When you think of Bright in the High Country, the first thing that comes to mind might be its splendid autumn leaves. But, the town is determined to showcase its beauty in all seasons. Whisk yourself away to this enchanting village, and soak in the sights and sounds of the Bright Winter Festival. Walk beneath falling snow and twinkling lights, warm up with roaring fires and mulled wine, dance at a winter ball and more! The festival will run from Friday, July 24 to Saturday, August 1.
Bright Winter Festival
Winter in the Village: Shopping Night
When: July 24, 4:30pm to 9pm.
Barnard Street will be transformed into a magical space, with festoon lights, installations, fire pits and falling snow. Listen to buskers and carollers as you make your way through the village, and look out for live street performances, including live ice sculpting. Grab a Winter Shop & Seek passport and pop into the local retailers, who will stay open late for the festival. On the night, you can also expect food trucks, mulled wine and marshmallows.
Family Fun Day
When: Saturday, July 25, 10am to 2pm
Head over to Howitt Park for the family fun day, and celebrate the winter season with a snowman building competition (complete with real snow!), a silent disco inside an igloo, and firepits to keep you warm. The whole family will have a blast at this event, with the chance to meet the Howling Huskies sled dogs, as well as entertainment from lovable dog and seagull duo, Gravy and Chips. There will also be a jumping castle, a craft corner, and plenty of food, BBQs and coffee to keep you going.
Tickets are $15 per child, and includes the jumping castle, silent disco, snow play, husky interaction, performances and one activity in the craft corner. Other things, like food or face painting, come at an additional cost. Parents and children under two can enter for free.
Bright Winter Ball
When: Saturday, August 1, 7pm to 11pm
Dance the night away at the first ever Bright Winter Ball. Located at the Bright Community Centre, you can expect live music, finger food, a bar and a silent auction with prizes from local businesses. The dress code is semi-formal, and tickets are $75.
More fun stuff
Outside of the three main events, local businesses will also be running cool stuff during the festival. The specialty Christmas store, Making Spirits Bright, will kick off their Christmas in July sale, and showcase their new range for 2026. The sale will run from July 24 to 26, and there’s raffle prizes to be won in store. Learn more about it here.
Meanwhile, the Sun Cinema is also getting into the winter spirit, with a Frozen Sing Along on Sunday, July 26, and a screening of Love Actually on Wednesday, July 29. For more information, click here.
The Alpine Hotel Bright is serving up a three course Christmas Dinner on the 25th, complete with Christmas trivia and games. Ugly Christmas sweaters are encouraged!
Both Bright Art Gallery and the Alpine Light Gallery will showcase some stunning winter exhibitions,
If you’re keen for a winter glow up, Beautiful in Bright Hair Studio will be running a masterclass. Warm up with a glass of wine and learn how to achieve salon-quality results at home.
You can stay updated on all the wonderful things happening via the Bright Winter Festival Instagram page. For more information, check out their website.
While you’re in the area, take a drive along the Great Alpine Road and experience the snow at Mount Hotham or Dinner Plain. Otherwise, head up to Mount Beauty, or go a little further to Falls Creek.
