectives outlined in this statement are aligned with the City of Busselton’s Council Plan (2024 - 2034) Key Theme Opportunity – We have a vibrant and growing economy with diverse opportunities for everyone to learn, work and flourish.
Ends. Media enquiries can be directed to pr@busselton.wa.gov.au
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