The much-loved, annual Buddha’s Day & Multicultural Festival returns to Federation Square on Saturday 15 May and Sunday 16 May with an explosion of culture, entertainment, traditional Buddhist ceremonies, meditation, lion dances, children’s activities and so much more! Proudly presented by Fo Guang Shan Melbourne and BLIAV (Buddha’s Light International Association of Victoria), this major two-day festival encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate our multicultural society and commemorate the birth of Buddha. To celebrate the Festival’s 25th anniversary, spectacular digital light displays will spread across Fed Square’s façade and flood the Square with an animated story of the life of Buddha against a kaleidoscopic backdrop of floral and botanic images.   Join us for a short Light It Up Ceremony on Friday 14 May at 6pm to see Federation Square and all of our artistic installations lit up at once! Wander through our inaugural Lotus Flower Sanctuary, comprising 20 sky-high illuminated lotus flowers and enjoy some quiet contemplation as you rest beneath their stems.  For those more artistically minded, colour your way to peace in our Mindfulness Forest, or learn to think Good Thoughts, do Good Deeds and speak Good Words as you pour fragrant water over the infant Buddha in our new Bathing Buddha Arches, or join in one of our many free Monster Bubble classes to make the world’s largest bubbles! Recognised as a significant event in Melbourne’s calendar by City of Melbourne and the Victorian Multicultural Commission, the Festival’s primary goals are to promote peace and harmony, respect and magnanimity, compassion and cultural awareness, and to share the spirit of joy and happiness within Victoria’s community.

Figures of Love is a new exhibition presented by Fed Square, as part of a partnership with Open Canvas. Open Canvas is a social enterprise that works to support artists and crafts-makers who have experienced disadvantage due to homelessness, mental illness or other forms of adversity. Support is provided by providing a platform for artists to present their work professionally and earn an income, and through the provision of art materials. This exhibition is the first of two exhibitions to be presented at Fed Square, showcasing 40 works from 20 Open Canvas artists. ‘Figures of Love’ presents work from Open Canvas artists representing a range of styles and in varied media, including linocut; collage; oil on canvas; watercolour, pastels, pen, marker or ink on paper; and sculpture.