Australia Day Mackay Whitsundays 2025: How to celebrate
From market stalls to seafood feasts, there is a lot on offer for the 2025 Australia Day throughout Mackay and the Whitsundays. SEE THE LIST.
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There is no shortage of things to do this Australia Day in Mackay and the Whitsundays with fireworks, live music and plenty of fun and games at your fingertips.
Here’s your list of events to celebrate the day.
WHITSUNDAY
Australia Day at the Airlie Beach Foreshore
When: 4pm to 8pm
Where: Airlie Beach Foreshore
What’s happening: Celebrate with live music, delicious food stalls and kids entertainment. The Australia Day Awards will recognise the incredible people who make the community shine and at 8pm watch the unforgettable fireworks display to cap off the day.
Price: Free
Australia Day 2025
When: Noon
Where: Northerlies Beach Bar & Grill
What’s happening: Northerlies Beach Bar & Grill has been celebrating Australia Day every year since 2017, and is gearing up for another ripper day filled with good food, cold beers, live music, face painting, and some friendly reptiles.
How to book: Book your table here
Collinsville-Scottville Australia Day Awards
When: 8am breakfast, 9am ceremony
Where: Collinsville Community Centre
What’s happening: Head along for a breakfast cooked fresh by the Lions then celebrate the well deserving nominees and recipients.
Price: Free
RECKLESS & SOUL CHISEL – “DOUBLE HEADER”
When: Noon to 6pm
Where: Airlie Beach Hotel
What’s happening: Enjoy an afternoon of the best Aussie tribute bands with RECKLESS tribute band firing up from noon and SOUL CHISEL from 3pm with its eight-piece band.
Price: Free
How to book: Secure your table
Australia Day at Airlie Beach Bowls Club
When: 8am breakfast, 9.30am bowls
Where: Airlie Beach Bowls Club
What’s happening: Dress up in Australia Day colours for breakfast and a flag-raising ceremony before bowls kick off for the morning.
Price: Breakfast $8, Bowls $12
How to book: Call 0749467656 to book
Australia Day Bali Hut Backyard Party
When: 9.20am to late
Where: Whitsunday Sailing Club
What’s happening: Get ready for a full day of fun, games, and mateship at the Whitsunday Sailing Club. Kicking off with a blessing of the fleet before a come and try sailing morning and Dany Cane Memorial Race at 10.30am. By noon Aussie anthems will be the soundtrack to the kids’ backyard Olympics and then the adults’ backyard Olympics at 3pm. Club Calita will start pumping at 3pm with an Aussie dress-up theme. The restaurant will also be open all day.
How to book: Call +61 (7) 4946 6138 to reserve a table.
Australia Day Golf - two-ball ambrose
When: 9am
Where: Proserpine Golf Club
What’s happening: Enjoy a two-ball Ambrose golf tournament and barbecue lunch with good company.
How to book: Bookings are essential for carts, call 07 4945 1337
Australia Day the Aussie Way
When: Noon to late
Where: KC’s Bar & Grill
What’s happening: Enjoy Australia Day the Aussie way at KC’s with live music by Aussie larrikin Shaun Diver, crab racing, games and prizes to be won including sailing trips, jet boat rides, golf vouchers, and Country Fest tickets.
How to book: To book a table call (07) 4946 6320
Australia Day at Club Whitsunday
Where: Club Whitsunday
What’s happening: The new community club is fully embracing Australia Day with thong-throwing, cricket, touch footy and plenty of promos and giveaways.
Australia Day
When: Noon
Where: Original North Australian
What’s happening: Head down to enjoy live music and Australia Day specials at Original North Australian
How to book: Book your table here
Magnums Australia Day Long Weekend
When: 10am - 5am
Where: Magnums
What’s happening: Get ready for live music, foam parties, toad races, games, giveaways, and sausage sizzles all long weekend at Magnums open right through to 5am.
Price: Free entry
Bowen Bowls Club Australia Day
When: 10am
Where: Bowen Bowls Club
What’s happening: Enjoy a great day of bowls from 10am with live music from 2.30pm. No need to be a bowler to enjoy the day and watch the action.
Australia Day at The Metropole
Where: Hotel Metropole Proserpine
What’s happening: Live music by Syndicate, raffles, a lamington eating competition, best mullet competition, a free sausage sizzle, and Aussie food specials make the Metropole a great place to celebrate this Australia Day.
How to book: Head here to secure your spot
Queens Beach Hotel Australia Day 2025 “Reno Party”
Where: Queens Beach Hotel Bowen
What’s happening: Come in your best tradie attire and enjoy all day dining, the managers’ barbecue from 4pm and the best mix of tradie tunes all afternoon.
MACKAY
Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony
When: 9am registration opens for a 10am start
Where: MECC auditorium
What’s happening: Mayor Greg Williamson will welcome more than 90 new citizens at the MECC. This event is invite only.
How to book: Call 1300 MACKAY (622 529) for more information
Australia Day Aquathon
When: 6.30am - 11am
Where: Pioneer Swim Centre
What’s happening: Get moving this Australia Day with an aquathon for all ages and abilities. The event includes a kids race, enticer race and sprint race, each with run/swim segments and will conclude with a community barbecue for participants, family and spectators.
Price: Free
How to book: Email info@mackaytriclub.com.au to get involved
Aussie Day at Eimeo Beach
When: 3pm - 9pm
Where: Eimeo Beach
What’s happening: Head to Eimeo Beach for Australia Day fun for the whole family with a sand castle competition, vegemite face painting competition, thong throwing, beach cricket and music from 4pm.
Price: Free
Mackay Contract Bridge Open Day
When: 10am - 3pm
Where: Mackay Contract Bridge Club House
What’s happening: Meet the team and get an introduction to the game of contract bridge including lessons and demonstration. A barbecue lunch will be provided with soft drinks, tea and coffee.
Seaforth Aussie Day Event
When: 12pm - 5pm
Where: Repulse Esplanade, St Helens Beach
What’s happening: Soak in the live music, face painting, vintage tractor display and competitions including sandcastle building, Aussie trivia, tug of war, and cast net throwing at St Helens Beach this Australia Day.
Price: Free
Weekend Fun at the Yong
When: 2pm - late
Where: The Kooyong Hotel
What’s happening: Looking for an epic way to spend your long weekend? Head down to the Yong for a jam-packed weekend of fun, games, and prizes. There will be roo races, mini putt putt, thong tossing, and prizes galore.
Price: Free
How to book: Walk-ins welcome
Australia Day at Goosies
When: 12pm
Where: Goosies Sport & Recreation Club
What’s happening: Enjoy good food, live music, and activities like the thong toss, with plenty of opportunities to win prizes throughout the day at Goosies.
Australia Day at Armstrong Beach
When: 11am - 6pm
Where: Llewellyn Hall
What’s happening: Enjoy a true-blue family fun day including egg and spoon races, sack races, tug of war, thong throwing, cricket, darts, music, and a barbecue.
Price: Free
How to book: Call 0439 716 654 or email armstrongbeach@gmail.com for more information
Australia Day Party @ Mackay Northern Beaches Bowls Club
When: 11am
Where: Mackay Northern Beaches Bowls Club
What’s happening: Join the bowls club for a day packed with fun featuring live music from Darren Griffiths and Juke Joint, jumping castle, water slide, thong tossing, and a lamington eating competition.
Price: Free
Australia Day Celebrations @ Blacks Beach Tavern
When: 11am - 6pm
Where: Blacks Beach Tavern
What’s happening: Enjoy jumping castles, water slides, fairy floss, dagwood dogs, classic cars, face painting, balloons, games, and raffles.
Australia Day at Seabreeze Hotel
When: 12pm
Where: Seabreeze Hotel
What’s happening: Groove to great live music that will keep the party going all day long while you enjoy Aussie meal specials and Aussie glitter tattoos.
Price: Free
How to book: Click here to book a table
Australia Day Scouts Open Day
When: 10am - 1pm
Where: Banksia Scout Den
What’s happening: Banksia Scout Group are hosting an open day where parents can bring a chair and enjoy the shade of the trees while the kids have some fun doing the rope bridge, bouldering, archery attack, damper cooking, and more! Sausage sizzle and drinks will be available for purchase. Make sure to bring sunscreen, closed in shoes, and chairs.
BUNDY SUNDY CLUB: LONG WEEKEND @ MOJO
When: 6pm
Where: MOJO Rooftop Bar, Ambassador Hotel
What’s happening: What better way to spend the long weekend than with epic vibes, exclusive offers, and a night packed with DJ Funky spinning decks, a wet T-shirt contest, and special on night only offers.
Price: Free
Aussie Day Mackay Beach Party
When: 10am - 4pm
Where: Mackay Surf Lifesaving Club
What’s happening: This Aussie themed event will have live music, beach volleyball, beach cricket, tug of war, thong throwing competition, treasure hunts and more. Food and drinks will be available to purchase on the day from the club beach cafe.
Price: Free
Aussie Day at Grasstree Beach
When: 3pm - 6pm
Where: Grasstree Beach foreshore
What’s happening: Enjoy a classic Australia Day at Grasstree Beach with thong throwing, egg and spoon race, three-legged race, live music, and a free barbecue.
Price: Free
Mecelec Great Barrier Reef T20 Champions Trophy
When: Round 3 - 9.00am, Grand Final - 1.30pm
Where: Great Barrier Reef Arena
What’s happening: Head down to the Great Barrier Reef Arena for the Mecelec Great Barrier Reef T20 Champions Trophy, where the top local competition winners from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton go head-to-head for glory.
Price: Free
Australia Day the Habana Way
When: 3pm - 7pm
Where: Habana Community Precinct
What’s happening: Head down to Habana Community Precinct for a BYO community picnic and fun activities including sand castle building, backyard cricket, giant slip n slide, lamington eating competition, tug of war, and thong throwing. Food and drinks will be available to purchase on the day. The Habana community spirit award will also be announced at the event.
Price: Free
Lamberts Beach Aussie Day BBQ
When: 3pm - 6pm
Where: Lamberts Beach
What’s happening: Celebrate Australia Day at the beach with an Aussie themed BBQ and games for the kids including beach cricket, tug of war, sack races, and a sandcastle building competition.
Price: Free
January Long Weekend Party
When: 12pm - 6pm
Where: Boomerang Hotel
What’s happening: Celebrate the long weekend at the Boomerang Hotel with live music from 3pm – 6pm
How to book: Book your table here
Australia Day Pluggers Sunday
When: 6pm
Where: The Gallery Lounge and Bar
What’s happening: Celebrate Australia Day at the Gallery and take part in the pluggers throwing competition alongside your mates, with exciting prizes up for grabs the dance through the night to Aussie classics.
Sarina Bowls Club Social Aussie Day Event
When: 1pm - 3:30pm
Where: Sarina Bowls Club
What’s happening: Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of social bowls with a sausage sizzle, damper, lamingtons. and a tea and coffee station. There will also be prizes for best dressed and bowls winners.
How to book: Email sarinabowlsclub@outlook.com for more information
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