Bloom time in Ballarat

Ballarat Begonia Festival | 7-9 March 2026

Plan your visit!

Discover brilliantly unexpected Ballarat. Vibrant arts and culture, lively bars and restaurants, award-winning attractions and more!

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What's blooming

Begonia Stage

Live cooking demonstrations, gardening talks and sustainable garden tips. Join experts like Sophie Thomson, Matthew Evans, Clarence Clockee,…

Festival Displays

Step into the Ballarat Begonia Festival and enjoy the Botanical Gardens in full bloom! The highlight is the…

PowerFM Begonia Festival Parade

The PowerFM Ballarat Begonia Festival Parade is back once again at the 2026 Ballarat Begonia Festival. Commencing at…

Family Fun & Entertainment

Exciting activities, live entertainment and fun for all ages!

Workshops

Join us at the festival for a variety of engaging workshops designed to inspire and educate. From crafting…

3BA Sound Garden

The 3BA Sound Garden is the place to be for live music at the 2026 Begonia Festival! Over…

Food and Drink

Eat and drink your way through the Ballarat Begonia Festival. Food Trucks will be located in two large…

Beyond the Blooms

Take time to discover things happening beyond the festival.

Festival favourites

7–9 Mar

Begonia Display

The 2026 Begonia Display has been designed and installed by the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Nursery team. The display…

7–9 Mar

Begonia Letters

Wadawurrung artist Jenna Oldaker (Murrup Art) has been commissioned to design the ‘Begonia’ letters which will be on…

7 Mar

Polyglot Theatre’s Bees

Bees is a joyful, interactive work in which children are welcomed into a world of community, communication, wonder,…

7 & 8 Mar

The Musical Plants by Playable Streets

Have you ever made music with a marigold? Composed with a chrysanthemum? Or listened to somelavender? Connect with…

7–9 Mar

Gardeners Market

The Begonia Gardeners Market is your chance to stock up on beautiful blooms, rare plants and expert gardening…

7–9 Mar

Integra Tiny Town

Integra Tiny Town is for the young and young at heart. Featuring six mini cubbies for families to…

Begonia stage

DON’T MISS

Ballarat Botanical Gardens Team

Let's Chat Begonias! The Ballarat Botanical Gardens have been growing Begonias since the late 1890s. Catch them on the Begonia Stage throughout the Begonia Festival

7–9 Mar

Chloe Thomson

Talking plants and gardening makes Chloe Thomson happy. Her backyard is her sanctuary – a place to grow…

7 Mar

Formidable Vegetables

Fresh from Glastonbury and a 48-show international tour to 10 countries, notorious permaculture electro-funk/swingers & composters of the…

7 & 8 Mar

Sophie Thomson

I am excited to be heading back to the 2026 Ballarat Begonia Festival and look forward to connecting…

7 & 8 Mar

Clarence Slockee

Clarence Slockee is a Salt-Water Cudgenburra/Bundjalung Aboriginal man, environmentalist, educator and cultural design collaborator. Collaborating with a range…

8 & 9 Mar

Matthew Evans

“I’m super excited to be headed back to Ballarat, and this time for the renowned Begonia Festival where…

9 Mar

Nornie Bero

Nornie Bero is an Island woman from the Komet Tribe of the Meriam people in the Torres Strait,…

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What's on

How to

Grow begonias

The City of Ballarat horticultural team tend to our Begonias for 10 months of the year. Here is a little bit about what they do to keep our famous begonias at their finest for the Ballarat Begonia Festival.

Learn more