White Night will return to Geelong on 8 October this year, with tens of thousands of locals and visitors expected to attend the event and provide a significant boost to tourism businesses.
“White Night will draw tens of thousands of locals and visitors into Geelong to experience the city as an illuminated art exhibition, showcasing the region’s attractions and supporting local jobs,” said Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula.
In 2018, White Night Geelong attracted 70,000 attendees and injected $6.1 million into the region. Supported through the Victorian Government’s Major Events Fund, Geelong will come alive for an extra special event this year after the global pandemic forced the local event to be postponed in 2021.
The program, directed by Joseph O’Farrell, will feature artists from the categories of installation, visual art, lighting, audio-visual, projection, film, music and performance. The theme will be ‘everything on the land is reflected in the sky.’
Since the first White Night in Melbourne in 2013, the event has built a strong reputation as a vibrant and inclusive celebration of immersive art and community participation.
This year, thousands of visitors are once again expected to visit Geelong to see the city transformed through illumination with a program that celebrates the city’s reputation for design and its rich music scene.
The Surf Coast also welcomes the return of Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach this year, joining White Night and a long list of blockbuster events scheduled for Victoria in 2022.
The Government is committed to supporting regional events because they support local jobs and businesses, and further strengthen the state’s reputation as Australia’s home of events.
“We’re excited to stage White Night in Geelong again and proud of the energy it brings to the community and the major benefits it provides to hospitality businesses, hotels and retailers in the city,” said Member for Geelong Christine Couzens.
The Geelong event will be in addition to White Night Bendigo on 3 September and White Night Shepparton on a date to be confirmed.
White Night Geelong will take place on Saturday 8 October. For more information, visit: www.whitenight.com.au for details.
Image: A crowd of people look out to illuminated sailing boats in Geelong Harbour – courtesy of White Night