On Saturday, September 20th, we lit up the Bendigo Exhibition Centre for our fourth annual BendiGLOW Youth Fest to celebrate youth culture in all its forms!
The event saw over 400 people come together to support young performers, get involved in fun activities, engage with youth service stallholders, and overall have a great time, enjoying everything BendiGLOW Youthfest had to offer, including food trucks, a great chill-out zone with plenty of games, UV Facepainting, laser tag and so much more.
Battle of the Bands
The YO Events team reviewed dozens of applications from talented local bands and artists to curate a standout lineup of eight finalists bands, with a massive congratulations to Around The Fall, Apples, Bunk Brain, Dead Silver, Deathcap, Electric Heads, Spinach and Rocket and Two Steps Forward for being selected as finalists and thank you for your amazing performances on the big stage this year!
The Battle of the Bands at BendiGLOW Youthfest was packed with talent, and the competition was fierce—every band brought something unique and gave it their all on stage. Choosing the winners wasn’t easy, and we want to give a huge thank you to Yvonne and Ken from Jam in a Van for taking on the tough job of judging this year’s battle, and a massive applause to our winners.
Congratulations to...
1st Place: Two Steps Forward
Two Steps Forward is a five-piece rock and metal band made up of Kai Arber, Harley Breewel, Josh Rankin, Megan Hooley, and Nathan Edwards, with a sound rooted in the energy of 2000s icons like Linkin Park, The Offspring, and Green Day. Congratulations to Two Steps Forward for being this year's Battle of the Bands winner and winning yourselves a $1000 recording voucher for YEE-HAA studios, a merch bundle from Trash Cult, a live performance on Phoenix FM’s 2026 Easter Procession float plus an interview on Live Music Bendigo, a spot at Gigfest 2026 courtesy of Live Music Bendigo (or paid gig if under 18 yrs), and a feature in Gig Guide’s monthly print edition, distributed across Central Victoria.
2nd Place: Apples
Apples are an indie rock band consisting of year 12 students, Gibson Paxman, Adam Letman, Samuel Fulcher, Molly Skoblar, and Isaac Lewis, who have been playing together since primary school and have no played at Fed Square and at venues right across Bendigo and Ballarat. Congratulations on taking out second place and winning a paid gig with YO Bendigo, as well as a $100 voucher for Muso's Stuff.
3rd Place: Deathcap
Deathcap is an alt-rock trio comprising Izak Glover-Pietzsch, Harrison Budd, and Riley Burns from Castlemaine, who have been writing and performing together since 2022. Congratulations on taking out second place and winning a paid gig with YO Bendigo, as well as a $100 voucher for Muso's Stuff. Congratulations on taking out second place and winning a paid gig with YO Bendigo, as well as a $100 voucher for Muso's Stuff.
"We were so stoked to find out that we had won the Battle of the Bands. We’d put a lot of work over the years to ensure we’d play our absolute best, and this year just seemed like the perfect time with our originals and increasing growth. What was great about attending Battle of the Bands was all the connections we’d made for future opportunities, especially Apples and Deathcap, whom we were so proud to share the victory with."
- Two Steps Forward
In between sets, we were blessed with the sounds of DJ Tonky on the deck keeping the vibes alive.
A huge shout-out to our incredible headliners, The Chans and The Unknown who both the crowd up and dancing.
Away from the stage, there was activities for everyone! Skate Park Leagues had everyone padded up and learning how to skateboard, The Zone's inflatable laser tag was a hit, Phoenix FM was broadcasting live with interviews from all the bands and there were plenty of fun and interactive stalls held by Tangerine Cat, Get Psych'd, Bendigo Animal Rescue Centre, Bendigo TAFE and Connecting Futures. The YO Events team also held DIY t-shirts, badgemaking, neon art and tarot reading stalls. And we can't forget headspace Bendigo who held down the Chill Out zone upstairs with calm and relaxing games and activities.
And all events need a good feed - thank you to Twista Bros, Taco Man and Fresh Tandoori for your delicious service.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2025 BendiGLOW Youth Fest to celebrate young people and the next generation of music.
We would love to hear your feedback (insert feedback survey).
We can't wait to see you all again next year!
BendiGLOW Youth event was proudly delivered by YO Bendigo, and the YO Events team, a group of 12 - 25 year old volunteers who come together to plan and deliver fun, safe and inclusive events for local young people. If you're interested in getting involved in BendiGLOW and other events, sign up to the YO Events team.
This event was funded through the Victorian Government's Amplify program, with additional funding from the Victorian Youth Fest program.
We would like to thank Phoenix FM, Muso's Stuff, The Push, YEE HAA! and Coliban Water for your support in delivering this event.
