Bendigo Bloom Is Back for Its 20th Anniversary with Food, Wine, Comedy and 53,000 Tulips

For two decades, Bendigo Bloom has flourished like a perfectly tended garden, and 2023 is set to be its biggest year yet. The annual celebration has blossomed into a major tourist attraction, and is celebrating spring with a stunning blend of floral beauty, food and wine tastings, comedy shows, live gigs on trams and even a yoga festival.

The centrepiece of the fest is the tulip display, which will see over 53,000 tulips in various colours bloom from mid-September to early October. The display will be located along Pall Mall and the Conservatory Gardens, and promises to look just as spectacular in the evening (if not more so) thanks to Bloom After Dark, which will illuminate the flower displays at night from 6.45–10pm.

As well as checking out the tulips, the festival includes several other events. The Heritage & Hidden Spaces Wines Walk on Saturday, October 21 will get participants sampling vino from over 18 wineries as they make their way through nine heritage spaces, which is handy for anyone looking to cross 'walking wine festival' off their bucket list.

A new addition to the festival in 2023 is the Groove Tram, which is offering an alternative way to experience Bendigo's food and wine scene throughout September and October. Attendees will enjoy live music, local brews and wine while onboard.

Love to laugh? (If you answered no, are you okay?) The Bendigo Comedy Festival will feature some of Australia's best comedians, including Have You Been Paying Attention? regular Alex Ward, Dane Simpson and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Most Outstanding Show of 2023 winner Gillian Cosgriff.

If you're looking to unwind from all that laughing, drinking and flower gazing, check out the Bendigo Yoga Festival for the ideal place to relax and rejuvenate with a variety of yoga classes and workshops.

Bendigo Bloom runs from Saturday, September 9–Sunday, November 5, 2023 at various locations around Bendigo.