The East Gippsland Winter Festival is back, and if past years are anything to go by, you’ll want to move fast. The 2026 program has just dropped, and it’s shaping up to be another sell-out season—turning Victoria’s far east into a month-long playground of fire-lit feasts, lakeside experiences and offbeat winter events.
A month-long winter takeover
Running from 19th June to 19th July 2026, the festival will once again turn East Gippsland into a winter playground of food, art, music, culture and fire-lit gatherings. From lakeside dinners to circus, lanterns and long lunches, the program is designed to lure visitors out of the city and into the region’s cooler months.
Among the most in-demand events is the Nicholson River Trestle Bridge Long Lunch, which opens the festival on 19th June and is expected to be one of the first to sell out. The program also brings back Inverno Part III at Sodafish, where Guy Grossi and Nick Mahlook team up again for a limited-seat winter lunch that has already developed a strong following.
Other standouts include Primal at The Forge Theatre, a adults-only circus and cabaret show, plus the Floating Cinema Night at Idle Lake House, which will screen Point Break on the water at Lakes Entrance. Paynesville’s seafood boil and the Tinamba Hotel x Lightfoot Wines degustation also add to the festival’s food-first appeal.
New experiences at the festival
The 2026 program is also introducing a handful of new experiences that widen the festival’s reach beyond the usual winter dining staples. Those include the High Country Hooch Scottish Festival, Paul West’s Ember and Ales Feast at Sailor’s Grave’s Dunetown and the Metung Igloo Experience on the Village Green.
A number of community-focused and culturally grounded events are also part of the lineup, including the Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place Twilight Tours in Bairnsdale. The festival continues to position itself as more than a food event, with a program that stretches across art, heritage, performance and regional storytelling.
Why it keeps drawing crowds
One reason the festival keeps growing is that it leans into East Gippsland’s natural winter setting rather than trying to fight it. The mix of lakes, fire pits, long-table lunches and night-time experiences gives the event a strong sense of place, and that’s part of what makes it feel different from a standard food festival.
The 2026 edition also reflects a broader trend in destination events, where organisers increasingly use regional festivals to drive overnight stays and winter tourism. For Melburnians, it also serves as another reminder that some of Victoria’s best seasonal getaways sit well beyond the city fringe.
If previous years are anything to go by, some of the biggest events won’t hang around for long. The festival’s own messaging and recent listings both point to limited availability for selected events, including ticketed experiences like Lakes Lights.
The East Gippsland Winter Festival runs from 19 June to 19 July 2026, with tickets and the full program available here.