culture

Bendigo Winter Arts Festival Returns July 15 With Regional Artists

The 2026 edition opens July 15 across central venues with exhibitions, performances and workshops that draw on Bendigo's regional arts networks.

By Bendigo Culture Desk · Published 25 July 2026

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The Bendigo Winter Arts Festival opens on July 15 and runs through July 22 at multiple sites in the city centre.

July programming fills a gap after Melbourne events finish and before spring festivals begin, giving local galleries and theatres a concentrated week to host visitors who travel north from Melbourne on the V/Line service.

Exhibitions anchor the program at the Bendigo Art Gallery on View Street while evening concerts and readings take place at the Capital Theatre on Lyttleton Terrace; daytime workshops for families occur in Rosalind Park under the rotunda.

Records from the 2025 festival show 42,000 attendances across the eight days, with adult day passes sold for $28 and family tickets at $65.

Must-See Highlights

Opening night at the Capital Theatre features a new commission by the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra on July 15 at 7:30 pm. The Bendigo Art Gallery presents a survey of contemporary printmaking that runs daily from 10 am, with free entry on Wednesday afternoons. A series of short films screened in the former Post Office building on Pall Mall draws on local archives and runs at 2 pm and 6 pm each day.

Practical Advice for Visitors

Book tickets through the festival website at least 48 hours ahead because several workshops have capped numbers. Public transport from Bendigo station reaches all main venues within ten minutes on foot, and street parking on View Street fills by midday on weekends. Pack a light jacket for evening events as temperatures drop below 8 degrees after sunset.

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