The 2026 Bendigo Easter Festival will return from April 3–6 with an outstanding program featuring vibrant parades, cultural performances, family entertainment, and popular community run events for residents and visitors to enjoy.
This year’s festival, run by the City of Greater Bendigo, will also mark the Bendigo Easter Fair Society’s 100th anniversary. The volunteer-led organisation was established in 1926 to guide the Bendigo Easter Festival, which remains one of Australia’s longest running community festivals.
A special multimedia exhibition, 100 Years of the Bendigo Easter Fair Society – Custodians of the Grand Fair, will be on display at the Living Arts Space, Bendigo Visitor Centre, from Thursday April 2 to Saturday May 2.
Centenary celebrations also include the iconic six-metre-tall fibreglass Kewpie doll, originally named Violet, which will make a nostalgic return. First appearing at the 131st festival and in parades in 2001 and 2002 after being purchased by the Bendigo Easter Fair, Violet was one of 12 figures created for the 2000 Olympic Games closing ceremony. She will be temporarily installed in the piazza in Rosalind Park. (Please refer to the Bendigo Easter Fair Society media release for more details on this special anniversary).
Mayor Cr Thomas Prince said Easter was a special time in Greater Bendigo.
“It’s going to be exciting to see so much colour and vibrancy this year. The program features fantastic cultural performances celebrating Bendigo’s Chinese heritage, dazzling parades, bustling market days and an abundance of family entertainment,” Cr Prince said.
“The Bendigo Easter Festival is a homegrown treasure. Its success is made possible thanks to the dedication of City of Greater Bendigo staff who deliver the event, the support of the Bendigo Easter Fair Society, dedicated volunteers, local community groups and premium sponsor Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine and other generous sponsors.
“I want to sincerely thank everyone involved for their valued support, which enables us to deliver a welcoming and memorable festival for all.”
For the full program, visit: https://www.bendigoeasterfestival.org.au/
Bendigo Easter Fair Society 100 year anniversary
The Bendigo Easter Fair Society Inc. will celebrate its 100th anniversary at the 2026 Bendigo Easter Festival with the return of a six-metre fibreglass Kewpie Doll and a special exhibition at the Living Arts Space.
The Bendigo Easter Fair began in 1871 and was initially run by annual committees, often chaired by the Mayor. In 1926, a permanent Bendigo Easter Fair Society was established to oversee the event, bringing together representatives from the City of Greater Bendigo, Borough of Eaglehawk, Bendigo Hospital, Bendigo Aged Care Asylum and nine community-spirited members.
The society evolved with the times, becoming an Incorporated Association in 1983. In 2003, the City of Greater Bendigo took over event operations, with the Society continuing in an important advisory role.
Bendigo Easter Fair Society Inc. President Simon Mulqueen said the society had provided steady guidance for a century for one of Australia’s longest running community events.
“The society has been a dedicated custodian of the festival, helping it to adapt while preserving its charitable foundations and cultural traditions,” Mr Mulqueen said.
“I am very proud of what the society has achieved. What has never changed is the heart of the festival - generations of volunteers, supporters and sponsors have made Easter in Bendigo something truly special.”
Mayor Cr Thomas Prince thanked the Bendigo Easter Fair members past and present for their dedication.
“Congratulations to the Bendigo Easter Fair Society on a remarkable centenary. For 100 years, the society’s passion, dedication, and community spirit have helped shape the Bendigo Easter Festival.
“Thank you for enriching our region’s story and for continuing a tradition that brings joy to generations, a much‑loved celebration of culture, creativity, and local pride. Cr Prince said.
The centenary will be marked by the return of Violet, a six metre Kewpie Doll, one of 12 created for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony which appeared in the Strictly Ballroom segment for a theatrical finale. The Society acquired Violet at the Remains of the Games auction in 2000. Her name was aptly aligned with Bendigo Fair Society member Violee Myers Davey OAM, whose 80 years of volunteer service made the object especially meaningful in the local community at the time.
The Violet Kewpie Doll made her first appearance at the 131st Bendigo Easter Fair and featured in the 2001 and 2002 parades.
Although purchased by the Society at the Olympic Auction, the Violet Kewpie Doll has been owned and in the care of President Simon Mulqueen since the sale of all society assets in the wake of the City taking over operations in 2003.
Following restoration, Violet will be displayed in the piazza at Rosalind Park for all to see during the 2026 festival from April 3-6.
“Violet’s story demonstrates how internationally recognisable cultural artefacts, such as those created for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, can be meaningfully integrated into regional heritage and identity. Violet is a tribute to the volunteer commitment that has sustained the Bendigo Easter Fair for more than a century,” Mr Mulqueen said.
A special centenary exhibition, 100 Years of the Bendigo Easter Fair Society – Custodians of the Grand Fair, will be held at the Living Arts Space at the Bendigo Visitor Centre from Thursday April 2 to Saturday May 2, 2026. The free exhibition features a digital version of Violet the Kewpie Doll, film, costume, memorabilia, and archival images celebrating the society’s legacy.
As part of the centenary celebrations at the festival, the Bendigo Easter Fair Society is also proud to present Queen Rhapsody’s iconic energy of Queen’s greatest hits with a powerful Freddie-inspired frontman and authentic sounds on Easter Saturday on the main stage in Rosalind Park from 5pm to 7pm before the La Trobe University Torchlight Parade.
On Good Friday, the society will also present Wadaiko Rindo Japanese Drummers who will be performing in Rosalind Park at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm.