The Victorian Government has announced that White Night Bendigo will return on Saturday 10 October 2020, transforming the leading regional centre in a visual and cultural spectacular.
Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards confirmed the date at the annual Bendigo NEXT tourism conference, with programming to be announced in coming months. “Bendigo is a major player in the national arts scene, and I know that White Night 2020 will attract even greater recognition for our region,” she said.
The first White Night Bendigo in 2018 attracted a crowd of 60,000 people and was a highlight on Bendigo’s already impressive events calendar. The event generated $5.5 million for the local economy, and its return in 2020 will provide more good news for local businesses and jobs.
Tourism is an important industry for Bendigo and the wider Goldfields region, with 7.9 million domestic and international overnight visitors in the year to September spending an estimated $1.3 billion.
Bendigo is known for its strong cultural credentials – which White Night will continue to build – and is establishing itself as a leader in regional food and wine, recently awarded City of Gastronomy status in the UNESCO Creative Cities network – joining the likes of Barcelona and Montreal.
“White Night Bendigo was a huge success in 2018, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to the city and providing a major boost to business for local pubs, hotels, cafes and restaurants,” said Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula. “Bendigo is renowned for putting on a great show and we can’t wait to see what White Night 2020 has in store.”
White Night will continue to celebrate the creativity and beauty of Victoria’s regional cities in 2021, with Geelong taking over as host. For more information on White Night Bendigo, visit: www.whitenight.com.au for details.
Image: The Secret Life of Buildings at White Night Bendigo (2018)