With all 100 early bird tickets sold and general admission back on sale, it’s high time we drop some more ExplorerFest info.
Firstly, shoutout to the legends who’ve grabbed ExplorerFest tickets already. Putting together a festival involves moving a heap of money around and everyone who’s already locked in to our inaugural year has helped get the ball moving and lock things in.
If you haven’t yet, fair call! We had precious few details a few months back and, as tried and true the ‘vibe of the thing’ defence is, most people want specifics before handing over their hard-earned cash.
Here’s what’s going down at ExplorerFest 2025.
Want tickets? Grab them now!
Our Three Pillars – Adventure, Inspiration, & Entertainment
ExplorerFest has three ‘pillars’ that categorise the activities on offer. We created them after an audience survey we did back in April 2024. We wanted to know exactly what you were after from an adventure festival.
The big insight? We don’t need to forge new ground. What you want is a festival that reflects exactly what We Are Explorers is about – after all, that’s why you’re here.
So that’s what we’ve done! We created an ‘adventure’ pillar for all the outdoor activities we’re offering over the weekend, like hiking on Mt Yacaaba Headland and kayaking in Port Stephens Bay with the dolphins. These are an absolute given for ExplorerFest.
Yacaaba Headland | Photo thanks to Destination NSW
Next is ‘inspiration’. With hundreds of Explorers all in one place, the community is going to be humming. We’ve seen a big desire for workshops and talks where you can level up your outdoor skills and hear from inspiring people who love getting out there as much as you do. We’ll have navigation skills with the crew from Paddy Pallin, Blue Mountains Stargazing on site to show us the cosmos, natural plant fibre string and cordage making with Living Strong and a photography masterclass by OM System. Heaps more is on the way so keep an ear out.
Lasers and high-powered telescopes will open up the night sky
After all that exploring and learning you’ll definitely want to kick back, that’s how we came up with pillar number three: ‘entertainment’. Live music, sauna and ice bath thanks to Cedar & Salt, an adventure film tent, vibey lawn games thanks to Sea to Summit, this one’s all about chilling out and having fun the best ways we know how.
Cedar & Salt’s portable wood-fired sauna will be going all weekend!
There’s also going to be an Adventure Story Slam hosted by The North Face, bring your best tales of woe and wisdom and prepare to take the stage!
Adventure Story Slam | Photo thanks to The North Face
Over the coming weeks we’ll share more details about each of these pillars, with all of the specifics and everything on offer, so you know exactly what’s going down over the weekend. We’ll have multiple sessions for most of the activities, giving you a great chance to do everything on your list (no set time clashes here!).
Learn more: Check out the ExplorerFest website
Remind me, when and where is ExplorerFest?
ExplorerFest 2025 will be held at Reflections Jimmys Beach in Hawks Nest, NSW. The festival grounds are on Worimi Country and we humbly pay our respects to elders past and present. The festival will run from 9am Friday 2nd of May to 12pm Sunday 4th of May, 2025.
Do I have to stay on site at ExplorerFest?
Nope! While we reckon staying on site at Reflections Jimmys Beach is going to be all time, we understand that you might want the flexibility of other options. Whether that’s staying in town or grabbing a spot down the road at Reflections Hawks Nest, it’s fine to buy tickets to just the festival itself.
Most of the onsite accommodation has sold out (there are two Superior Villas left) but tent and ‘van’ campsites that are great for caravans or camper trailers are still available. Reflections has hot showers, a BBQ area, camp kitchen, pool, and even a communal firepit and laundry room if you need!
With a capacity of up to six people per site, you’re looking at paying as little as $27 each for festival camping with power and water at your site. Bargain!
Don’t miss out on a campsite! Get your tickets
What’s actually included in my ticket?
Anything under any of the pillars is fair game! We’ll release an itinerary closer to the festival date so you can plan your moves. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure there’s enough slots to go around. Things like onsite food and drink, and accommodation, cost extra, but we’ve worked really hard to keep ExplorerFest as affordable as possible with camping and BYO options.
Keep an eye out for one super special bonus activity, beach driving in new Jeep 4WDs! It’ll be included in your ticket, but strictly limited!
What food and drink will be available on site?
We’ve locked in Habibiz food truck for the festival! The crew do a range of chicken, falafel, and lamb rolls, Lebanese bread, chips, and even nuggets and chips. Gluten and dairy free are covered too.
We’ll also have the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service running a mean BBQ throughout the festival, with all profits going right back into their life-saving work.
Caffeine heads, don’t fret! The Bush Turkeys will be on site with a coffee cart for all your bean needs. Bring a reusable cup for extra kudos.
And last but not least, bevvies. The legends at 4 Pines will be rolling in with a pop-up bar and takeaways on offer. Within the festival itself it’s not BYO thanks to liquor laws, but this doesn’t extend to any onsite accommodation.*
Of course, you can also BYO food to eat anywhere you like, as well as non-alcoholic drinks. If you’re staying onsite Reflections even has a BBQ area and camp kitchen you can use.
Do I have to get there early on Friday?
You don’t have to! However the main activity days are Friday and Saturday so it’s best to hit the road early. We’ll be kicking off at 12 with a Welcome to Country by the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council, along with a didgeridoo performance, and smoking ceremony. It’s sure to be pretty special and a great way to start your ExplorerFest weekend in this beautiful part of the world.
What’s happening on Sunday?
After two action-packed days we’ll be taking it slower on Sunday with a few activities and one last cheeky dip in the ocean before you all do your best Russel Coight impersonation (time to hit the road).
Can I bring my kids and my dog?
ExplorerFest is proudly family-friendly and you’re welcome to grab tickets for your kids. We’ll work to make as many activities kid-friendly as we can. All kids tickets do need a guardian over 18 however and proof of age will be needed to buy beers from the bar.
Unfortunately we’re not welcoming any pets to ExplorerFest for the safety and comfort of all guests, sorry!
Got more questions?
Just shoot as an email at [email protected] with any questions and we’ll get back to you ASAP. We can’t wait to see you there!
*Normal responsible service of alcohol rules apply and we have the right to not provide further alcohol or cancel your ExplorerFest ticket if your behaviour is inappropriate, just like anywhere else!
Feature image of kayaking off of Jimmys Beach, thanks to Destination NSW
