Wonderland Summer Festival brightens the Bellarine

Alice would be proud of the Wonderland finding home on the Bellarine this summer!

There’s something about summer on the Bellarine that invites you to slow down, look up and lean into joy. The days stretch long, the nights buzz with salt air and possibility, and suddenly Barwon Heads feels like the centre of the universe. Sliding neatly into that sweet spot is Wonderland Summer Festival, returning from December 26 to January 27 with a month-long celebration of music, circus, cabaret and coastal magic that feels tailor-made for the holiday season.

Wonderland Summer Festival

When: 26 Dec 2025 – 27 January 2026

Where: Barwon Heads

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

 

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Presented by Wonderland Presents, the festival transforms Lahey Square into a vibrant open-air playground, anchored by the Wonderland Main Stage Open Air Theatre. By day it hums with families, markets and colour; by night it becomes a glowing hub of dancing, laughter and live performance under the stars. It’s an all-ages affair that balances big, joyful energy with the laidback charm Barwon Heads does best.

If there’s one act guaranteed to turn a summer night into a full-blown singalong, it’s BABBA. Australia’s leading ABBA tribute returns to the coast with a show on Saturday 10 January, that is pure, unfiltered fun. Glittering harmonies, immaculate costuming and hit-after-hit delivery make this less a concert and more a communal celebration. There’s a reason ABBA’s music refuses to age, and hearing ‘Dancing Queen’ or ‘Waterloo’ ripple across the sea air is the kind of shared moment that sticks. BABBA’s show is built for this setting: joyful, nostalgic, and impossible to resist once the first chorus hits.

Equally central to the Wonderland experience is Circus Wonderland – WONDER, a dazzling reminder that live performance doesn’t always need a stage and a microphone to leave you breathless. This circus offering on Tuesday 6 January leans into wonder in the truest sense of the word, with astounding acrobats, playful physical theatre and moments designed to make both kids and adults stop in their tracks. A standout inclusion is the Little Red Trapeze, making its Barwon Heads debut and bringing high-flying spectacle to the seaside. It’s colourful, clever and full of heart, capturing that old-school circus magic while feeling fresh and contemporary.

Beyond these standout moments, Wonderland Summer Festival unfolds as a choose-your-own-adventure. Music lovers can dip into a packed program featuring tribute acts like INXSIVE and TUSK where INXS and Fleetwood Mac songs shine respectively, blues showcases with Lloyd Spiegel and band, the swinging Sound Collective Big Band, and interactive crowd-pleasers like Trevor Jones’ Sing It Piano Bar Show. There’s comedy, cabaret, magic and silent disco tours that spill out into the streets, blurring the line between performer and audience.

When the sun goes down and the deck chairs come out, the Open-Air Cinema takes over with a program of beloved classics. Mamma Mia, Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Moulin Rouge, The Wizard of Oz and The Greatest Showman all get their moment on the big screen, proving that some films are simply better enjoyed beneath the night sky with a sea breeze on your face.

Food and drink are woven seamlessly into the experience. Seaside food trucks and a dessert bar serve up everything from street food to fairy floss, while the Jetty Road Brewery Beach Bar opens from 5pm with cold brews, Bellarine wines, tropical mocktails and cocktails. Add live music and dancing under the stars, and suddenly you’re lingering longer than planned. The nostalgic Ferris wheel offers sweeping coastal views, while the bungee trampoline keeps younger festivalgoers happily airborne from morning through to evening.

At its heart, Wonderland Summer Festival is about connection. Festival Director Melissa Head describes it as a celebration of the summer holidays, bringing families, friends and community together beside the ocean. That sense of togetherness is palpable. Whether you’re watching wide-eyed kids discover circus for the first time, belting out ABBA with strangers who feel like friends, or simply soaking up the atmosphere with a drink in hand, the festival has a way of making everyone feel welcome.

In a town that thrives on creativity and coastal charm, Wonderland Summer Festival feels right at home. It’s colourful, generous and joy-forward, offering a full month of reasons to gather, celebrate and make memories. For Barwon Heads, it’s more than a festival. It’s summer, turned all the way up.

Find all of the information and ticketing on Wonderland Summer Festival here.