Sunday Mid-Summer Sounds at Ashcombe Maze: Pizza, Wine & Live Music in Shoreham

On a sunlit Sunday at Ashcombe Maze in Shoreham, Victoria, summer slows to an easy rhythm: wood-fired pizza smoke drifts across 25 acres of gardens, a local guitarist threads through rays of light in the eucalypt, and the lavender stands thick and fragrant along paths. Sunday Mid-Summer Sounds gathers locals and visitors alike on the lawns of Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens for an afternoon of music, picnic culture, and old-fashioned garden play. Located on the Mornington Peninsula, Ashcombe Maze is known for Australia’s oldest and most famous hedge maze and a network of themed gardens that reward casual wandering. The scene centers on the South Maze and the lavender beds, where bees hum and visitors trade scoop lines for lavender ice cream and Jock’s classic cones. Food comes from La Brace’s wood-fired oven—Napolitana-style pizzas that pair naturally with Kerri Greens Wines and gin cocktails from herbit G!N. St Ali Coffee and other stall vendors keep the afternoon fueled. Lawn games, a gnome & fairy hunt for kids, and open lawns make this more than a concert: it’s a low-key summer festival spread across woodland and hedgerow. What makes this experience special is how it layers sensory detail into a walkable landscape. The hedge maze is a rare, cultivated form of landscape play; the lavender gardens are a living crop that changes with season; the cool-climate wines speak to local terroir on the Mornington Peninsula. For families and couples, it’s a stop that combines simple pleasures—craft food, music, and gardens—with the curiosity of a historic maze. Practical notes: your ticket includes full access to Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens for the afternoon; food and drinks are purchased on site. Bring a picnic rug or low chair, sunscreen and a relaxed summer attitude. Paths are mostly gravel and lawn; wear sturdy sandals or trainers. The event runs roughly five hours and suits casual walkers and families rather than long-distance hikers. Tickets grant access to multiple hedge mazes including the iconic South Maze, the lavender gardens, and family activities such as the gnome & fairy hunt and lawn games. The site’s mixture of cultivated hedging, native coastal eucalypts, and cultivated lavender creates a layered habitat where native bees and honeyeaters are common. Bring reusable water bottles, support on-site vendors, and leave no trace to keep the place thriving. Sunday Mid-Summer Sounds is a standout in the local recreation calendar because it folds local producers into landscape-based leisure: winemakers, wood-fired pizza, small-batch gin, and an historic maze all operating in one place. Whether you come for the music, the maze, or the lavender-scented air, the event offers an accessible way to experience the Mornington Peninsula’s garden culture without leaving the picnic blanket behind.