Music & Performing Arts

On the stage

Musicians, actors and others involved in the creative industries come together with local business owners to create a lively music and events scene. Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal is the one of the longest running venues in Australia. Today, the restored 1850s building boasts a cinema and hosts regular gigs featuring Australian and international bands and musicians. There’s also regular live music at Shedshaker Brewing at The Mill Castlemaine, the Daylesford Hotel and Trentham East’s Pig & Whistle Hotel. Wineries, too, often host musical acts, especially during summer.

Time a visit to incorporate one of the many festivals. Woodend Winter Arts Festival (June) brings together the music, literary and arts communities to showcase vibrant performances and events. During Winter Sounds (August), some of the country’s finest musicians play in a range of eclectic spaces, from bush schools to vintage trains, in Daylesford and surrounds. Castlemaine Jazz Festival (June) brings together a diverse array of musical acts, while Town Folk Festival (November), also in Castlemaine, is a single day of performances by local and international artists on four stages.