On Saturday, 19 September, YO Bendigo proudly hosted its annual youth music festival, BendiGLOW, attracting approximately 600 attendees and delivering a vibrant celebration of local young talent, creativity, and community connection.
A highlight of the event was the Battle of the Bands, which showcased talented local youth bands including Aisle 27, Big Bird, Jitterbug, Potassium, Setonix, The Bluebirds and Velora. The competition also featured headline performances from Apples and Two Steps Forward, winners from last years BendiGLOW, providing attendees with an exciting day of live music.
The festival engaged 43 young musicians, six young stallholders and nine young volunteers, highlighting the depth of youth involvement and leadership across the event. Beyond the stage, attendees enjoyed a diverse range of activities including skateboarding workshops, stalls hosted by local youth, wellbeing and music organisations, market stalls run by local young artists, food trucks, and a range of fun and free activities such as UV face painting, henna, games and giveaways, ensuring there was something for everyone to enjoy.
The Battle of the Bands was judged by a panel of respected local music industry representatives, including local artist Sherri Parry, Ken and Yvonne from Jam in a Van, and Josh Rankin, a member of Two Steps Forward, last year's winning band. Competitors also had the opportunity to win a range of valuable prizes, including professional studio recording time, paid performance opportunities, branding and marketing support, music store gift vouchers and other industry development opportunities.
Selecting the winners was no easy task, with the standard of performances exceptionally high across the competition. Aisle 27 took out first place, Velora secured second place, and The Bluebirds rounded out the podium in third.
Did you attend BendiGLOW and didn't get a Support Local Music: Volume I CD or a BendiGLOW t-shirt? Don't worry, we've saved some for you! All you need to do is fill in a short feedback survey, take a screenshot and bring it into YO Bendigo.
BendiGLOW continues to provide a valuable platform for young people to showcase their talents, build industry connections, develop confidence and engage with their community in a safe, inclusive, and youth-focused environment. The strong attendance and enthusiastic participation from young people, performers, volunteers, local organisations, and community members helped make this year's festival a tremendous success.