Where to see the winter lights in Melbourne and regional Victoria

Choo choo! The Train of Lights is back on the tracks for 2025 and ready to captivate passengers with a magical winter journey through the Dandenong Ranges for a fourth year. Australia’s favourite steam train Puffing Billy will be your conductor for this trip that illuminates the natural beauty of the region with thousands of dazzling lights.

If you're keen to head on a cool-climate caper but aren't sure where to begin, you're in luck: the East Gippsland Winter Festival is returning for its fifth iteration. Rug up and hit the road for a month-long celebration packed with lavish winter feasts, fantastical art installations, live music, lantern parades, creative workshops, wellness experiences and much more.

While Melbourne has plenty of illuminated events across the city this chilly season, regional Victoria is also lighting up with glowing sights and cosy winter festivals.

Bendigo is one of the many regional cities with an illuminated offering this winter, with a huge, immersive sound and light event taking over the town centre during the school holidays.

There's a new addition to the glowing list of light installations that brighten up regional Victoria each year, with Mildura illuminated by an exciting new attraction. 

Created by internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro, who is also behind Uluru's world-famous Field of Light, Trail of Lights will glow along the banks of the mighty Murray River. It's made up of 12,500 glowing firefly lights immersed among the trees that visitors can wander through, as well as 3000 stems of light rising 3 metres tall from the waters surrounding the island. It's on each weekend throughout winter, you can find out more and buy a ticket here.