Acknowledgment of country

Polyglot acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and create, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. For more than 65,000 years, children and families have created and played here, and we are grateful to make our art on this country too.

March 07 - March 09 2026

Bees at Ballarat Begonia Festival

Bees is a joyful interactive work in which children are welcomed into a world of community, communication, wonder and imagination.

Bees production photo: Theresa Harrison. Polyglot artists in intricate Bee costumes are perched on and around a large metal pipe on green lawn. Children wearing handmade paper antennae and wings sit on the pipe amongst them. There is a heritage red brick building in the background.

Presented by City of Ballarat

Explore a buzzing, humming hive of activity, as three human-sized Bees busy themselves in the creation of a community alongside children who transform into bees as they play. The bees are fascinating, strange and beautiful, traversing invisible pathways and mapping delicate patterns across the performance space.

Inspired by the mysterious life and work of bees, this re-imagining of public space involves the slow uncovering of an intricate unseen world. Children are immersed in the sounds, shapes and scents of the bee world, from their familiar buzz to honeycomb houses. Bees uses ritual, non-verbal communication and the secret world of bee movement to provide a range of access points for children to participate.

Garden of Giggles, Ballarat Begonia Festival. Google Maps link here.

Ballarat Botanical Gardens, 401-405 Wendouree Parade, Lake Wendouree VIC 3350

Dates & Session Times

  • Saturday 7 March: 10:30am, 12:45pm, 3:30pm
  • Sunday 8 March: 10:30am, 12pm, 2:30pm, 4pm
  • Monday 9 March: 12pm, 2pm
  • FREE drop-in performances. No bookings required.
  • Accessible entry in and out of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens is available at all gates. To access some of the lawns with higher kerbs, ramps have been installed for easier access.
  • The Information Centre will be located in the Robert Clark Centre. Here you will find staff from the Ballarat Information Centre that will be able to assist you with your festival enquiries and advise you on other places you can visit and see while you are in Ballarat.
  • Travellers Aid, in partnership with the City of Ballarat, will be providing access support services to patrons. The service will assist people with disability or mobility challenges to access the event and with getting around the venue if required. Services will include the following:
    • Buggy transfer between accessible carpark (festival car park) and main festival area.
    • Wheelchair assistance within the festival provided by volunteers with manual or power-assist wheelchairs.
    • General information and support with quiet space at marquee within the festival.
    • The service will be available to show attendees from Saturday 7 to Monday 9 March, 10am – 5pm.
  • Patrons needing assistance can call 0491 767 177 to speak to the Travellers Aid on-site coordinator. This service is provided thanks to the support from State Trustees, Nigel & Patricia Peck Foundation, City of Ballarat and V/Line.
  • There are accessible toilets at each end of the Botanical Gardens. The northern toilet block has sealed paths and multiple accessible toilets.

Bees

  • Children and families choose how they interact with the performers and the landscape. Some participants may prefer a gentle experience, others may be more energetic.
  • Bees does not use bright or flashing lights.
  • Bees contains amplified sound and music that is played through portable speakers.
  • A Visual Story to help your family prepare for the experience is available to view/download HERE.


How to prepare:

  • When you come to a Polyglot show we recommend you wear comfortable clothing that allows you to enjoy moving. Remember that you have come for an adventure and there are many ways to begin finding your play. You are curious and this space is yours. Just as you might at the beach, do you take your time and dip your toe in to warm up, or do you run and jump right in? The worlds we set up welcome you to take your time and find your own way to your imaginative play; and our performers are there to join you, or play alongside you, and look after these worlds and their inhabitants.
  • Water, infants’ bottles and breastfeeding/chestfeeding are welcome, however we do ask that there is no eating (where possible) in the Bees performance space.
  • A Parent Pod will be located in the Garden of Giggles. It contains a comfortable seat for feeding or pumping, a change table, paper towels, sanitiser and a microwave. It may be heated or airconditioned (depending on the weather).
  • During the Festival, Parent Place will have the following facilities on offer – breast feeding location, bottle heating facilities, access to change facilities and a sensory place. This will be located next to Integra Tiny Town.
  • Food and drinks (including takeaway options) are available to purchase from the two large food court areas. There are over 20 different food vendors.

On foot

If you are walking to the festival via Wendouree parade, Crossing Supervisors will be in place at the pedestrian crossing closest to Pipers by the Lake to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

Bike

If you ride your bike or travel by e-scooter to the gardens, you can park it in the designated Bike/Scooter Park, located in the North Gardens.

Private vehicles (parking)

If you drive to the festival, there is a Festival Car Park located in the North Gardens, entry off Wendouree Parade into Zoo Drive. There is also ample parking around the Botanical Gardens, both along Wendouree Parade and Gillies Street.

Public Transport

From Wendouree Train Station you reach the gardens in 900m. There will be crossing supervisors in place at the crossing near Pipers by the Lake to allow for easy and safe access across Wendouree Parade and into the gardens.

Shuttle

Begonia Festival offers a free CDC shuttle bus service from the Ballarat Train Station.

Location details for the free shuttle bus will be announced soon via Begonia Festival. The shuttle schedule will align with the V/Line train timetable, departing the station at 10:01am, 12:01pm, 2:01pm and 4:01pm.

Return trips from the festival to the Ballarat Train Station are scheduled to coincide with trains departing to Melbourne, departing the gardens at 11:50am, 1:50pm, 3:50pm and 4:50pm.

Monday 9 March – PowerFM Begonia Festival Parade Day

Road Closures: Wendouree Parade will be closed from Carlton Street to St Aidans Drive, between 6.30am and 12.30pm (or until safe) on Monday 9 March only.

Heavy Traffic Conditions: Please be aware there will be heavy traffic conditions in Carlton St, Hamilton Ave and parts of Wendouree Parade (from Carlton Street and Hamilton Av) between 8.00am and 12 noon (or until safe), however these roads will not be closed.

Parking: There will be no parking available on Wendouree Parade between Nursery Drive and St Aidans Drive from 6.30am to 1pm (inclusive) on the day of the parade – Monday 10th March.

The Ballarat Begonia Festival is an innovative garden-based horticultural festival that showcases our city’s natural assets including our unique and rare collection of Begonias.

Established in 1953, the Ballarat Begonia Festival is an innovative garden-based horticultural event that showcases Ballarat’s natural assets including its unique and rare collections of begonias. For 10 months of the year, the City of Ballarat’s horticultural team has grown and nurtured thousands of begonias in over 500 varieties. The impressive collection is the rarest in the Southern hemisphere. The annual event is held in March and represents an authentic part of Ballarat’s story. It is one of Ballarat’s largest events drawing thousands of visitors to the city.

ballaratbegoniafestival.com

Ballarat Begonia Festival, LOGO

Watch the trailer

When

07 - 09 Mar 2026

Session time

Various

Cost

FREE drop-in performances. No bookings required.

Venue

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Age

  • Children and families

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair Access Wheelchair Access
  • Accessible Toilet Accessible Toilet
  • Visual Story (Yes) Visual Story (Yes)
  • Registered Assistance & Companion Animals welcome Registered Assistance & Companion Animals welcome

Contact

Polyglot Theatre

Contact

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