Starring Dave Hole, Shane Pacey and Geoff Achison. BB, FREDDIE and ALBERT represent the pinnacle of blues guitar virtuosity. They used a minimum to create the maximum blues effect, and together they set the standard to which all others aspire. And the KINGS were superb vocalists, ripping into the very soul of the blues. Such […]
Buster Keaton in The General. Silent film with Live Band. Join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment as we take you back to the golden era of cinema with a silent film screening of The General, starring the legendary Buster Keaton. The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute will provide the perfect backdrop for this special event. You'll be […]
Image Courtesy: Melba Opera Trust An afternoon of song, arias and duets... The BMI in partnership with Melba Opera Trust. Come along and meet the 2023 these talented young artists, program coming soon... We will have a different program and artists on 9th July. Tom Nicholson - Baritone Tom holds a bachelor’s degree and a […]
FREE ENTRY | GENRE: FOLK / SPOKEN WORDThis is a celebration of local talent in music and poetry, showcasing the vibrant artistic community of our city. Featuring Cassells (Band) and Poets - Jazz Giuliani, Michael Heald and Nathan Curnow.This is a free event in the Heritage Reading Room More About Cassells Live Music Festival Meet […]
Dive into the mesmerizing world of Spanish guitar music with “Six Strings, One Heart: The Enchanting Spanish Guitar of Andrea Gonzalez Caballero.” This enthralling concert program showcases the prodigious talent of Andrea, transporting the audience through a vibrant musical journey that will leave them spellbound. The concert opens with the alluring “Fantasy on themes from […]
In these uncertain times, you need a voice you can trust. Someone who’s travelled the world and knows how to fix it. Courage. Integrity. Other stuff. Vote 1 Randy Feltface. Randy Feltface has spent the past eighteen years carving out a unique niche on the international comedy circuit. He was nominated for best comedy at […]
Join ARIA and eight-time Golden Guitar award winning singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden and her incredible band, The Prawn Stars, as they hit the road celebrating her fourth studio album ‘Hey Dawn’. Fanny’s third album ‘Fallow’, released in March 2020, was considered a ‘breakthrough’, winning the ARIA, CMAA Golden Guitar and AIR awards for Country Album of […]
Violinist Susan Pierotti and pianist Brian Chapman join forces to present a Duo-Recital comprising a rich and varied selection of works by Ludwig van Beethoven. The concert opens with a perennial favourite - the engagingly melodious "Spring" Sonata in F, Op.24, followed by the composer's final Violin Sonata - the serenely pastoral G major Sonata […]
Live music is back, just in time for the holiday season! The BMI presents: Motown Mistletoe.Dance your way into Christmas with the sound of Motown and Soul. Motor City Sounds will be playing in the heart of Ballarat! This is the perfect event for your work breakup, a holiday outing with friends, or just a […]
Haydn Baryton Trios Performed by the Gryphon Baryton Trio. Laura Vaughn (baryton), Tim Willis (viola), Josephine Vains (cello).
Take part in this important BMI fundraiser Featuring three fabulous bands: The Hideaways, The Harmonies & Surf Shadows The Hideaways The Hideaways takes its name from the iconic Ballarat cafe we all used to visit in the 60’s. We play every Thursday afternoon in Russell’s studio where we rock on to our most loved tunes. […]
Songs for Suzanne - The music and poetry of Leonard Cohen The fascinatingly enigmatic Leonard Cohen’s first clutch of classic albums saw him become one of the leading proponents of folk. Songs for Suzanne will be a celebration of the beginnings of a distinguished career of a brilliant singer-songwriter. Alongside standards including “Bird On A […]
Minerva's Secrets Night Tours
Night Tours
Fri 31 Oct – Sat 15 Nov
& Fri 12 Dec
Tour 1 at 7pm
Tour 2 at 9pm.
Linen & Lace Exhbition
Includes Devonshire Tea | $20
Sat & Sun 22, 23 Oct
10am-4pm
Remembrance Day:
A Surgeon Commander & A Leading Cook - Recent War Memoribilia
Wed 29 Oct & 5 Nov, 5.30pm.
Coming soon…
Rozzi Bazzani. Stella Day Out: Katia Ariel & Samah Sabawi, Rachael Johns
Coming soon…
Dianne Dempsey, Chrissie Bellbrae, Paula Gleeson, Rozzi Bazzani.
Coming in November…
Stella Day Out, Ballarat, Rachael Johns & Margaret Hickey
Australian Heritage Festival
Minerva's Secrets
25 April – Tour 1 at 7.30pm – fully booked
Tour 2 at 9.30pm – still tickets.
Spring Season, History Talks:
Ballarat's Henry Lawson - The Dragon's Den - Gold! Gold! Gold!
Wed 3, 17 & 24 September, 5.30pm.
Bubbly on arrival & Featuring quality items from our Vintage Shop | $60
The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute 2026 Calendar
Featuring illustrations from our Heritage Book Collection $40
Your gift will be tax-deductible this financial year if you make it before June 30.
Like many organisations the BMI faces significant funding challenges.
2 course dinner & lots
of dancing
