This has now finished. The details below applied up to Friday 6 November 2026 and are kept as a record.
At a glance
- When
- Friday 6 November 2026, 6pm to 9pm (Geelong time, AEDT), fireworks at 9pm
- Where
- Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds
- Cost
- Free and family-friendly, but registration is a must to get in
- Parking
- Free parking at the campus, according to the City of Greater Geelong and the Eventbrite listing
- Trains and buses
- Waurn Ponds Station is about 2.5km away; the 41 and 42 buses link the station and the campus
- Who it’s for
- Families, students and anyone in Geelong who wants to see the fireworks and the cultural performances
- What to do now
- Reserve a free spot on Eventbrite before Friday 6 November
- Last checked
- Monday 26 October 2026, against the City of Greater Geelong announcement and the Eventbrite listing
- Not yet confirmed
- The running order, the car parks open for the night and any extra bus services
Deakin University’s Diwali Festival is on at its Waurn Ponds campus from 6pm to 9pm on Friday 6 November 2026, it is free, and you have to register to get in. The City of Greater Geelong announced it on Monday 26 October, saying the night ends with fireworks at 9pm and that there is free parking at the campus.
This guide uses the City’s announcement, Deakin’s own Eventbrite registration page and Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus travel page, all read on 26 October 2026.
Is it free, and do I need to register?
Entry is free. The City says “registration is a must to ensure entry”, and the Eventbrite page, which is run by Deakin University, asks people to register early to guarantee entry. The listing says the festival is for all ages and lasts about 3 hours.
Register through the Eventbrite page for the 2026 Deakin University Diwali Festival. Questions go to unievents@deakin.edu.au, the contact on that page. We could not see how many places are available, so register before the day rather than turning up to register.
What time does it start, and when are the fireworks?
| Time | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| 6pm | The festival starts |
| 6pm to 9pm | Cultural performances, music, food and market stalls, henna art |
| 9pm | Fireworks, and the end of the listed festival hours |
Neither source gives a running order, so we cannot tell you when a particular performance happens. Deakin has not published one yet.
What is on at the festival?
The City lists cultural performances, music, food and market stalls, colourful henna art and fireworks at 9pm. The Eventbrite page adds a DJ, free activities and a rangoli artwork display. Both describe a free, family-friendly community event on an open campus, where Deakin says the food, activities and entertainment are all within easy reach of each other.
- Cultural performances
- A DJ and music
- Food and market stalls
- Free activities and henna art
- A rangoli display, the Indian art of making patterns on the ground with coloured powders, rice flour, sand, flower petals and other materials
- Fireworks at 9pm
What is Diwali?
The City describes Diwali, also called Deepavali, as the annual festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the world. It symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and hope over despair. The City says it is a time to light lamps and candles, spend time with loved ones, exchange gifts and sweets, feed the poor and clean the house.
The City’s 2025 announcement called Diwali a celebration of Geelong’s third-largest and fastest-growing culture, in the words of Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM. This year’s announcement has the Mayor saying he is looking forward to returning to the event, meeting community members, eating and watching the fireworks.
Can I park at the campus?
Yes, and it is free. The City’s announcement says free parking is available at the campus, and the Eventbrite page lists free parking among its highlights. Neither says which car parks are open for the festival, so follow signs and staff on the night.
Deakin’s travel page for Waurn Ponds, which is written for students, explains why the night should be different from a normal weekday. It says parking has to be paid for between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, except on public holidays when the university is closed. The festival runs from 6pm, after those paid hours. That page is general campus guidance and says nothing about the festival, so treat it as background and rely on the City and Deakin’s Eventbrite page for the free parking.
| Question | Answer from the sources |
|---|---|
| Is festival parking free? | Yes, per the City and the Eventbrite listing |
| Paid parking hours on normal days | 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, except public holidays when the university is closed |
| Normal casual rate (OPark app) | $1.60 an hour, capped at $6.40 a day, campus zone 1040100 |
| Free “Park and Go” bays | Car Park 3, blue bays, with a bus stop in the car park |
The casual rate and the Park and Go bays are from Deakin’s student page and are normal-day rules, not festival rules. If a sign or a staff member on the night says something different, follow that.
Is there accessible parking?
Deakin’s travel page says every campus has accessible parking spaces for people with a valid accessible parking permit. Australian Disability Parking Permits are valid in accessible bays, the permit must be clearly displayed, and a Deakin parking permit is not needed. If no accessible space is free, a vehicle displaying a valid permit may also park in orange or white bays. Victorian Double Time Accessible Parking Permits cannot be used in accessible bays, and they do not cover white bays where a Deakin permit is normally required.
On a normal day that rule is about permits. Whether the festival has its own accessible drop-off or parking area has not been published, so email unievents@deakin.edu.au if you need to know before you go.
How do I get there by train and bus?
Deakin says the closest train station is Waurn Ponds Station, about 2.5km from campus. There are footpaths for the whole way if you choose to walk, and the 41 or 42 bus runs from the station to the campus. Waurn Ponds is the end of the Geelong line, which our Melbourne to Geelong by train guide covers, including how myki works on local buses.
Deakin lists these buses as stopping on Alfred Deakin Drive, near Building DA (the KD Stewart Centre):
| Bus | Route |
|---|---|
| 1 | Deakin to North Shore Station |
| 40 | Deakin to Geelong Station via Breakwater |
| 41 | Deakin to Geelong Station via Grovedale |
| 42 | Deakin to Geelong Station via South Valley Road |
| 43 | Deakin to Geelong Station via Highton |
You need a myki card for public transport. We do not have Friday evening times for these routes, and neither Deakin nor the City has announced extra buses for the festival, so check each route’s timetable on the day before relying on a late bus home after the 9pm fireworks. If you are driving, a free car park is the simpler way to get out.
Is there transport from Deakin’s Burwood campus?
The Eventbrite page says transport from the Burwood campus is available for Deakin staff and students, pending interest. If you are one of them, select that ticket type when you register. It is not for the general public, and the page does not give times or a pick-up point.
What happened at the 2025 festival?
The 2025 festival was on Friday 24 October from 6pm to 9pm at the same campus, and the City’s announcement that week listed cultural performances, a DJ, food and market stalls, henna art, rangoli and fireworks at 9pm. The 2026 line-up in the City’s announcement follows the same pattern, so the 2025 night is a fair guide to the shape of the evening, although the details above are only for 2026.
What should I check before I go?
- That your registration is confirmed, and that everyone in your group is registered
- Whether the weather affects the program: neither source says what happens in rain, so check the Eventbrite page on the day
- Which car park to use: follow the signs on arrival, as no festival car park has been named
- Bus times for the trip home, if you are not driving
Sources
- City of Greater Geelong: Festival of lights returns to Geelong (26 October 2026)
- Eventbrite (Deakin University): 2026 Deakin University Diwali Festival (read 26 October 2026)
- Deakin University: Getting to Waurn Ponds campus (student page, read 26 October 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong: Diwali to light up Deakin (22 October 2025, for the 2025 festival)
Featured image: Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus from the air (photo: Bob T / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Deakin University, the City of Greater Geelong or V/Line. Event details can change; check the Eventbrite page before you go.