Winter has begun, and there’s all sorts of wonderful winter festivals for us to look forward to. And if you’re looking for a frosty bit of frivolity that’s not too far from Melbourne, why don’t you head down the Bellarine Peninsula to check out their solstice event, Nightide? Taking over Queenscliff from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21, this celebration will feature fire twirlers, burlesque shows, food trucks, bonfires, live music, fireworks and much more. You’ll find it about 90 minutes away from Melbourne, and if you’re coming in from the other side of the bay, there will be a special ferry service from Mornington.
Nightide
This festival will return for its third year, after successful seasons in 2023 and 2024, and a break in 2025. The theme this time around is Creatures of the Deep, embracing the darkness of the sea.
Friday
The celebrations will kick off with the wicked event, Nighttide Fringe – Between the Devil. Set in a secret location, this event for adults only will feature burlesque shows, disco and Euro-infused house sets from DJ Tanzer, a Glam Booth for portraits, food trucks and a pop-up bar service mulled wine and beer. This event will run from 7pm to 10pm, and tickets are $85 per person.
Saturday
If you’re a foodie, kick things off with a Solstice Feast at TARRA Queenscliff. This fire-led dining experience will feature oysters, smoked mussels, surf and turf sliders, whole pig head, smoked bone marrow, smoked chocolate cake and more. The feast will run from 2pm to 5pm, and costs $149 per person.
After that, it’s time for the main event on the foreshore. Feel drawn to the sea and lose yourself in the spectacle of Nightide. Feel entertained by stilt walkers, aerial performers, live music, fire twirlers, fire drums and more roving performers. Listen to live music, get a tarot reading, duck into a mobile sauna to warm up and watch as a wood-sculpted creature of the deep gets set alight. There will be plenty of food trucks, serving up burgers, calamari, barbeque, dumplings, pizza and more. The night will end with fireworks over the bay. Nightide will run from 5pm to 9pm, and tickets are $10 per person.
If you’d like to upgrade your experience, there will also be a VIP area for an extra $35. This space features free-flowing champagne for the first two hours, as well as exclusive performances from indie folk artist Madeline Cope and aerial performer Lollipop Lyra.
Coming in from Mornington? Hop aboard Searoad Ferries from Sorrento earlier in the day, then return home with a special evening ferry at 9pm.
If you love a good train ride, you can also hop aboard a heritage train from Drysdale to Queenscliff on Saturday night. Learn more about it here.
Sunday
The celebrations will wrap up with a Family Free Day. Also taking place on the foreshore, this playful event for all ages will have lots of fun entertainment and activities for the kids, including face painting, a bubble artist, an amusement ride, a Disney singalong and footy handball. On top of that, children aged 15 and under can travel for free as foot passengers on Searoad Ferries. This event is on from 10am to 1pm.
To find more information about these events, click here.