Bendigo’s Nightlife Gets a Late-Night Jolt as New Venues and Extended Hours Take Hold

The Bendigo nightlife scene is shaking off its early-to-bed reputation. As of this month, at least six licensed venues across the CBD and Epsom-White Hills strip have secured extended-hour permits under the state government’s Late Night Licensing program, according to local council records.

This matters now because, for years, Bendigo has struggled to keep its social scene alive past 10pm on weeknights. The city’s population has grown 8.2 percent since 2021, but night-time options haven’t kept pace, until recently. A combination of council-backed placemaking grants and a push from the state’s 24-hour economy commissioner, who visited Bendigo in May, has spurred a burst of new openings.

From Live Music to Late Taphouse Nights

The biggest shift is on View Street. The Old Church on the Hill, a live-music venue that reopened in March under new management, now runs acoustic sets until midnight on Fridays. Across the road, the Rifle Brigade Hotel, a staple since 1872, has introduced a late licence for its beer garden, serving until 1am on Saturdays. Both venues report a 30 percent lift in evening trade since April.

Over in the Epsom precinct, the Goldfields Taphouse on Midland Highway launched a Sunday “slow session” in June, pairing local wines from Harcourt Valley with cheese boards from the Bendigo Farmers Market collective. Owner Jamie Tran told the Bendigo Weekly the move was in response to “people wanting somewhere to go that isn’t just a pub or a club”.

Data Shows City’s Changing Habits

The numbers back the trend. A City of Greater Bendigo survey conducted in March found that 43 percent of residents aged 18-35 want more nightlife options, up from 31 percent in 2022. Meanwhile, Uber rides requested in the CBD between 10pm and 2am jumped 22 percent year-on-year in June, the largest increase of any regional centre tracked by the company in Victoria. A taxi rank on Williamson Street, next to the Bendigo Visitor Centre, now averages 15 fares per night on Fridays, compared with just six in early 2025.

Entertainment costs remain a barrier for some. Entry to the Star Cinema’s midnight screenings on Hargreaves Street is $18 for adults, while a pint at the Rifle Brigade runs about $11. Still, the overall price point is lower than Melbourne’s, according to a comparison by the Bendigo Social Committee, a community group that organises monthly pub crawls along the Mitchell Street precinct.

Looking ahead, the council’s “Bendigo After Dark” strategy, due for public release in September, will propose a dedicated night mayor to coordinate late-licensed venues and address noise complaints. For now, the practical advice: check the Bendigo Nightlife Instagram account, which launched in May and has already amassed 1,200 followers. It lists which venues are open late each night, and alerts when pop-up bars appear at the Capital Theatre’s foyer during show runs.