Ballarat Show 2026: Adult Tickets $23 Online, Gates Open 1pm Friday 13 November, Limited On-Site Parking and Shuttle Times Not Yet Published (Ballarat, VIC)

Adult tickets for the 2026 Ballarat Show cost $23 online or $25 at the gate, and the show runs from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November at the new Ballarat Showgrounds & Events Centre, 6 Rose Hill Road, Mount Rowan. This guide is built from the show’s own website, checked on Monday 26 October 2026. Ballarat is on daylight saving time (AEDT, UTC+11) at the time of the show, and all times below are local Ballarat times.

What time does the Ballarat Show open and close?

The Tickets & Opening Times page lists three different days, and the Friday start is later than the other two.

Day	Opening hours
Friday 13 November	1:00pm to 10:00pm
Saturday 14 November	9:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday 15 November	9:00am to 4:00pm

The page adds that all pavilions close at 7:00pm. If you want to see the painting exhibition, the animal displays or the craft entries, plan to be inside before then, even on the two days when the grounds stay open until 10pm.

How much are Ballarat Show tickets?

Each ticket is valid for one entry on either Friday 13th, Saturday 14th or Sunday 15th November, so you choose a day when you buy. The show recommends buying online because the online price is lower than the price at the gate.

Ticket	Online	Box office at the gate
Adult	$23	$25
Concession or student (students are 13 to 18 years)	$12	$15
12 years and under	Free	Free

Children aged 12 and under need a ticket to be scanned at the gate, and it must be bought with an accompanying adult or adult concession ticket. The show lists these cards and IDs for concession entry:

• Centrelink Seniors Health (green)
• Centrelink Pensioner (blue)
• Centrelink Seniors Health (orange)
• Secondary student or agricultural student
• Companion or carer card holders

Carers are admitted free when they accompany the holder of a valid carer or companion card. The show’s FAQ says there are no group or family discounts this year. Ages are counted on the day you enter the show.

Can I park at the Ballarat Showgrounds?

Yes, but not much of it. The Getting Here page says limited free on-site parking is available, and tells drivers to follow signage and staff directions. It also says to arrive early to secure parking, especially on Saturday. The show’s FAQ says to follow the directional signs from the Midland Highway and to keep to traffic conditions and staff guidance.

The show’s directions from the Ballarat CBD are to head north via Creswick Road, follow the signs to the Midland Highway, and turn onto Rose Hill Road, where parking attendants guide you to the parking areas. The pages we read do not give a number of car spaces, and they do not say what happens when the on-site parking is full. Treat the shuttle bus below as the backup plan, and check the show’s page again in the week before you go.

Is there a shuttle bus to the Ballarat Show?

The show says a shuttle bus will operate for the period of the show, but it has not published where it stops or when it runs. On the Getting Here page, the shuttle bus locations, the bus schedule and the bus stop locations are all shown as not yet published. The page does say the return shuttles will run continuously through the day, that no booking is required, and that the buses carry “Ballarat Show Shuttle” signs.

Because the stops and times are not out, this guide does not list them. The one stop the page names is for train passengers: it describes a free Park & Ride service from the designated shuttle stop on Lydiard Street North at Ballarat Station. Confirm that stop and its times on the show’s page before you rely on it.

How do I get there by train, rideshare, bike or taxi?

Option	What the show says
Train	V/Line services run between Southern Cross Station in Melbourne and Ballarat Station; the journey takes about 90 minutes from Melbourne
From Ballarat Station	Connecting bus or rideshare (about 10 to 15 minutes), the Park & Ride from Lydiard Street North, or a taxi from the station rank to 6 Rose Hill Road
Rideshare or taxi	Uber and DiDi operate in Ballarat; a marked drop-off zone is entered through Gate 3 and exited through Gate 2
Bike	Reach the showgrounds by local cycling paths from Ballarat North and Wendouree; secure bike racks are near the main entrance via Gate 4, so bring a lock

For train times, use the V/Line website, which the show points to. The show’s page does not say which train to catch for a given session.

What is on at the 2026 Ballarat Show?

The show’s highlights page names four headline acts, and the attractions page lists the rest.

• Rooftop Express, an arena show with horsemanship, stunts and comedy led by Dave Manchon, in the Main Arena on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• The Mik Maks, a family band, and Jack Briscoe Working Dogs, which demonstrates dogs moving livestock.
• Farmer Darryl’s Mobile Animal Farm, and Wannon Creek Wildlife with native animals, plus Billabong Ranch camel rides.
• The Family Pavilion, which holds the Art Club Hub, The Brick Pitt, the Natimuk Header Simulator and the Showbiz Harvest Hunt treasure trail.
• Rides, Sideshow Alley and Showbag Alley.
• The Grand Cattle Parade on the Show Lawn, shearing demonstrations, spinning and weaving, a car show and an engine and machinery display.
• An emergency services precinct with the SES, Ballarat Police, Ambulance Victoria and Crime Stoppers.

The highlights page does not give a time for each act, so check the show’s program or the show map before you go. The Your Ultimate Show Guide page has links to download the show guide and the show map.

Which day has the pie eating, dachshund races and woodchopping?

The Competitions & Displays page puts some contests on a set day. Others have no day or time yet, because the page says the details are still to come.

Competition	Day
Pie Eating Competition	Friday (more details still to come)
Woodchopping	Friday is a demonstration; Saturday is the competition
The Courier Dachshund Dash	Saturday; races run in heats of no more than eight dogs over an 80-foot course
Show Dog Jump	Sunday
Tug of War	No day or time yet; bring a team or register on the day, and the winning team in each section gets $150 cash and McDonald’s vouchers

Art entries also close soon. Entries for the Haymes Paint 49th Annual Painting Exhibition and for the art, craft, cookery, flowers and photography sections close on 30 October 2026, and the colouring competition closes on 11 November 2026. The painting exhibition is in the South Pavilion, which also has the Show Office.

Can I bring a dog, and what else should I know?

Only service animals are permitted, according to the show’s FAQs. The same page says:

• Most vendors accept card payments, and an ATM will be available on site.
• The new showgrounds are designed with accessibility in mind and are wheelchair accessible.
• Lost property goes to the Lost and Found booth in the Show Office, inside the South Pavilion; after the event, contact the organisers by email.
• Tickets are available online and at the gate.

The Food & Retail page lists stalls including Country Baked Potatoes, Curly Spuds, Moo Baa Cluck Burgers, Mr Squidgy, Pizza Party Hire, Shelly’s Snack Shack and Timboon Ice Cream, but the page says the 2026 details are still to come, so the final list may differ. The pages we read do not say what happens if it rains, so check the show’s website and social media on the day.

Sources

• The Ballarat Show (Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society; dates and venue)
• Tickets & Opening Times
• Getting Here
• FAQs
• 2026 Show Highlights
• 2026 Attractions & Entertainment
• 2026 Competition & Displays
• Food & Retail
• V/Line

Featured image: boat sheds on Lake Wendouree, Ballarat, photographed in July 2024; not at the showgrounds (photo: Peterdownunder / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society or V/Line. Show details can change; check the show’s website before you go.