Queenscliff will come alive this winter as the Nightide Festival returns for a bold three-day winter solstice celebration on the Bellarine Peninsula.
Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant today announced the festival will run from 19–21 June 2026, supported through Round 4 of the State Government’s Regional Events Fund. This fund has also backed other major local events, including the Queenscliff Music Festival.
This year’s festival theme, Creatures of the Deep: Leviathans Awake, draws on the mystery and mythology of the ocean depths. Set against the winter solstice, Nightide transforms Queenscliff over three days, delivering a distinctive mix of immersive, avant-garde and family-friendly experiences.
Festivities begin on Friday with the Nightide Fringe Event, featuring gilt-edged glamour, burlesque, music, humour and delicious absurdity in a secret outdoor setting.
Saturday begins at dawn with the Frostbite swim, followed by the TARRA Solstice Feast showcasing local flavours. As night falls, Queenscliff becomes a vibrant winter playground, with live music, performers, fire installations, food trucks, bars and fireworks forming the centrepiece of the solstice celebration.
The festival concludes on Sunday with a free Family Day, offering children’s entertainment, creative activities and community activations. For more information, visit: https://www.nightide.com.au/
The Regional Events Fund, delivered by Visit Victoria, supports festivals, sporting events and exhibitions that create local jobs, drive tourism and showcase regional communities.
Since 2016, the fund has supported more than 450 events across regional Victoria.
Further details about the Regional Events Fund are available at: www.corporate.visitvictoria.com/events/regional-events-fund
Quote attributable to Minister for Tourism Natalie Suleyman
“Supporting regional events is one of the best ways to bring visitors into local communities. Our Regional Events Fund helps people discover new destinations, extend stays, support local businesses and jobs”
Quotes attributable to Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant
“Nightide Festival transforms Queenscliff over the winter solstice, blending creativity and community. I am proud to support this event through the Regional Events Fund, helping locals and visitors alike experience everything the Bellarine has to offer.”
Quote attributable to Searoad Ferries CEO Matt McDonald
“After two strong years, we had to pause Nightide in 2025, so bringing it back this year means a great deal to us and to the community,”
“We know what events like this do for the region, particularly in winter, when visitation on the Bellarine drops. Queenscliff and the Victorian coast have a raw charm in the cooler months, and Nightide exists to celebrate exactly that. We're proud to be doing it bigger this year, with the support of Visit Victoria.”
