The residents and visitors can look forward to a fantastic range of events and experiences over the next six months including the hugely popular White Night Bendigo spectacular, a series of Bloom spring events to celebrate the city’s impressive tulip displays, the Zinda Festival, the Blues and Roots Music Festival, entertaining stage shows and much more.
City of Greater Bendigo Director Strategy and Growth Steve Hamilton said Bendigo had enjoyed a bumper start to 2022 with many memorable headliners particularly the 150th Easter Fair, the Bendigo Writers Festival, the Lost Trades Fair, GLOW in Rosalind Park and the exclusive blockbuster exhibition Elvis: Direct from Graceland which smashed box office records at Bendigo Art Gallery, attracting 219,098 visitors.
“It has been an incredible start to our recovery which has given the region a new wave of optimism and energy and we’ll be building on that success with more events and experiences to captivate and entertain residents and visitors over the coming months,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Elvis may have left the building, but the exhibition attracted a significant number of new visitors to Bendigo and we know from research in visitor behaviour that once you’ve experienced Bendigo, you’ll want to come back for more.
“We’ve got plenty to draw people here including the spectacular White Night Bendigo event which will light up our city on Saturday September 3. This must-see immersive experience attracted around 60,000 back in 2018 and White Night is sure to be embraced again by the community and people travelling from outside of the region.
“As the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in Australia, we have built a fantastic brand around our food and beverage culture to host popular events coming up including Bendigo on the Hop, the Heathcote Wine and Food Festival and Vibes and Vino, the Bendigo Agricultural Show, the Zinda Festival and the Vegecareian Festival at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.
“Our popular Bloom spring marketing campaign will be launched in early September delivering a wide range of events to entertain and engage including the popular Blues and Roots Music Festival and fun-packed experiences themed around our magnificent tulip displays that take centre stage.
“Our Bendigo Venues & Events program is going from strength to strength with many incredible performers lined up to play at our world-class theatres. We are the only regional centre to present the incredible SandSong performed by the Bangarra Dance Theatre Company and there will also be performances from James Morrison and the City of Greater Bendigo Brass Band fundraiser, circus extraordinaire Backbone by Gravity and Other Myths, the Australian Ballet Regional Tour and plenty more shows in the program from family-fun to opera.
“With our impressive sporting facilities, we have been able to secure major sporting competitions including the School Sport Australia Combined Basketball Championships, Badminton Victoria Protech Elite Series, Calisthenics Victoria State Championships, Australian Youth and Club Volleyball Championships, BMX Victoria State Championships, Bendigo Badminton International, Rugby Victoria Goldfields Sevens, ADS Dancesport Classic, Hockey 1 League Finals Festival, Tag20 Oceania Heritage Cup.
“Many of these sporting tournaments are held over several days so they boost our local economy with more people visiting, shopping, eating and booking accommodation in Greater Bendigo.
“Summer in the Parks will round off the year with plenty of music and family fun in our beautiful natural surrounds where there will be something for everyone.
“As Victoria’s Top Tourist Town, Bendigo and Heathcote as the bronze winner in the Top Small Towns category, we will continue to deliver a great line up of events for 2022 that celebrate our unique and welcoming community spirit and help support our recovery.”
Events
August 2022
- Bendigo on the Hop
- Treasures of Dai Gum San: Chinese artistry from the Golden Dragon Museum at Bendigo Art Gallery August 20 to February 19, 2023
- In Our Time: Four decades of art from China and beyond – the Geoff Raby Collection at Bendigo Art Gallery from August 20 to February 19, 2023
- Australian Ballet Regional Tour: Ballet Gala at the Ulumbarra
- There’s a Sea in My Bedroom performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra at the Ulumbarra
- 2022 Australasian Dorset Championships Show and Sale (sheep show and sale)
Sporting events in August
- 2022 Golf Australia Victorian Junior Country Regions
- School Sport Australia Combined Basketball Championships
- Badminton Victoria Protech Elite Series
September 2022
- White Night Bendigo (Saturday September 3)
- Spring program celebrating the annual tulip display with activations and family fun. The campaign will be launched in early September
- Bangarra Dance Theatre’s SandSong: Stories of the Great Sandy Desert at Ulumbarra (only regional city tour)
- Bendigo Symphony Orchestra: Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff
- Treasures of Dai Gum San: Chinese artistry from the Golden Dragon Museum at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
- In Our Time: Four decades of art from China and beyond – the Geoff Raby Collection at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
Sporting events in September
- Australian Youth and Club Volleyball Championships
- Calisthenics Victoria State Championships
October 2022
- Bendigo Uncorked Festival
- Bloom spring program celebrating the annual tulip display with activations and family fun
- Heathcote Wine and Food Festival
- Zinda Festival at the Garden for the Future
- Vegecareian Festival at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion
- Open House Bendigo (various locations)
- Sunshine Super Girl by Andrea James at the Ulumbarra
- Lior & Domini: Animal in Hiding at The Capital
- James Morrison with The Bendigo Brass Band fundraiser at the Ulumbarra
- Treasures of Dai Gum San: Chinese artistry from the Golden Dragon Museum at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
- In Our Time: Four decades of art from China and beyond – the Geoff Raby Collection at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
Sporting events in October
- ADS Dancesport Classic
- Run4Reef event to support the Great Barrier Reef
- BMX Victoria State Championships
- Rugby Victoria Goldfields Sevens
- Colour Frenzy Strathdale Park
November 2022
- Bendigo Swap Meet at Bendigo Showgrounds
- Summer in the Parks program featuring music, movies and activations in the parks
- Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival
- Vibes and Vino, Heathcote
- 2022 Bendigo Agricultural Show, Bendigo Showgrounds
- Swap Meet
- Backbone at the Ulumbarra Theatre
- Treasures of Dai Gum San: Chinese artistry from the Golden Dragon Museum at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
- In Our Time: Four decades of art from China and beyond – the Geoff Raby Collection at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
Sporting events in November
- Hockey 1 League Finals Festival
- Tag20 Oceania Heritage Cup
December 2022
- Summer in the Parks program featuring music, movies and activations in the parks
- Treasures of Dai Gum San: Chinese artistry from the Golden Dragon Museum at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
- In Our Time: Four decades of art from China and beyond – the Geoff Raby Collection at Bendigo Art Gallery until February 19, 2023
For updates on major events and experiences, visit https://www.bendigoregion.com.au/explore-bendigo
For Bendigo Venues & Events performances, visit: https://www.bendigoregion.com.au/arts-culture-theatres/season-2022-part-2
