Inflatable Regatta 2020

Overview

UPDATE: JANUARY 30, 2020 — Sadly, for all of you who have your life jackets ready to go, this Saturday's Inflatable Regatta on the Yarra River has been cancelled. A fairly large storm — with rain, thunder and lightning — is predicted to hit Melbourne in the morning, leaving organisers with "no choice but to cancel the Yarra event" after assessing the risk it would cause to participants.

If you already have a ticket, it'll now be valid for the Regatta's second event on the Maribyrnong on February 29. If you can't make that date, unfortunately your ticket won't be refunded — instead, you'll have to sell it to a friend or via Tixel.

Now here's a good way to make an entrance to a party: float on in with a crew of 2000 boats. That's exactly what the Inflatable Regatta is all about. The blow-up boats will float for two kilometres down the Maribyrnong on Saturday, February 29. Solo or with a mate, you'll paddle down the river for about two hours before reaching the destination party.

Should you make it to the end, beers, food trucks and live music will be waiting for you (after all, what's a regatta without a cold bev afterwards?). You can't load your boat with beer, though —  you may actually sink your vessel — and you can't BYO vessel, either.

Tickets cost $67 and include a life jacket and a waterproof bag for your stuff. Boats launch from 10am at Footscray Rowing Club (Feb 29) — you can choose your launch time when you book.

While the Inflatable Regatta has floated into Melbourne before — three times in fact — this is the first time it'll be going west. Tickets are now on sale.

Images: Eugene Hyland.