12.30pm
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And that’s a wrap from us! Thanks for tuning in for our coverage of Bendigo’s first White Night tonight!
The action will continue on the streets until 2am, so there’s still a chance to get out there to check it out.
Otherwise, relive the excitement with the videos below and the photos in the gallery above.
You can also see the faces of White Night in our gallery here.
Don’t forget to share your own pictures to feature online right here.
Enjoy the rest of your White Night, and good night!
12.23pm
How about those tram queens?!
Earlier tonight, Peter Buckell and Paul and Barb Wheelhouse were hanging back from the throng of people surrounding the popular Tram Queens, enjoying the performance.
They hadn't been at White Night for long.
But what they had seen so far had been enjoyable, more because of the way the community had received the event than for any other reason.
"The community has all come out," Barb said.
The group observed that everyone was smiling.
As Bendigo residents, they were appreciative that the event was showing off the city in its best light - literally.
"It shows off our architecture," Barb said.
White Night Bendigo was the group's first experience of a White Night event.
12.05pm
It’s after midnight, but the White Night action is still going strong!
Have you seen it all yet?
11.45pm
Good to hear we’ve been a well-behaved crowd tonight. Let’s keep that up for the rest of White Night too!
11.32pm
We’ve loved seeing all the pictures people are sharing from White Night tonight!
We’ve updated our gallery of readers’ photos – you can see it here.
And of course, our own photographers have been super busy as they’ve been out and about tonight.
Check out their pictures and see if you can spot anyone you know in their gallery here.
We’ll continue to update both galleries as the night goes on, so keep an eye out!
11.22pm
A different way of learning local history, that’s for sure!
11.11pm
Looking for top tips on keeping warm?
If the crowd around you isn’t enough, consider a boogie!
11.04pm
Always an important part of any event – the community barbecue:
10.56pm
Some more great feedback for tonight!
"You just can't describe it," Teresa Hammer said between filming the lit-up facade of the Australian Mutual building, near the Alexandra Fountain.
"You don't know where to look."
She and Ian Hammer were taking White Night Bendigo at a leisurely pace, stopping to take in the detail in each of the works they encountered.
"All you can do is say thank you Bendigo," Ms Hammer said.
Not having been to a White Night event before, Mr Hammer said they didn't really know what to expect.
They found themselves surrounded by music, art, families and friends.
"It's truly, truly amazing... it shows Bendigo itself," Ms Hammer said.
10.43pm
Carmen Nicholson, Shareena Pearce, and their families travelled for two hours to get to Bendigo's White Night.
They came from near Shepparton for the event, and they were not disappointed.
Bendigo's Town Hall was among the first sights they were met with when they arrived.
Colourful patterns, projected onto the building's Bull Street facade, had the children mesmerised.
"Park and Ride worked well," Ms Nicholson said.
She said the Bendigo Racecourse was 'flat out' when her family parked and caught the bus into the CBD.
"We had to get on the second bus," one of the children said.
10.30pm
Journalist Chris Pedler talks to a few people at White Night and takes us on a tour of Rosalind Park here:
10.20pm
We’re at the point in the night we like to call “Spot the Simpsons reference”:
10.04pm
We’re now into the third hour of White Night here in Bendigo!
The temperature might be dropping but the excitement is only growing!
And with cool features like this around, what else could you expect?!
A quick reminder, White Night is set to continue until 2am.
If you haven’t made it along yet, why not consider one of the public transport options to get you there?
You can find out all the details in our White Night guide here.
9.54pm
Earlier, we spotted a Bubble O’Bill as well. What can you spot?
9.48pm
There is plenty of locals taking in the beauty of White Night Bendigo and no shortage of people making sure the show is packed with the region's talent.
Shannon Kerrigan from Bendigo sang in multiple flash mobs with the Gorgeous Voices choir.
"We have repertoire of songs about light so we thought this was the perfoect opportunity to do it," she said.
"We started at the station and figured out the trains so we could be ready for when people from Melbourne arrived.
"Lots of people stopped and watched and from there we walked through Bendigo Bank plaza and the arts space to finish at Dudley House."
Ms Kerrigan said View Point was her favourite display.
"We got to enjoy some of the gorgeous buildings and the Cahill Chambers looked amazing," she said.
Heathcote musician Mariah McCarthy was another resident eager to be a part of the White Night performances.
She performed from behind the iron gates at Temperance Hall as part of the Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival.
"It's been really cool. There were lots of jokes about me being in jail but it was great and lots of people wanted to listen," she said.
"It is pretty exciting for White Night to come to Bendigo and I always want to be invovled in anything that has music."
9.34pm
Can it be a festival without a flash mob? Nope!
9.28pm
Our photographers have been busy tonight!
We’ve got a gallery of photos showing the faces of White Night online now.
You can check it out here.
Got your own pictures to share? We’d love to see them!
9.18pm
If you’ve got children, Hargreaves Mall is the place to be.
It’s got a dedicated Kids Zone – perfect for children to have some fun and for parents to take a break from the rest of the White Night action.
After something for all ages?
Check out the Selfie Station!
Connor Cantwell waited in the lengthy line at the Selfie Station for the opportunity to be broadcast onto a building.
“It was worth it,” he said.
People chuckled as the 15-year-old Tribe Youth Theatre member pulled faces during the video.
Tonight was Connor’s first experience of White Night.
“It’s been really fun,” he said.
The highlight of his night thus far, aside from the Selfie Station, was seeing The Messenger striding down the streets of Bendigo.
We shared footage of the White Knight Messenger earlier in our coverage – scroll down to check it out.
9.07pm
There’s a chance you could make a few cents at White Night tonight – seriously!
You’ll want to talk to Kevin – he’s even offering penalty rates for your time.
Find out more here:
9.02pm
Okay, so it’s 4.2 degrees out there.. and it feels like 2.7. Eek!
But there’s so much happening, you’re bound to be distracted from the cold.
If you’re not at White Night yet and you’re planning to go, rug up and head on down – it’s a lot of fun so far!
8.54pm
How cool is this?!
8.48pm
Wondering if you should head along to White Night?
There’s a good vibe out there right now, with people in awe over some of the displays.
Lots of amateur – and professional – photographers are taking the chance to capture our city looking totally transformed.
Need more reasons to brave the cold and see what the fuss is about?
These pictures might convince you:
8.42pm
The White Knight Messenger is out and about – have you seen it yet? What a view it must have of the festival from up there!
8.27pm
Three-year-old Maisie Fitzpatrick had never been to White Night before tonight.
She and her parents live in Melbourne, but came to the region to enjoy the festivities with family.
The View Street attractions and the sculptures in Rosalind Park were among Maisie’s favourites.
8.09pm
If you’re after positive female Buddha power, this is it!
The 21 Taras installation is on at the Bendigo Town Hall.
It has previously been a feature of White Night events in Melbourne and Ballarat.
But what exactly are the 21 Taras?
This might help clear that up:
7.58pm
Great dance moves? Check.
A groovy setting? Check.
Funky ’70s disco tunes? Check and check!
The Groove Tram could be the place to be at White Night tonight. It’s on the corner of Bull Street and Pall Mall.
Head along, bust a move and have fun!
7.53pm
Meet two of our journos, Emma and Chris.
They’re part of the team covering White Night in Bendigo tonight.
If you see them out and about tonight, go up and say hi and let them know what your favourite part of White Night has been so far!
They might even have a few recommendations of their own to share.
7.45pm
Challenge for tonight?
7.26pm
A quick reminder to have your phone fully charged before you head out.
With organisers expecting about 40,000 to attend White Night tonight, there’s a chance you might lose your friends in the crowd.
We recommend setting a designated meeting spot if you’re going off in different directions.
7.20pm
Heaps of people out and about already! But it’s still early – we’ve got a big night ahead of us...
7.10pm
What a way to kick off the evening!
The lights are on and White Night has officially begun!
If you can’t make it, don’t stress – we’ll be bringing you all the action from throughout the night, right here!
If you’re at White Night now, or going along later, we’d love to see any photos you take!
7pm
Woohoo!
6.57pm
Three minutes to go!
6.41pm
Have you rugged up? It was 8.8 degrees at 6.30pm, but felt closer to 6 degrees.
But don’t fear – a bit of cold weather won’t deter White Night from going ahead!
Yesterday, City of Greater Bendigo tourism and major events manager Terry Karamaloudis said it would take severe weather conditions for White Night to be called off.
“The weather forecast at the moment is favourable,” he said. “It’s on the cooler side, so we would encourage people to rug up, bring a coat and beanie and keep warm.
“Event organisers will be monitoring weather conditions by the minute but it would take a severe change before any decision was made to not proceed with the event.
Take some style tips from Miller and Mackenna, who are rugged up and waiting for White Night to start.
Not long to go now!
6.36pm
More from the official reception – White Night Bendigo artistic director David Atkins says that more than half of the performers and artists are from Bendigo and regional Victoria.
He said that among the action tonight, there would be live music, a disco tram, and an “extraordinary plethora” of opportunities to interact with performances.
6.23pm
The official part of the evening has started with an invitation-only reception at the Bendigo Town Hall.
Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan says the White Night Bendigo program will showcase the city at its best.
Mayor Margaret O’Rourke is confident this won’t be Bendigo’s last White Night.
She expected about 40,000 to head along to White Night tonight.
6.17pm
Not long to go now! Who else is excited?!
If you’re still figuring out how to get to White Night, we’ve got you covered. Click here for information on buses, trains, trams and more.
5.36pm
Crowds are starting to fill the streets of Bendigo with less than two hours until all the magic of White Night begins.
Aaron Hall and Nita Rahayu are ready to entertain the thousands of people tonight with their Javanese shadow puppets.
Michael and Beth at Metamorphosis in Rosalind Park are ready to show the crowds the meeting place of nature and technology.
You never know what you will see at White Night Bendigo.
4.38pm
MORE than three hours remained until the start of White Night Bendigo, but Sonia Gould and her family were ready.
With colourful umbrellas in hand and blankets to keep warm, they had secured themselves a bench in Rosalind Park - a prime spot to watch the city light up.
Ms Gould, Margaret Black, Ashley Coad, and children Avaha-Lee, Xavier and Noel were keen to get into the centre of the action before all the car parking and seating was taken.
"The kids were all really excited to come out and see all the animals lit up," Ms Black said.
It's the first time the family has been to a White Night event.
"I never heard about it until the other day," Ms Gould said.
"My phone's gone dead flat so I can't send any photos."
As they sat, watched and waited excitedly, workers were hard at work preparing Rosalind Park for the event.
"I just hope the rain stays away," Ms Gould said.
Road closures came into effect from 4pm. For a full list of road closures, click here.
1pm
There is a buzz of magic in the air throughout the city this afternoon as Bendigo prepares to get ready for White Night.
Workers are putting all of the final touches on the displays which, come nightfall will light the streets of Bendigo.
People are already heading into Rosalind Park for a sneak peek of some of the colourful and unique installations for tonight.
Bendigonian Mick O’Shea said it was going to be great to see all of the crowds enjoy the visual spectacles of White Night.
“I just think everyone here in Bendigo having fun with their families at White Night will be fantastic, it’s going to be such a great night,” Mr O’Shea said.
EARLIER
AFTER months of planning, Bendigo is set to dazzle when it hosts its first White Night event on Saturday night.
Prepare to see buildings in the city’s CBD dressed up with light and the streets filled with colour, music and fun.
White Night will take over parts of View Street, Pall Mall, Bull Street and Rosalind Park from 7pm to 2am.
The cultural festival first launched in Paris as Nuit Blanche in 2002 and came to Melbourne in 2013 as White Night.
Bendigo becomes the second regional city to host White Night, after Ballarat celebrated it for the first time last year.
Despite cool and potentially wet weather on the way, organisers expect a huge crowd to experience the event.
City of Greater Bendigo tourism and major events manager Terry Karamaloudis said council had prepared for about 40,000 people to hit the streets.
If you’re heading along and taking photos, we’d love to see them!
Share your pictures by inboxing us on Facebook, Tweeting @BgoAddy, sending a Snapchat to BgoAddy, using the hashtag #bendigoadvertiser on Instagram, or emailing addynews@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
Can’t make it to White Night?
Don’t panic – the Bendigo Advertiser will provide coverage from throughout the event.
Check back at bendigoadvertiser.com.au for updates throughout the night.
What’s the best way to get to White Night?
With a number of roads closed for the event, public transport could be the best option for the night.
Starting from 6pm, five White Night buses will run to the bus hubs at Williamson Street every half hour until 3am. The buses will run from Eaglehawk, Epsom via Lake Weeroona and White Hills, Kangaroo Flat via Golden Square, Kangaroo Flat, and Strathdale via Kennington and La Trobe University.
Bendigo Tramways will run shuttle trams from the Central Deborah Gold Mine, Bendigo Joss House, Tysons Reef and Lake Weroona every 10 to 15 minutes between 6pm to 3am. There will be parking available at these stops.
The trams cost $3 a person, with children under five free.
Park and Ride options allow people to park their car and catch an express bus to the Williamson Street bus hub. These leave from Bendigo Racecourse; Lansell Square in Kangaroo Flat; and La Trobe University in Flora Hill.
V/Line train services will run to the normal timetable on top of extra coach services running from Bendigo to Melbourne every hour from 11pm until 3am, stopping at major hubs.
Coaches will run to and from Seymour (via Heathcote), Maryborough (direct) and Echuca (via Rochester and Elmore). They will depart each town at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm, leaving Bendigo again at 10pm, midnight and 2am.
Bendigo bus services will run to the normal timetable until 8pm.
- Want more information on road closures, children’s entertainment, food options and more? Check out our top White Night tips here
Cassandra Dalgleish
Digital specialist at the Bendigo Advertiser, via Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. Formerly a news journalist and sub-editor. I do the behind-the-scenes work to help journalists bring their stories to life online.
Digital specialist at the Bendigo Advertiser, via Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. Formerly a news journalist and sub-editor. I do the behind-the-scenes work to help journalists bring their stories to life online.
Chris Pedler
Chris has been with the Bendigo Advertiser for more than 10 years. He has great passion for the performing arts and is very supportive of the Bendigo live music scene. Outside of the news world Chris plays golf and, regardless of the result, loves watching St Kilda play in the AFL. He loves community theatre and has performed on stage with the Bendigo Theatre Company and worked with Baldrick himself, Tony Robinson. Story tips: chris.pedler@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Chris has been with the Bendigo Advertiser for more than 10 years. He has great passion for the performing arts and is very supportive of the Bendigo live music scene. Outside of the news world Chris plays golf and, regardless of the result, loves watching St Kilda play in the AFL. He loves community theatre and has performed on stage with the Bendigo Theatre Company and worked with Baldrick himself, Tony Robinson. Story tips: chris.pedler@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Emma D'Agostino
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
