The Ballarat Begonia Festival is almost ready to bloom

Fun fact — Ballarat is home to one of the rarest and most significant begonia collections in the Southern Hemisphere.

And every year over the Labour Day long weekend, these beautiful blooms take centre stage at the Ballarat Begonia Festival.

Ahead of the 2026 event, the Ballarat Botanical Gardens team has meticulously cultivated over 500 begonia varieties, including heirloom and hybrid species grown exclusively for the festival.

“It takes close to 10 months of dedicated work to nurture and shape these plants into their prime — and seeing them fill the Robert Clark Conservatory each March is a proud moment for the entire team,” Ballarat Botanical Gardens curator Donna Thomas said.

A free event, the 2026 Ballarat Begonia Festival will transform the Ballarat Botanical Gardens into a hive of colour, culture and community this Saturday 7 March until Monday 9 March from 10am–5pm daily.

For the full program, head to ballaratbegoniafestival.com