Sea Otter Australia has released its 2025 Festival Report, with the results confirming strong appetite for a world-class cycling and outdoor festival in regional NSW.

Held in Batemans Bay from 22-24 October 2025, the event attracted thousands of riders, families, industry leaders and visitors to the Eurobodalla region.

Proudly supported by Destination NSW, Sea Otter Australia 2025 received funding through the Incubator Stream of the NSW Regional Event Fund 2025-26.

Rocky Trail Entertainment Co-Founder and CEO Juliane Wisata said: “Year one has been focused on building a robust foundation and the community response proves there is a genuine need for a landmark cycling event that brings together the entire community—riders, brands, industry professionals, families, and visitors.

“The strong attendance and positive feedback show how effectively Sea Otter Australia can act as both an economic contributor and a significant destination event for the region.”

Across the festival weekend, highlights included:

  • Delegates attending from seven countries
  • Eight official events across endurance marathon, gravity enduro, cyclo-cross, e-bike racing, kids and junior racing, freestyle competition and gravel ride
  • Estimated visitor economy expenditure exceeding $5 million
  • 9000 total attendees through the gates
  • 5785 unique attendees, including 3300 overnight visitors and 1987 locals from the Eurobodalla region
  • 500 exhibitors, staff, crew and volunteers
  • More than 1845 individual athletes competing across various disciplines
  • Overnight visitors stayed an average of 3.26 nights, contributing an estimated $1597 per visitor
  • 89,000 people reached on social media during Festival Week.

Destination Southern NSW also officially launched Great Southern Trails at the event. The new tourism initiative aims to position Southern NSW as Australia’s premier mountain biking destination.

Great Southern Trails connects 10 mountain biking trail (MTB) networks and towns, offering more than 550km of dedicated MTB trails across the South Coast, alpine region and Australian Capital Territory.

Strong future for Sea Otter Australia

Rocky Trail Entertainment has secured the 10-year licence for Sea Otter Australia and New Zealand, cementing the festival as a long-term asset for the region and the Australian cycling industry.

Sea Otter Australia will return to Mogo Trails and Batemans Bay from 21-25 October 2026, with major expansions to the program including expanded offerings in Gravity enduro, marathon, cyclo-cross, eBike and junior racing.

“We’ve established a very strong foundation and we’re prepared for the next phase of growth,” said Mr Wisata.

“With a decade ahead of us, our focus remains on evolving Sea Otter Australia into a flagship event that drives innovation, economic development and high-quality visitor experiences for NSW and the wider region.”

View the full report here.

Watch video highlights from the report here.