Tunarama is back!
For more than 60 years, Port Lincoln’s Tunarama Festival has been the beating heart of our summer - a vibrant celebration of seafood, community and the legendary Tuna Toss, which first appeared in 1980.
After a difficult period that saw the festival conclude in 2023 due to sponsorship and funding challenges, the story has a happy twist: Tunarama returns 16–18 January 2026 with a refreshed vision under new event leadership.
The shift to mid-January is clever. It lands squarely in the South Australian summer school holidays, when families can travel without the end-of-January back-to-school scramble. In 2025–26, SA’s summer break runs through to 27 January 2026, so the festival’s Friday–Sunday dates are ideal for long-weekend style trips and extended stays. (See local school holiday schedule.) For Port Lincoln, that alignment should translate into fuller accommodation calendars, more advance bookings and stronger spend across food, tours and experiences.
What this means for travellers and hosts
At Eyre Hosting Co, we’re already seeing January enquiries and bookings begin to land - right on cue for this time of year…
Broader market data supports what we’re observing: Australian travellers’ average booking window has been trending a little longer than the global average (around 32 days in 2024), with peaks around the summer holiday period as families plan ahead. Layer Tunarama’s comeback on top of that seasonal behaviour and you get a stronger, earlier demand pulse for the second half of January.
Owners: how to capture maximum visibility (and the best price)
Here’s how we’re helping our owners ride the Tunarama tailwind:
List early, price smart. Lock in compelling base rates now, then let dynamic pricing scale up as pace quickens. Early-bird visibility matters — guests searching today become your longest-lead, highest-value stays.
Anchor key dates. Set event-period minimum stays (e.g., 2–3 nights over 16–18 Jan) and ensure weekend and shoulder nights are appropriately weighted.
Polish the conversion levers. Refresh hero images (outdoor dining, bay views, family spaces), tighten headlines around “Walk to Foreshore / Tunarama”, and surface practicals guests scan for: parking, kid-friendly bedding, beach gear, BBQs.
Bundle experiences. Partnered add-ons (oyster farm tours, fishing charters, cellar-door tastings) increase both conversion and length-of-stay during festival weeks.
Open calendars through late January. Because the festival sits within school holidays, many guests will tack on extra nights before or after the weekend — make sure those nights are visible and competitively priced.
A community festival with renewed purpose
Tunarama’s return is more than a date on the calendar; it’s a statement about Port Lincoln’s resilience and identity.
Council and event partners have focused on honouring the festival’s heritage while modernising its program and delivery - a platform that should amplify local producers and small businesses and drive sustainable visitor growth.
Whether you’re planning a family escape or preparing your property for peak season, January in Port Lincoln just reclaimed its sparkle. We’ll keep fine-tuning pricing and merchandising across our portfolio as demand builds - and if you’re an owner, now’s the time to get your listing in front of the wave.
