With the Bright Rod Run about to kick off in the Victorian alpine town of Bright, the organisers have announced that that 2026 will be the final year as an organised event.

The Bright Rod Run was originally hosted by the Northern Suburbs Street Rod Club, starting in 1991. The run was a massive drawcard for pre ’65 cars, until the club moved their event to the twin townships of Lake Mulwala and Yarrawonga in 2013.

Since then, the Lake Mulwala run and a new form of Bright Rod Run with new organisers (which is open to pre-1978 cars) have run in parallel on the same weekend each November.

The Bright event has grown larger each year, attracting high-end street machines from along the east coast. It is also become a traditional post-Drag Challenge recovery for some DC entrants.

Today, however, the Bright Rod & Kustom Club have announced that the event will not go ahead next year. There is no doubt that the first weekend in November will remain a gathering point many even without a formal event in place, but regardless, the news will be a blow to many. We have reproduced the club’s statement in full below:

Since 2013, the Bright Rod & Kustom Club (BR&KC) has worked alongside the local community to continue the long-standing tradition of holding a Rod Run in Bright. In 2026, we will celebrate the 34th Bright Rod Run. This club was formed to continue the Bright Rod Run for the benefit of the local businesses and to promote Bright and Surrounds to a wider audience.

It is with great sadness we announce that the Bright Rod Run for 2027 will not go ahead as a formal rod run. The lack of consistent support from Council and other regulatory authorities, combined with ongoing changes to requirements, the withdrawal of funding, the loss of access to Pioneer Park Oval and other facilities that have historically been available to the event, has made organising the Rod Run increasingly difficult.

What was once a well-supported community event has increasingly become an ongoing exercise in navigating changing requirements, overcoming obstacles and managing additional costs, responsibilities and liabilities. This has placed an enormous burden on our volunteer club members, and we have reached a point where we have seriously considered the sustainability of this event.

The Bright Rod & Kustom Club would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported the Bright Rod Run over the years. To our participants, sponsors, volunteers, local businesses, community groups and everyone who has travelled to Bright to be part of the event, you are the reason this incredible tradition has continued for so many years. Your support, enthusiasm and generosity have made all the hard work, stress and heartache worthwhile. We simply cannot thank you enough.

We strongly encourage everyone to still book the weekend, come to Bright, enjoy everything the town has to offer and continue supporting the local businesses, community groups and organisations that have supported us and this event over the years.

Whilst the Rod Run will not happen in its traditional format in 2027, that doesn’t mean the spirit of the event, the friendships and the community connection need to disappear. Thank you for being part of the Bright Rod Run tradition.