The Hermanus Whale Festival is the only ECO-MARINE Festival in the World!
🐋 Welcome to the ultimate celebration of the ocean’s gentle giants – the Hermanus Whale Festival! for a weekend filled with fun, entertainment, and appreciation for nature’s most magnificent creatures.
As the only ECO-MARINE festival in the world, the Hermanus Whale Festival offers a unique experience for visitors of all ages. Get up close and personal with southern right whales as they make their annual migration to the coastal waters of Hermanus. Learn about marine conservation efforts, shop for handmade goods at our vibrant markets, indulge in delicious food, enjoy live music, and so much more.
Don’t miss out on this iconic festival, which has grown from humble beginnings to become an internationally recognized event. With an estimated 75,000 to 130,000 visitors each year, the Hermanus Whale Festival is a must-see attraction for anyone who loves nature and adventure.
Come join us for a weekend of wonder and excitement at the Hermanus Whale Festival.
🌊 Where Whales Meet the World!
Get ready for a splash of nature, music, food, and family fun! The Hermanus Whale Festival is back — and bigger than ever — from 3 to 5 October 2025. Set against the jaw-dropping beauty of the Hermanus coastline, this iconic festival celebrates the annual return of the southern right whales in spectacular style.
Whether you’re a marine enthusiast, a live music lover, or just in it for the street food and festive vibes, there’s something here for everyone.
🐳 What’s On at the 2025 Hermanus Whale Festival!
🔬 Eco-Marine Magic
Bring the whole family to the Interactive Eco-Marine Marquee and:
🧠 Explore, Discover, Learn & Protect our oceans
🐢 Dive into hands-on exhibits by leading marine foundations
🎤 Catch nature talks from conservation heroes (Sat & Sun)
🗺️ Join the Treasure Hunt (Sat & Sun, 12–2PM) – perfect for curious young explorers!
Festival Highlights:
🐋 Whale Watching Galore – Spot these gentle giants right from the shore!
🎶 3-Day Live Music Marquee – Featuring SA’s finest + Saturday BEER FEST
🥁 Street Parade – A Saturday morning @11am burst of colour, music, and joy!
🏃 10km Fun Run – Start Saturday 7am with a scenic sweat
🎈 Kiddies Entertainment Zones – Market Square & Waterfront
🧒 Join the Reunion Island Treasure Hunt – Sat & Sun (12 PM–2 PM)
🧺 Craft & Food Markets – Think handmade gems & delicious bites
📻 Live Broadcast: KFM 94.5 – Saturday from 7 am – 2 pm
🍻 Bigscreen Rugby – Springboks vs Argentina (Sat @ 3PM)
🍔 Food Court – Bring your appetite to Market Square
💪 Whale Festival Kruger Invitational Strongman Show – Sunday @ 10AM, come see SA’s strongest take on mind-blowing feats of strength!
🇷🇪 Reunion Island Marquee – Discover eco-tourism from this tropical gem!
Meet passionate island partners working to protect whales, turtles, and the ocean — all wrapped in Reunion Island’s music, culture, and sunny island energy.
Family fun, conservation, culture, live entertainment, and even muscle power — all in one unforgettable weekend!
The Only Eco-Marine Festival in the world!
The heartbeat of the whale festival, the Eco-Marine Tent, has become the festival’s biggest attraction. Informative and entertaining, with a focused appeal to children, adults and anyone who cares about preserving our ocean wildlife.
With its wide range of eco & marine-related environmental exhibitions, the aim of the Eco Marine Tent and the Hermanus Whale Festival is to inspire visitors through informative, colourful, interactive displays, films, music, arts and food and informative talks by marine biologists and experts.
From whales to dolphins, sharks to starfish, our oceans provide us with air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat. Visitors get to enjoy the unbelievable sightseeing opportunities while getting clued up on the plight of the endangered creatures in the Eco Marine Tent.
The marine giants will most certainly remain the stars of the show, but on land visitors to this seaside town can expect to be equally dazzled by great entertainment and activities, great food, quality crafts and fun for kiddies.
Popular Street Parade
Join us Saurday Morning around 11am
Clean & Green Plea
Clean & Green: Our Promise to the Ocean The Hermanus Whale Festival isn’t just about…
Kiddies Activities
Lots of Entertainment and Activities for the young ones