THE GUIDE
Roughly half the 2026 East Gippsland Winter Festival is free. Here's how to play it.
The 2026 program has more than 100 events spread across Metung, Lakes Entrance, Bairnsdale, Bruthen, Orbost, Paynesville, Mallacoota and a handful of smaller towns. The official program lets you filter by Free Only or Ticketed Only, which tells you everything you need to know about how visitors are actually planning this. People want the festival, they want some of the headline experiences, and they want to know what they can do without spending a cent.
This is a local's plain-English guide to both sides of that question. What's free. What's worth paying for. How to build a budget weekend. What will sell out first. Exact prices and tickets sit on the official program, because they change, and because I'd rather send you to the source than make something up.
THE QUICK VERSION
Is the festival free?
Partly. About half the events are free entry, the rest are ticketed. Both sides are good.
What can I do for free?
Fire and Ice @ Metung, the Bruthen Medieval Winter Fire Festival, the Lakes Lights lantern parade, the Metung Winter Market, Orbost Sunday Sessions, lantern making workshops, and several free art exhibitions. A full weekend of programming without a ticket is genuinely doable.
What's worth paying for?
The new Metung Igloo Dining Experience, Guy Grossi's Inverno Part III at Sodafish, the Nicholson River Trestle Bridge Long Lunch on opening day, and Paul West's Ember and Ales Feast at Sailors Grave. Pick one if you're on a budget.
When do tickets sell out?
The new 2026 additions go first. Igloo Dining and the Idle Lake House Floating Cinema are limited capacity. The headline dining events sell out fast every year.
How much should I budget?
$0 if you stick to free events. $80 to $150 to add one ticketed mid-range dinner or ball. Premium dining experiences sit higher, prices via the program.
Full dates, ticket prices and booking links: egwinterfest.com.au/program.
FREE EVENTS
Fire & Light
Bruthen Medieval Winter Fire Festival
Bruthen | Free | Family-friendly
Knights in armour, flaming sword fights, bonfires, and proper fire shows. This is one of the best free family events on the whole program. Worth the drive from anywhere in the region. Bring layers and a head torch for the walk back to the car.
Lakes Lights Community Lantern Parade
Lakes Entrance | Free | All ages
The marquee free event of the festival. Artist-made lanterns parade through Lakes Entrance with projection art lighting up the foreshore. Bring the kids, bring a beanie, give yourself plenty of time for parking.
Lantern Making Workshops
Multiple locations | Free | Booking via program
Make your own lantern before the Lakes Lights parade or just for the lounge room. Workshops run at various regional locations across the festival period. Spots are free but limited, so book through the official program.
Fire & Ice @ Metung
Metung Village Green, Bancroft Bay | Free | Family-friendly
Live ice carving, fire breathing, a paper lantern parade at sunset, dumpling eating contest, CFA fire truck tours and giant lawn games. A Bancroft Bay Distillery gin bar and a Sailors Grave Brewing tap shack are on site if you want a drink. Full breakdown in my Metung Winter Festival guide.
Markets & Community
Metung Winter Market
Bancroft Bay, Metung | Free entry
Lakeside winter market with local produce, homemade treats and handmade goods. Entry is free, you only pay for what you buy. Pair it with the 'Oodie In on the Village Green right after.
Metung 'Oodie In
Village Green, Metung | Free | Community fundraiser
Wear your Oodie, head down to the Village Green, join in for games, prizes and treats. Supports Variety - the Children's Charity, so bring a gold coin even though entry is free.
Music & Performance
Orbost Sunday Sessions
Orbost Arts Centre | 21 June & 19 July | Free
Two free Sunday sessions at the Orbost Arts Centre. 21 June is Snowy Jammers and Steve the Singing Plumber. 19 July goes Rockabilly with DJ Ray Crome. Properly local, properly fun, the kind of thing you stumble into and stay for hours.
Nowa Nowa Sunday Sessions
Nowa Nowa Hall | Free | BBQ + BYO
Intimate live music at the Nowa Nowa hall featuring Liv Cartledge, Dan Cully and Kate Mahood. BBQ on the go, BYO if you fancy a beer. The kind of free event that reminds you why regional Victoria is good.
Art & Culture
Enchanted Community Art Exhibition
Orbost Arts Centre | 19 June - 9 July | Free entry
Community art exhibition running for three weeks at the Orbost Arts Centre. Free, walk in any day, great to combine with one of the Sunday Sessions.
South East NOW 2026
East Gippsland Art Gallery, Bairnsdale | Free entry
A serious art exhibition: 25 artists, presented by the East Gippsland Art Gallery in partnership with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation. Free entry. If you're spending a winter weekend down here, do not miss this.
MA Space Gallery Winter Solstice Gathering
Mallacoota | Free | Three-day creative gathering
Three days of creative programming around the winter solstice at MA Space Gallery in Mallacoota. If you're heading down for solstice anyway, this is the cultural anchor for the weekend.
TICKETED EVENTS WORTH THE PRICE
Headline Dining
Nicholson River Trestle Bridge Long Lunch
Nicholson | Friday 19 June | 150 guests | Ticketed
The festival opener. A long lunch on a literal trestle bridge for 150 guests. There is nothing else like this in the program. If the festival was a record, this is the opening track. It will sell out. Tickets via the official program.
Metung Igloo Dining Experience
Metung | NEW for 2026 | Ticketed | Limited capacity
New for 2026 and the most-talked-about addition. A three-course dinner over 90 minutes inside a private igloo. Baked brie, sourdough, a welcome cocktail, and a menu built as a collaboration between Bancroft Bay Distillery and The Local Metung. This is the one that will sell out first. More in the Metung guide.
Guy Grossi's Inverno Part III
Sodafish, Lakes Entrance | Ticketed
Third year running for Guy Grossi at Sodafish with chef Nick Mahlook. If you're a Grossi fan, this is the food event of the festival. The first two years sold out.
Paul West's Ember and Ales Feast
Sailors Grave Brewing, Dunetown | Ticketed
Paul West cooking over fire at Sailors Grave Brewing. Long-table feast, paired with Sailors Grave beers. Outstanding value at any price point. Book early.
Balls & Headline Nights
Riversleigh Winter Masquerade Ball
Bairnsdale | Friday 10 July | Ticketed
Candlelit, live music, vintage-inspired glamour. Masks and formal attire required. Held at The Riversleigh in Bairnsdale. The big black-tie night of the festival.
Metung Bloodhounds' Op Shop Ball
Swan Reach Pub | Saturday 18 July | 7:30pm | Music: Xtra Cover
Op shop dress code, pub venue, Xtra Cover on stage. The polar opposite of the Riversleigh Ball in every way that matters. The locals' favourite.
Wrap Party at Paynesville Hotel
Paynesville | Saturday 18 July | Ticketed
The official festival close. Headline act 19-Twenty, with Todd Cook & the Rufous Whistlers, and Anna Scionti. Same night as the Op Shop Ball, so sort your accommodation accordingly.
Niche Experiences
High Country Hooch Scottish Festival
Glenaladale | Saturday 27 June | Ticketed
Ceilidh, whisky, bagpipes, bonfires. As Scottish as East Gippsland gets. If you've ever wanted to drink whisky around a fire in a kilt, this is your one.
Mitchell River Gourmet Packraft Trip
Mitchell River National Park | Sunday 28 June | Ticketed
A guided packraft paddle through Mitchell River National Park with a gourmet wilderness lunch laid on. For active types who want their food earned. Numbers are tight.
Idle Lake House Floating Cinema
NEW for 2026 | Ticketed | Limited capacity
A floating cinema experience, new on the program this year. Limited spots. Watch this one go.
Gippsland Jersey Winter Solstice Swim
Ticketed | Cold water
If you're the kind of person who reads "winter solstice swim" and thinks "yes please," you already know if this is for you. Hot drinks afterwards, which helps.
Up-to-date dates, prices and tickets for every event above: egwinterfest.com.au/program.
PLAN A BUDGET WEEKEND
The strategy is simple. Anchor the weekend on free events, then pick one ticketed highlight as the centrepiece if the budget allows. Here's a sample weekend that hits both sides.
Sample budget weekend (Metung-based)
Friday evening - Drive in, settle in, grab a casual dinner at The Local Metung or Albert & Co. Free.
Saturday morning - Metung Winter Market at Bancroft Bay. Pick up some local produce and a coffee. Free entry, spend what you want.
Saturday afternoon - Fire & Ice @ Metung on the Village Green. Ice carving, lawn games, fire performers. Free.
Saturday night - The optional ticketed centrepiece. Igloo Dining if you've booked it. Otherwise an Orbost Sunday Session if it lines up with your weekend, or just dinner at the pub.
Sunday morning - Coffee, then a drive west to either the Enchanted Community Art Exhibition in Orbost or South East NOW 2026 at the East Gippsland Art Gallery in Bairnsdale. Both free.
Sunday afternoon - Lakes Lights community lantern parade in Lakes Entrance on your way home, if you've timed it for the right weekend. Free.
Where to base yourself
Metung is the festival heart and the most walkable base. Lakes Entrance gets you closer to Lakes Lights and Sodafish. Bairnsdale puts you central for Riversleigh, South East NOW and the regional airport. Pick the town that matches what you most want to see. For a longer breakdown of Metung itself, see the Metung Winter Festival 2026 guide.
Run an event or business featured in this guide? Want better visibility next year when people are searching? Flick me a line at matt@yourmateagency.com.au. No catch, no fee, no pitch.
HOW TO BOOK
All ticketed events are booked through the official program at egwinterfest.com.au/program. The program also lists which events are free and gives you a Free Only filter, which is the easiest way to plan a no-ticket weekend.
Festival organisers have flagged strong demand across the 2026 lineup. Two practical tips:
- Book the new 2026 events first. Igloo Dining and the Idle Lake House Floating Cinema are the most likely to sell out before the festival starts.
- Book accommodation when you book the ticket. The headline dining nights, the balls and the wrap party all put pressure on local rooms.
Most free events are walk-up. A handful of free workshops and limited-capacity art events ask you to register through the program, even though entry is free. Worth a five-minute scroll through the program before you head down.
FAQ
Is the East Gippsland Winter Festival free?
Partly. The 2026 program has more than 100 events and roughly half are free. Free events include the Bruthen Medieval Winter Fire Festival, the Lakes Lights lantern parade, Fire & Ice @ Metung, the Metung Winter Market and several free music and art events. The other half are ticketed.
What are the best free events at the 2026 festival?
The standout free events are Bruthen Medieval Winter Fire Festival, the Lakes Lights community lantern parade, Fire & Ice @ Metung, the Metung Winter Market and the Orbost Sunday Sessions. All family-friendly, all on weekends.
How much do tickets cost for the East Gippsland Winter Festival?
Prices vary by event. Headline experiences like the Trestle Bridge Long Lunch and Guy Grossi's Inverno Part III sit at the premium end. Balls and dining experiences in the middle. Up-to-date prices are on the official program.
When do tickets go on sale?
Tickets are on sale now. The official 2026 program launched at the Metung Country Club on 9 May 2026. New 2026 additions are most likely to sell out first.
Are there free events for kids and families?
Yes. Bruthen Medieval, Fire & Ice @ Metung, the Metung Winter Market, the 'Oodie In, the Lantern Making Workshops and Lakes Lights are all free and family-friendly.
What's new for 2026?
Two stand-out additions: Metung's Igloo Dining Experience and the Idle Lake House Floating Cinema. Both ticketed, both limited capacity.
Can I do the whole festival on a budget?
Yes. A free-only weekend is genuinely doable. Anchor on Fire & Ice @ Metung, the Metung Winter Market, the Lakes Lights parade and an Orbost Sunday Session, and you have a full weekend without a ticket. Add one ticketed dining experience as a centrepiece if you want.
When is the East Gippsland Winter Festival 2026?
Friday 19 June to Sunday 19 July 2026. The Wrap Party at Paynesville Hotel closes the festival on 18 July.
Where does the festival take place?
Across East Gippsland in Victoria. Home base is Metung. Events also run in Bruthen, Lakes Entrance, Bairnsdale, Paynesville, Swan Reach, Glenaladale, Nicholson, Orbost, Nowa Nowa, Mallacoota and Dunetown.
What sells out the fastest?
New 2026 events first - the Igloo Dining and the Idle Lake House Floating Cinema. After that, the headline dining: the Trestle Bridge Long Lunch, Guy Grossi's Inverno Part III, and Paul West's Ember and Ales Feast. The Riversleigh Masquerade Ball sells strongly too.
Do I need to book free events?
Most free events are walk-up: markets, lantern parades, Fire & Ice. A handful of workshops and limited-capacity art sessions ask you to register through the official program, even though entry is free.
Where do I see the official program?
At egwinterfest.com.au/program. The program lets you filter by Free Only or Ticketed Only and is the source of truth for dates, prices and bookings.
RELATED
If you're planning a Metung-based winter weekend, the Metung Winter Festival 2026 guide goes deeper on where to eat, where to drink and where to stay in the village.
For a different long weekend in the region, the Easter in Mallacoota 2026 guide covers the other big East Gippsland date on the calendar.
For the short story on what we do at YMA, the about page.
A NOTE FROM MATT
G'day. This is the second piece in a small series I'm building on the East Gippsland Winter Festival. The first is the Metung Winter Festival 2026 guide. There's a reason for the series.
Right now, search demand for this festival is climbing fast and most of the top results on Google are stale 2023 and 2024 articles from publications that don't live down here. There is genuine, current, planning-stage intent and almost no current local content meeting it. So I'm writing some.
If you run an event, a restaurant, a venue or an accommodation business in East Gippsland and want to be findable when the next wave of search hits, flick me a message. I build websites that rank for the searches that matter, mostly for local operators across Gippsland and the Sapphire Coast. The proof is in the work we've done with Hammond Properties. No retainers, no jargon, no hot air.
Email matt@yourmateagency.com.au, call or text 0478 101 521, or grab a 15 minute slot in my calendar and we'll have a chat.