As we move towards the end of September, the month-long celebration of the Richmond River catchment, RiverFest 2025, gets underway.

From this Sunday, 28 September to Sunday 26 October 2025, Richmond Riverfest will celebrate the rivers, cultures, and communities of the Northern Rivers. 

Launching in Ballina this Sunday on World Rivers Day at Fawcett Park, the festival begins where the river meets the sea — a symbolic gathering point for the Richmond catchment.

The launch event will feature children’s activities, weaving, storytelling, live music and inspiring talks on restoration and river care.

Food will be available for sale from seafood fresh from the river, sausage sizzle courtesy of the Outriggers Club, fresh coffee and vegetarian options. It is Free entry, and there is something for everyone.

The event starts at 10am and finishes at 3pm, with The Tinnie Adventure launching for its 6-day trek up the Richmond River. 

This year’s theme, “From Sea to Source – the river connects us all”, highlights the way our river system links people, places, and life itself – from the saltwater at the mouth to the freshwater springs upstream.

Over four weeks, Richmond RiverFest 2025 will bring communities together through cultural events, on-country activities, creative projects, and hands-on restoration, all designed to inspire action for the health of the Richmond River and its tributaries.

Festival Highlights

Launch: Where the River Meets the Sea (Ballina, 28 Sept) – a family-friendly day celebrating World Rivers Day at Fawcett Park with speakers, music, stalls, and kids activities. Time: 10am-3pm

Closing: RiverTime Gathering (Lismore, 26 Oct) – “RiverTime” returns to Riverside Park with art, music, stalls, and cultural performances. Time: 11am-3pm

Richmond RiverFest is brought to you by Richmond Riverkeeper and is made possible by the collaboration of many local partners, including Jagun Alliance, OzFish Unlimited, Rous County Council, Ballina Shire and Lismore City Council, Landcare groups, and community organisations across the catchment.

Richmond Riverkeeper President, Zoe White, said, “This year’s theme reminds us that whether we live by the sea or in the hinterland, the river connects us all. RiverFest is a time to celebrate what the river gives us, and to strengthen our commitment to making it drinkable, swimmable, and fishable again.”

Did you know

Once a bustling highway for the Big Scrub , in the 19th century, the Richmond River was one of the busiest regional waterways in Australia. Before the roads and railways came through, steamships and sailing vessels carried cedar logs, dairy, sugarcane, and passengers up and down the river. Places like Ballina and Lismore thrived as river ports.

Home to the endangered Oxleyan Pygmy Perch – The Richmond catchment is one of the few remaining strongholds of this tiny freshwater fish, which is listed as endangered. It survives in the quiet creeks and swamps that connect to the river system.

In Bundjalung lore, the Richmond River is woven into the great story of the Three Brothers who came by sea and travelled through Country, shaping the land and waters as they went. The river itself is seen as a living being, carrying the life force of the land from the mountains to the sea. Some parts of the river and surrounding wetlands are tied to ancestral stories that explain the origins of sacred places, totem animals, and laws for caring for Country. For Bundjalung people, the river isn’t just a waterway – it’s a cultural pathway, a food source, and an ancestor. Ceremonial sites, scar trees, and story places along its banks remind people of their obligations to keep the river healthy and strong.

Richmond RiverFest is supported by Ballina RSL through the Club Grants Scheme, Ballina Shire Council, and Lismore City Council, with funding from the Australian Government’s Emergency Response Fund through the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program 2022–23. The grant is delivered by the North Coast Regional Landcare Network through the Caring for Catchments project.

For details on the full program, to register for events, or find out how you can support the festival, visit www.richmondriverfest.com.