Ballarat's arts scene heats up with winter lights, gallery pop-ups and Foto Biennale

Winter in Ballarat is usually quiet, but not this year. The arts calendar is packed.

Sovereign Hill's Winter Wonderlights are drawing crowds every evening, filling the historic streets with projections and colour. The event, which runs through the winter school holidays, is one of the region's biggest seasonal draws.

But the real news for arts lovers is what's happening inside Ballarat's galleries, and what's coming.

Galleries adapt while the Art Gallery of Ballarat closes

The Art Gallery of Ballarat closed in March 2025 for extensive building upgrades and won't reopen until early 2026. That's a long stretch for a city that leans heavily on its cultural reputation.

Exhibitions haven't stopped, though. They've moved to the Backspace Gallery at 43 Mair St, where the gallery is running a temporary program during the build. It's a smaller space, but it's keeping things going while the main site gets its overhaul. [10]

Other venues around town are picking up the slack. The Old Butchers Shop Gallery and Art Space Ballarat are both hosting rotating exhibitions. Recent shows include work by Casey McIntosh and Leah Torly, with themes ranging from community portraits to cyberpunk-inspired cityscapes. [5]

Neither of those galleries is new, but they've become more important while the city's flagship is dark.

Foto Biennale and Sunnyside: two major events still to come

The big draw for the rest of 2025 will be the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. Its 11th chapter is themed 'Lifeforce' and will hit the city later in the year. [2]

That's not all. The inaugural Sunnyside immersive art extravaganza is also coming, running from 6 to 23 November. [2]

Last year's White Night Ballarat proved the appetite is there. The free, one-night light spectacular featured nearly 40 projections and more than 100 artists. More than 40,000 people came into the region for it. [3]

Weekend markets are also part of the mix, with local makers, growers and artisans setting up on a regular basis. [4]

For anyone looking for something to do this week, or planning ahead, the advice is simple: check the Backspace Gallery first, then see what's on at Sovereign Hill. The main gallery will be back next year. Until then, the smaller spaces are carrying the load.