Sovereign Hill’s Winter Wonderlights celebrates 10 years of awe and amazement

ONE of Victoria’s bucket-list events returns to Sovereign Hill this winter, celebrating its 10th anniversary of captivating friends, families, and kids big and small.

The spectacular Winter Wonderlights transforms Ballarat’s iconic living museum into a dazzling display of awesome lights and magical delights.

One of Australia’s pioneering sound and light shows, over the past 10 years Winter Wonderlights has become one of the biggest and most successful shows of its kind staged in regional Australia.

Since the first Winter Wonderlights was held in 2014, more than 770,000 people have been delighted by more than 400 hours of light projections, with the event contributing an estimated $25 million into the Ballarat economy in 2023 alone.

Sovereign Hill CEO Sara Quon said Sovereign Hill is proud to celebrate 10 years of Winter Wonderlights.

“For a decade Winter Wonderlights has delighted families with a spectacular transformation of Sovereign Hill’s streets and settings into a kaleidoscope of colour and incredible sights,” she said.

“As one of Victoria’s most popular tourist destinations, we love offering visitors another way to experience our iconic site, which connects the past to today and into the future.”

For three weeks visitors can escape to Ballarat to wander Sovereign Hill’s incredible settings after dark. Last year, more than 90,000 people rugged up and attended the much-loved annual event.

Now on until Sunday 21 July, Winter Wonderlights will again transform Sovereign Hill’s iconic streetscapes and goldfields into a glorious winter wonderland, complete with dazzling projections, blazing fires, delicious food, warming drinks, hands-on activities, live music and interactive theatre shows.

Faux snow will float across the night and site that has more than 20 kilometres of twinkling fairy lights. There’s deliciously warming food and drinks, live music and entertainment, while a brass band will belt out carols and St Nick is on hand for a photo opportunity – all creating a Christmas in July event like no other.

WINTER WONDERLIGHTS 2024: PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Shining Streetscapes: Witness a kaleidoscope of colour and music as vibrant projections shine across Sovereign Hill’s iconic street settings.

• Snow: Watch as Main Street is decorated in daily dustings of white faux snow.

• Winter Wonderlights Dinner: Cosy up inside at the Charlie Napier Hotel for a hearty two-course winter meal of roast turkey and glazed ham served with all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding or chocolate fondant, $55 adult / $28 child.

• St Nicholas’s Grotto: Snap a photo with St Nick inside his traditional winter hut to celebrate Christmas in July.

• Diggings After Dark: Be transported back to the gold rush complete with a soundscape recreating a typical night on the diggings.

• Aura Sound and Light show: Sovereign Hill’s other sound and light experience. This 90-minute high-tech sound and light show explores the creation, discovery and impact of gold throughout time until today across Sovereign Hill. Aura performances begin after Winter Wonderlights and are ticketed separately.

• Arts and crafts: Little ones can get creative as they craft keepsake artwork to take home. This year, a pop-up toy-making studio will be set up where kids (and adults) can choose the parts, assemble the pieces, then paint their own traditional wooden toy or decor piece.

• Live entertainment: Enjoy nightly free performances including Wizard Jacobs Magic Show, the Christmas Mummers’ Play, Brass Band and choirs singing Christmas classics.

Winter Wonderlights tickets are available now. Admission tickets (valid from 10am-7pm) start from $68 for adults, $36 for children or $177 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 children) with some experiences and events booked separately.

Tickets are valid for a full day at Sovereign Hill as well as the spectacular Winter Wonderlights displays that begin at dusk. On Friday June 28 and Saturday 6, 13 and 20 July, Winter Wonderlights evening-only tickets are also available, providing access to the Winter Wonderlights night-time display from 5pm-7pm. These tickets are $39 for adults, $19 children and $99 for a family of four.Explore the full Winter Wonderlights program and book tickets at winterwonderlights.com.au.