World Series Swims is bringing something new to the Central Coast this season with the launch of the Terrigal Swim Fest, set for March 6–8, 2026.

It’s the first time Terrigal has hosted a multi-day ocean swimming festival, and it promises a mix of surf challenges, calm-water adventure swims, expert clinics, and high-energy racing, all wrapped up in a festival atmosphere.

A new ocean swimming hub

For World Series Swims event organiser John Guise, Terrigal was the obvious choice.

“We love Terrigal, it has so much to offer and is the perfect location for a big weekend of swims like this,” said Mr Guise.

“The calm water at the Haven is ideal to run clinics and adventure swims, and then the open beaches provide some surf to make our main day of swims a challenge.

“It already has a huge community of local ocean swimmers too, so we love that it already has a proud ocean swimming culture and is a popular playground for so many visiting swim squads.”

Part of the World Series calendar

The Terrigal Swim Fest will slot in alongside World Series favourites like Bondi to Bronte and Noosa Summer Swim, but it’s here to stay as its own signature stop.

“It will definitely be an annual fixture in March and complements our other events, which start in NSW with the Bondi to Bronte in December,” said Mr Guise.

“We want the whole Terrigal Swim Fest weekend to be attractive, so swimmers stay and play with their families and friends.”

Clinics with Michael Klim

A big draw for the weekend will be the open-water clinics hosted by dual Olympic champion Michael Klim and a team of specialist coaches.

“Michael loves hosting these clinics as it’s a more intimate experience than the mass participation events,” said Mr Guise.

“There’s plenty of time for a one-on-one chat with Michael and the other coaches.

“You actually swim alongside them, which is a pretty cool experience in itself. The guest coaches are always open water specialists, so they have so much knowledge to pass on.”

Knockout Sprint action

Terrigal will also debut the Knockout Sprint, a condensed version of the format now seen at the Open Water World Championships and on the Open Water World Cup circuit.

“We’ve reduced it from 3000m overall to 1750m, with 1000m, then 500m, then 250m,” explained Mr Guise.

“It will be a really competitive field at Noosa and Terrigal, where we’re introducing these events, so everyone will get to watch some of the best open water swimmers in Australia and a few special guests from the surf and pool go head to head.

“It’s open to anyone, but will be held right in front of the Terrigal SLSC, so you can take it all in from a bar stool if you prefer!”

More than just swims

World Series Swims is aiming to create a festival atmosphere on and off the sand.

“Terrigal is such a cool place and it will be buzzing with more than just swims from March 6th – 8th, we’ll have social events at the new Terrigal Pavilion, Crowne Plaza and Terrigal SLSC, so there will be plenty on offer for non-swimmers too,” said Mr Guise.

“It will be a great weekend away, whether you’re driving from Sydney or flying in from QLD.”

With sun, surf, clinics, sprints and social events, the Terrigal Swim Fest is shaping up to be the Central Coast’s newest ocean swimming tradition.