Our Light It Up Opening Ceremony will launch the 2025 Buddha’s Day & Multicultural Festival by celebrating light overpowering darkness, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. The Ceremony will be conducted by the Chief Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Temples in Australia & New Zealand, together with Venerables of Fo Guang Shan from around Australia.
Join us from 6.30 pm on Friday, 2 May, for a signature event that typically draws dignitaries from all levels of government, including representatives from all four houses of parliament and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne. The opening night features cultural performances from the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne and traditional Buddhist ceremonies by Venerables of Fo Guang Shan. It culminates with an incredible animated light projection that brings the iconic five-storey Bodhi Tree mural at 217 Lonsdale Street to life, with bold and expanded visuals, surpassing its dazzling 2022 debut.
Nearby, sky-high lotus flowers will also be illuminated, together with every other installation across the Festival precinct, including the Lumbini Garden.