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Image Credit: Craig Gaston
UPCOMING EVENTS
2025
/ 2026
Since moving to Australia in 1978, John Wolseley has immersed himself in the landscape, an approach which has given rise to a variety of different ways of collaborating with the land itself. Since 2008 Geoff’s Natural Newstead blog has been documenting the nature of the Newstead district through writing and photography with a particular focus […]
The Castlemaine Fringe Festival brings its signature creativity to the State Festival with It’s A Kind of Wonder – a wearable art exhibition that transforms fashion into fantasy. Curated by Jody Galvin, Azzy Jay, Kya Moore, Ellen Doyle, Madeleine Somers, Martin John Lee, Andi Herman, Melissa Clark, Michelle Newton, and Kaz McMullan, the exhibition showcases […]
Marking the Festival’s golden milestone — 1976 to 2026 — the Hargraves Street Party opens our 50th anniversary with a joyful, powerful welcome to ten days of creativity, community and connection. This much-loved celebration draws on the Festival’s long tradition of place-based storytelling. Hargraves Street becomes a meeting ground for locals, families, visitors and artists […]
Genesis Baroque brings the vibrant music of the 17th and 18th centuries to life with fresh intensity. The ensemble’s players are some of Australia’s most respected early-music specialists, known for their precision and generosity on stage. Their historically informed performances use period instruments to recapture the emotional immediacy of the Baroque masters. For this special […]
After 9pm, the Festival opens two parallel spaces that show Castlemaine after dark in a completely different light. Theatre Royal and the Maxi IGA underground car park run side by side — one historic, one unlikely — each offering its own take on contemporary electronic music. At Theatre Royal, Intermood set the tone with their […]
All At Once… is a large-scale cane and bamboo installation that unfolds like a living system: a tall central dome surrounded by a constellation of smaller interconnected structures. Covered in translucent paper and textile membranes, the work appears almost organic – something part-built, part-grown, and open for people to gently move through. Each space has […]
We are born with an innate drive to play. Ask someone to remember how they played as a child and it’s like unlocking a cupboard full of treasures and surprises. Play is necessary to lead a balanced life, yet as the pace of daily life accelerates, we are playing less – both as children and […]
Painter Printmaker Jeff Gardner lives and works in his studio in historic Maldon in central Victoria. Jeff uses traditional etching, drypoint and letterpress techniques to illustrate his compositions and creative verse. His current exhibition – Daylight in the Daydream and the Insect Moons – explores Jeff’s interest in insects, their decorative influence on our lives […]
Created by Black Hole Theatre, Someone in the Dark is an immersive adventure for children and families – a gently spooky, wonder-filled performance about facing fears and finding courage. Set in the wild and designed to be experienced as a small group journey, the work combines puppetry, soundscape, and visual storytelling. Children step into a […]
Calling all tree lovers! Trace Balla – much loved creator of the multi-award winning Rivertime, Leaflight and Rockhopping – has a new graphic novel about the trees in her life. Come along for the launch of Trace’s new book and stay for a workshop. Do you have a special tree in your life? In the […]
Jeff Gardner’s Printmaking Studio is situated in a converted Sunday School adjacent to Cascade Art Gallery. Inside – an extraordinary collection of printing presses and technologies Jeff has gathered over many years. On both Saturdays of the Festival Jeff will demonstrate a variety of printmaking techniques on his beloved presses. Jeff’s printmaking practice includes works […]
20 - 29
March
2026
The Castlemaine State Festival began in 1976 through the vision of founder Berek Segan AM OBE and has now grown to become Australia’s longest running flagship regional arts festival.

In 2026, the Castlemaine State Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary and you’re invited to a party like no other.