Experience the excitement of the Australian Calisthenics Competition at the Royal South Street Society Ballarat Eisteddfod — Australia's premier eisteddfod and Victoria's largest youth performing arts pathway, inspiring performers since 1891.
Held as part of this iconic event, the Australian Calisthenics Competition began in 1903 and has grown into one of the largest of its kind in the country. Take your seat and enjoy one of Australia's most prestigious calisthenics showcases, featuring clubs from across Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, the ACT and Queensland.
Audiences will be captivated by the unique blend of dance, singing, gymnastics, technical skill and teamwork that defines calisthenics. Celebrate the dedication, confidence and camaraderie of performers as they take to the stage. Show your support with enthusiastic applause.
A proud Pitjantjatjara, Warrigmal, South Sea, and German descendant, Elaine Crombie is a storyteller with razor-sharp comic timing and a powerful stage presence. Effortlessly moving between comedy and drama, her stories are as heartfelt as they are hilarious.
Elaine is journeying though a grief season that's packed with all the fabourites tjamu, Nana, Mum, Dad and NannyGirl. Come along and see some photos of a very cute brownie, a chlorine bleached swimmer and listen to some tunes and complaints from a woman forever changed by stage left exits. This show is a part of Fringe Encore: Ballarat.
Elaine Crombie is a singer, songwriter, actor, director, writer and stand-up comedian who has performed nationally and internationally for more than two decades. She has appeared in multiple TV series including Firebite, Top of the Lake, Wentworth, How to Stay Married, Rosehaven S2, Grace Beside Me, 8MMM Aboriginal Radio, Nowhere Boys S4, Get Krack!n, Black Comedy, Redfern Now and Kiki and Kitty, and feature films including Jackie Jackie, Black Talk and Top End Wedding.
Degustation is a new work from One Fell Swoop Circus that blends contemporary circus and fine dining into a shared sensory experience. Created with Chef Shu Liu of SHU Restaurant, the show unfolds like a tasting menu, with each course offering a unique moment of delight.
Seated around the stage, audiences enjoy five courses from Shu's award-winning degustation while six world-class acrobats perform. Acrobatics and cuisine share a language of flavour, weight, heat, breath, timing, texture and touch, creating an experience that engages the senses and invites audiences to be fully present.
Continuing One Fell Swoop Circus' exploration of human connection, Degustation focuses on pleasure, intimacy and the joy of gathering together. More than dinner and a show, it is a celebration of sensation, where food and performance shape and elevate one another, course by course. Shu's cuisine and One Fell Swoop's acrobatics are both technically ambitious yet warmly accessible, grounded in precision, surprise and the simple pleasure of sharing an experience.
Funny, immersive and deeply alive, Degustation invites audiences to sit close, savour the moment and live deliciously.
One Fell Swoop Circus has toured acclaimed productions throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, North America and New Zealand. Their production In Common won Best Circus at the 2023 Melbourne Fringe.
Celebrate the very best of the Royal South Street Society Ballarat Eisteddfod at its premier Showcase Event — the spectacular culmination of the 2026 season.
Bringing together standout performers from across the entire program, this special event features the best of the best in dance, music, speech, drama and more. After months of competition, these exceptional artists are invited to take to the stage once more to deliver performances of the highest calibre.
Audiences will experience an inspiring and entertaining program that highlights the depth of talent, dedication and creativity nurtured throughout the Eisteddfod — Victoria's largest youth performing arts pathway.
This is your opportunity to witness award-winning performances in one unforgettable showcase. Join in celebrating excellence, passion and achievement, and be part of a truly memorable finale to the 2026 season.
Public historian and comedian James Ward has done what no one else would dare: build a replica of the Harold Holt Swim Centre and create an entire comedy show around it. The result is a hysterical dive into one of Australia's most bizarre historical ironies.
This show is a part of Fringe Encore: Ballarat.
Man Sings the Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour is a comedy show in which comedian Conk sings one song on repeat for a full hour. That's it. That's the show.
Which song? You will have to come and find out.
Part comedy and part live art experiment, the simple premise spirals into absurdity as the hour goes on.
The show won the Spirit of the Fringe Award and the Edinburgh Touring Award at the 2025 Melbourne Fringe Awards. It is directed by Casey Gould and presented by Quiet RIOT and Conk.
It plays at Fringe Encore: Ballarat, as part of the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Ballarat National Theatre brings one of contemporary theatre's most intriguing comedies to Ballarat this October, with a talented local cast taking on Sarah Ruhl's funny, strange and wonderfully human Dead Man's Cell Phone.
Presented at the historic Ballarat Mechanics Institute and directed by Benj Beatty, the story begins in a café.
Jean is sitting quietly when the mobile phone on the next table begins to ring. And ring. Its owner isn't answering.
So Jean does.
It's one small decision that draws her into the life of a man she has never met, and into the orbit of the complicated, surprising and often very funny people he has left behind.
Ruhl is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award-nominated playwright with a gift for finding comedy in unexpected places. Dead Man's Cell Phone is clever and gloriously offbeat, with a warm-hearted story about love, loneliness and the ways people connect.
For visitors looking to experience Ballarat after dark or on a Sunday afternoon for a matinee, it's an opportunity to enjoy contemporary theatre performed by local talent in one of the city's beautiful historic buildings.
You've most likely heard of it before, it's Piano Bar Ballarat's Drag Bingo happening every Thursday night.
Join two of their amazing Drag Queens as they take you through what they like to call Trivia for Dumb people - Drag Bingo.
It's six games of bingo, each with the chance to win fun prizes or gift vouchers and fabulous Drag performances throughout. Grab a bite from their delicious menu, sip away on a cocktail (or two, or three) and enjoy your company before the competition begins and your competitive side starts to show.
There's a break every couple of rounds and spots for photos with the queens for your Instagram feeds. There may also even be a cheeky time to push your friend on stage to celebrate their birthday, hen's day, retirement day, even their divorce day.
Bookings are essential. Prepare for laughter, surprises, and the chance to win fantastic prizes throughout the evening.
Every Thursday night at Hop Temple's Bingo with a twist- Musical Bingo.
Instead of your standard old bingo numbers, they play all your favourite new and old school hits, and you mark them off your card until someone gets Bingo.
There are vouchers up for grabs, and fun games with the hilarious and talented host, Luke.
It's $2 to play and each week they raise money for a different cause.
Kaze Karaoke is at The Sporting Globe Ballarat on Thursday Nights.
From power ballads to party anthems, they've got the tracks — all they need is your voice. Grab your mates, grab a drink, and turn The Sporting Globe into Ballarat's biggest singalong.
The Sporting Globe is a place where fans, fanatics, friends and families can gather and celebrate their passion for sport.
They're more than a sports bar. With a mouth-watering selection of food and drinks, over 50 screens at every location including private booths with touchscreen televisions, The Sporting Globe is the best place to eat, drink and catch a game.
Fr8 Fridays is Freight Bar and Rooftop's weekly live music experience, kicking off every Friday night in the heart of Ballarat.
Enjoy live performances from a rotating lineup of local and touring musicians, delivering familiar classics, sing-along favourites and relaxed Friday-night vibes. Each week brings a different performer, making Fr8 Fridays the perfect way to ease into the weekend.
While the music plays, guests can enjoy Freight Bar's full food and drinks menu, along with Friday night drink specials, creating a lively yet laid-back atmosphere ideal for after-work drinks, casual catch-ups or a night out with friends.
Whether you're starting your evening or settling in for the night, Fr8 Fridays offers live music, great drinks and a welcoming vibe in one of Ballarat's most popular venues.
A delightful, decadent and delicious evening of drag, sideshow, burlesque, comedy and clown at the Crypt in Ballarat.
This event will have performances by Starling Strix, Mara Maya Devi, Neptune Henricksen, and Aleksandra The Great. Hosted by Choking Hazard.
There will be a prize for Best Dressed. Merch will be available after the show.
