Both the Ballarat Begonia Festival and Ballarat Heritage Festival (formerly Ballarat Heritage Weekend) will be celebrated over three weeks this year. The Ballarat Begonia Festival will be held from Saturday...
Road National Championships ready to ride in Ballarat
Australia’s best cyclists are bound for Ballarat to compete in February's AusCycling 2021 Federation University Road National Championships. The coveted green and gold national jerseys will be on offer in...
Sovereign Hill's popular sound and light show has made its long-awaited return. For the first time since February last year, visitors can once again experience the multi-sensory adventure of AURA...
Ballarat's Survival Day Dawn Ceremony to be livestreamed in 2021
Ballarat’s award-winning Survival Day Dawn Ceremony will be livestreamed from Lake Wendouree on 26 January this year with the aim of creating an educational documentary. The Koorie Engagement Action Group...
AFL is returning to Ballarat in 2021. Mars Stadium will host the following two home and away games next year: Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions (Saturday 10 April at 1.45pm)...
Summer at Sovereign Hill just got even better! The tourist attraction has opened seven days a week. Some of the much-loved activities and attractions set to return for the first...
Ballarat's new program of activities for 26 January
The City of Ballarat will host a new program of activities on 26 January from 2021. The Survival Day Dawn Ceremony and citizenship ceremonies are planned for Tuesday 26 January...
Linda McCartney exhibition to headline the 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale
In an Australian exclusive, the 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale will showcase the works of world-famous American photographer Linda McCartney (1948 – 1998). Curated by Linda's former husband/Beatles frontman Paul...
Three new star installations have been added to Ballarat's swag of Christmas decorations in 2020. A 10-metre long shooting star that sparkles during the day and lights up at night...
Get your free $200 travel voucher from 11 December
The Victorian Government is giving away its first round of $200 travel vouchers on Friday 11 December from 10am as part of the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme. An initial 40,000...
A stylish new 77-room hotel has opened in the heart of Ballarat. As its name suggests, Quest Ballarat Station is located next to the historic Ballarat Railway Station in Nolan...
Ballarat's Kryal Castle will again switch to special twilight hours this summer. From Saturday 26 December until Tuesday 26 January, the tourist attraction will be open daily between 2pm and...
Music line-up announced for new look Summer Sundays series
Ella Hooper, Clare Bowditch and Ross Wilson will headline Ballarat's COVID-safe edition of the annual live music series Summer Sundays. Over three weekends in January, Summer Sundays will be live...
Ballarat Information Centre reopens at the Town Hall
The Ballarat Information Centre (BIC) has returned to the Ballarat Town Hall. Located at 225 Sturt Street, the centre is open 10am to 4pm daily. All visitors need to maintain...
Ballarat to honour the Eureka Stockade's 166th anniversary
The City of Ballarat will host a series of commemorative events to mark the 166th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade on Thursday 3 December. This year’s commemorative program is mostly...
A-League heads back to Ballarat for 2020/21 season
Western United will return to Ballarat's Mars Stadium next year as part of the 2020/21 A-League Season. On the Labour Day long weekend, the club will play the Western Sydney...
Shop small and support local in Ballarat this Christmas
Show your support for Ballarat's small businesses by shopping locally this festive season. To get you started, we've put together a list of some of our favourite local retailers... Something...
The doors to the historic Art Gallery of Ballarat will reopen to visitors this Saturday 14 November. Guests will be able to explore the six exhibitions on display as well...
Ballarat to again host Road National Championships in 2021
World-class cycling will return to Ballarat next year with the city securing the rights to host the 2021 AusCycling Federation University Road National Championships. The rescheduled event will be held...
The Ballarat businesses that opened during a pandemic
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions, a long list of gutsy Ballarat businesses have bitten the bullet and opened their doors in 2020, further expanding the city's impressive hospitality and...
Sovereign Hill to reopen with reduced ticket prices
Ballarat tourist attraction Sovereign Hill will reopen on 31 October with new ticket prices and a range of hygiene and social distancing measures in place. The living museum will open...
Ballarat Wildlife Park and Kryal Castle reopen to regional Victorians
The Ballarat Wildlife Park and Kryal Castle have reopened to locals and regional Victorians, just in time for the spring school holidays. Owned and operated by the Parker family, the...
Regional Victorians can again holiday in regional Victoria – Ballarat included – as of 17 September. This important third step in the State Government's COVID-19 roadmap has arrived just in...
Learn in lockdown with Ballarat's online workshops and DIY kits
Pick up a new skill or simply make the most of your time at home with our guide to Ballarat's online masterclasses and DIY kits. Online workshops Enjoy happy hour...
Bar meets brewery at new Ballarat venue Aunty Jacks
The countdown is on until the opening of Ballarat's much anticipated brewpub Aunty Jacks. Located at 315-317 Mair Street next to fellow newcomer Ragazzone, Aunty Jacks will combine quality craft...
SpringFest Ballarat has been reimagined in the face of COVID-19 restrictions and will be presented as an $18,000 online raffle this year. Up for grabs in the 2020 Ultimate SpringFest...
Enjoy a taste of Ballarat at home with Click for Vic
The Ballarat region is featured in a new State Government campaign designed to connect people with Victorian producers, creators and businesses. Click for Vic encourages consumers to support Victorian businesses...
A self-guided food and adventure experience with a difference
A Melbourne-founded company offering unique ways to experience more than 50 cities around the world has arrived in Ballarat. To date, AmazingCo has delivered more than 40,000 experiences to over...
Your guide to Ballarat cafes and restaurants open for takeaway and delivery
Whilst dining out might be temporarily off the menu due to stage three restrictions, you can still treat yourself at home with our lockdown guide to Ballarat cafes and restaurants...
She's the popular Australian television host who's brought a slice of European magic and simplicity to Ballarat. We spoke to The Provincial Hotel owner and The Project panellist Gorgi Coghlan...
A new Ballarat bar is taking patrons back to a chapter in American history when it was illegal to consume or sell alcohol. The 18th Amendment Bar opened at the...
Discounted tickets for locals and regional Victorians at Ballarat tourist attractions
Ballarat tourist attractions are offering discounted tickets to help attract local and regional Victorian visitors this winter. Discounts of up to 50 per cent are available at Sovereign Hill, Kryal...
Ballarat’s online winter festival extended until 31 August
If you can't visit Ballarat right now in person, you still can online with the Ballarat Virtual Winter Fest extended until 31 August. Visit the website and tour the interactive...
Another Ballarat tourist attraction has announced a reopening date, with Kryal Castle to resume operations on Saturday 27 June. During the Victorian school holidays (27 June – 12 July), the...
Australia’s oldest and largest regional gallery will resume operations on Wednesday 1 July. The Art Gallery of Ballarat will open to a limited number of visitors from 10am-5pm daily using...
The Ballarat Wildlife Park has reopened to visitors after it was forced to close its doors in late March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Parker family and the...
Ballarat's Kryal Castle to host Harry Potter stars this October
The English actors who played the Weasley twins in the hit Harry Potter films will make a special appearance in Ballarat later this year. James and Oliver Phelps (who starred...
We're bringing the Ballarat region to you with our list of local businesses with online stores that deliver Australia-wide. Shop small, support local and be kind to Ballarat businesses during...
Ballarat festival to help create visual COVID-19 record
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale is partnering with the United Kingdom's FORMAT International Photography Festival and Ireland's Gallery of Photography to create a visual record of the COVID-19 crisis on...
Excitement builds for Ballarat's Super Rugby double header
History will be made this weekend when Super Rugby comes to Ballarat for the very first time. Victoria’s own Melbourne Rebels will host a huge double header at Mars Stadium...
Ballarat goes crazy for National Raspberry Drop Day
Ballarat businesses have joined forces with Sovereign Hill this February to celebrate the city's famous hard‐boiled lolly, the raspberry drop. Raspberry drop lemon meringue cakes, raspberry drop dessert pizzas and...
Ballarat’s new Smarter Parking Plan has been rolled out across the CBD. The parking meters are a mix of credit card and coin, with the added ability to pay via...
Ballarat to transform into a summer playground for big kids this February
Live music, fine food, craft beer plus elite and extreme sports will be the focus of Ballarat’s bumper line-up of events this February. In a coup for the city, Mars...
Ballarat's entertainment scene continues to grow with the addition of several new bars and live music venues to the city's line-up in 2020. The sad face that resulted from the...
In a coup for Ballarat, the city has scored the rights to host Cycling Australia's Road National Championships for the next three years. First held in Ballarat in 2002, the...
If you’re visiting Ballarat this January, here's how you can help raise money to support those affected by the nation’s devastating bushfires. The Western Hotel’s Bushfire Fundraiser 1221 Sturt Street...
Ballarat will become the first regional Australian town to host a Super Rugby match for premiership points in February 2020. The Melbourne Rebels will take on the Durban Sharks at...
Ballarat to show its creative side with new open studio program
Ballarat artists, makers and creatives will join forces for the city’s largest open studio program in April next year. From 3-13 April, Ballarat Open Studios: Art of Making will be...
Ballarat continues to make its mark in the hospitality and tourism sectors, with a number of local businesses scoring statewide recognition at recent industry awards. The following businesses and individuals...
Get ready to chart a creative journey of discovery
The long-awaited Fringe Benefits program – a complementary music, art and performance festival to the city’s largest inaugural music festival, Spilt Milk – has been launched. The city is set...
The City of Ballarat has been announced as a UNESCO Creative City, in the area of Craft and Folk Art. Ballarat is one of 66 newly declared UNESCO cities and 246...
Following rave reviews, Sovereign Hill has officially launched its new sound and light show, AURA. Featuring hundreds of stunning projections, the multimillion-dollar show lets visitors explore space, delve into the...
Despite racking up almost 11,500 Instagram followers, Ballarat’s Chelsea Bourke shakes off the term “social media influencer”. “I’m just a girl with a phone in her hand trying to convince...
Meet Ballarat social media influencer and new Visit Ballarat brand ambassador Natalie Dickinson. After having three children in the space of two-and-a-half years, the former secondary school teacher turned to...
A NEW year brings with it some new and very exciting arrivals in the Ballarat hospitality world. Think deluxe fried chicken, think artisan pies, think gourmet burgers. Hungry yet?! Winner...
She’s one of the most recognised faces on Australian television, so it’s no surprise that I was feeling a certain sense of apprehension upon my meeting with Gorgi Coghlan. But...
As Holly Titheridge enters Ballarat’s iconic Mitchell Harris Wine Bar, her sense of glamour, elegance and style permeates the space. Perhaps it’s because of her Ballarat upbringing, or how she...
