Choo choo! The Train of Lights is back on the tracks for 2026 and ready to captivate passengers with a magical winter journey through the Dandenong Ranges for a fifith 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.
But if you want to join this glowing journey, you'll have to be quick – tickets sell out quickly every year. Here's everything you need to know to secure your spot.
When is Puffing Billy Train of Lights on for 2026?
This enchanting winter journey is on from June 26 to July 19, 2026.
What to expect for Puffing Billy Train of Lights?
The whole experience is a two-and-a-half hour round trip. Departing from Lakeside Station, you’ll be immersed in a spectacle of neon colours that brighten up the countryside with sparkles, rainbows and hypnotic patterns. The historic train will also be adorned with stunning visual effects, which will light up the trees, tracks and passing towns along the way.
Puffing Billy will chug along the historic narrow-gauge track to Gembrook Station where guests will disembark for a 55-minute stopover. Here, you can warm up by the crackling open firepits with hot chocolate and live acoustic music, and enjoy a sausage sizzle by the Emerald and Gembrook CFA (with all money going towards their respective brigades).
How to get tickets for Pufffing Billy Train of Lights 2026?
Tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday, May...
Winter is officially here, but that doesn't mean it's time to hibernate on your couch for the next three months – especially not when Melbourne's busy events calendar is looking this red-hot!
The city's beloved winter festival of music, dance and arts is back to warm our spirits. Rising is on now until June 8, and the jam-packed program includes group dance classes, large-scale light projections, live music and even the the world’s smallest ramen-ya. You can check out our top picks of the festival here.
Another winter favourite is also returning. Lightscape will take over the Royal Botanic Gardens from June 12, with a 2.1-kilometre trail illuminated by dazzling installations and sparkly sights. Rug up, grab a mulled wine and enjoy the show. Speaking of mulled wine, you can indulge in cups of the good stuff along with oozy, gooey raclette cheese at Fed Square's Fondue Chalet. It's you chance to have a cosy après-ski French village experience without having to leave the city.
Still hungry? High Cheese at the Westin Melbourne is on now, if you're craving an un-brie-lievable feast. Or head to the Queen Vic Market for the annual Donut Festival – a free, two-day event celebrating all things ring-shaped, deep-fried and sugary.
And don't miss Waitress the Musical, the St Kilda Film Festival or the Independent Music Exchange. Plus, if you're keen to hit the road in June, Winter Wonderlights has returned to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat, while the East Gippsland Winter Festival has art installations, lantern parades, live music, workshops, food and more.
When in doubt, you can always rely on our catch-all lists of Melbourne's best bars, restaurants, museums, parks and galleries, or consult our bucket list of things to do in Melbourne before you die.
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