Watts on in Victoria
Victoria's events calendar is packed full of amazing light festivals, exhibitions and installations all year round, with everything from light and sound shows, festive fireworks and epic light projections.
Dive into the Dandenong Ranges after sunset, to see historic steam train Puffing Billy adorned with lights. Visual effects illuminate trees, scenery and passing towns, as the train chugs along its narrow-gauge track.
Wander the streets of Ballarat's Sovereign Hill as 'snow' falls and vivid projections dance across the facades of the open-air museum's buildings. AURA Sound and Light show runs year-round; a multi-sensory experience that tracks the story of gold in the region, from its discovery to the current day.
In the colder months, Melbourne has its annual winter festival RISING putting on a program of food, art and performance, with light installations commonly held around Federation Square and Birrarung Marr.
In regional towns, check out lively winter light festivals, usually held around the solstice. Head to the foot of Mt Buller for the Mansfield Lantern Festival, or nearby alpine town of Bright for The Darker Days Festival. In Gippsland, watch fire twirlers perform and catch captivating light displays at Korumburra Southern Lights Festival.
Head to the Murray for Moama Lights in winter, where a world-class installation takes over Horseshoe Lagoon, sweeping over Moama Wharf and illuminating towering river redgums. Set on the banks of the Little Murray River at Pioneer Settlement, the Heartbeat of the Murray uses water, light, laser, audio and special effects to transport viewers 30 million years into the river's past, before hurtling through time to the present day.
