I went to the Great Stupa today thinking I would only take a few photographs.
I knew the Death Festival was happening, but I had not really looked deeply into the program beforehand. Once I started hearing what people were actually talking about, I realised how much was happening behind the name.
More than I expected
The Death Festival at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion was described as a family-friendly day for reflection and community. What surprised me was how openly the day approached subjects that many of us normally avoid.
There were conversations about planning for death, grief, end-of-life wishes, remembrance and how we support the people around us. Hayley West from The Departure spoke about having a death plan. Peter Thompson from Thompson Family Funerals explored more natural approaches to funerals and burial. Hearing about natural burial and options such as eco coffins was especially interesting to me because these are things we do not often stop and think about until we are forced to.
Jill Rivers spoke about making death part of life, while Toby Wallace from Deep Mindfulness Yoga led the Grief Letters session. There was also Let's Talk About Endings, a conversation-card project presented by Lucy Pijnenburg that encourages people to talk about wishes, fears, legacy and the end of life rather than leaving those conversations until the last moment.
What I liked was that the day did not feel dark. There was a Community Departed Altar, light offerings, face painting and spaces for people to talk and reflect. Atisha Centre led a meditation, and monks from Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery later held a blessing ceremony.
There was even a colourful Mexican-style Hat Dance by SMACS at the Peace Park stage. Seeing that lively performance in the middle of a festival about death was an interesting contrast, but in a way it made sense. The day was not only about dying. It was also about living, culture, community and being together while we are here.
Talking about something we usually avoid
I think that was the part that stayed with me most.
Death is certain for all of us, yet it can still be one of the hardest subjects to bring into an ordinary conversation. We plan birthdays, weddings, holidays, homes and so many other parts of life, but many of us know very little about what we would want at the end of it.
Today made those conversations feel a little more normal. Some of the subjects were practical, some emotional and some spiritual, but they all came back to the same idea: death is not separate from life.
The program finished with a burning ceremony on the Great Stupa concourse. Visually it was one of the strongest moments I photographed, with fire moving around the ceremonial object. I only captured a small number of photographs throughout the day, but I am glad I had my camera with me.
I did not photograph the Death Festival as a full assignment, and I certainly did not see every conversation or activity. These are simply a few moments from a day that made me stop, listen and think about a subject that most of us usually prefer to leave for another time.
Maybe talking about death does not make life darker. Maybe it reminds us to pay a little more attention to the life we have now.
Here are a few photographs from the Great Stupa Death Festival 2026 in Bendigo.