Melbourne's must-see exhibitions

A colourful art exhibition with a sculpture and letter painting on the walls.

From giant interactive installations to pop-up galleries featuring internationally renowned art, these exhibitions cannot be missed.

Free exhibitions

Black and white photograph from the 1960s of model, Twiggy, wearing a mini-dress at the Melbourne Cup.
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Swinging 60s

This exhibition looks at what it was like to live in Victoria during the 1960s.

Two people seated below a neon sign.
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The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

Historic photo of protesters at a women's rights demonstration.
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Protest Melbourne

An exhibition about Victoria's long history of public protest.

Animator and filmmaker Adam Elliot working on a claymation set, adjusting characters.
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Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

A woman walking through a display with shelves of military-style food packages.
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Taste of Combat

Honouring the vital work of the Catering Corps and the evolution of military food.

Man wearing traditional Italian dress - red hat, green waistcoat, holding an Italian flag in front of the Exhibition Building.
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Italian Festa and Expo

Celebrating all thing Italian at the Royal Exhibition Building and Museum Plaza.

A person's hands holding up a timber-framed oil painting of a farmland landscape with blue skies.
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Maria Radun: In the Moment

Oil paintings inspired by the diverse landscapes of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

Installation view of the Spartans & Anzacs exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance, with people walking around the space, reading panels and looking at displays.
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Spartans & Anzacs

This exhibition invites reflection on the enduring values forged in conflict.

Black and white photograph of a busy Melbourne city intersection with trams, cars, people crossing the road, and buildings, dating from around the 1950s or 1960s.
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Making Modern Melbourne

This free exhibition examines the tumultuous twentieth century in Melbourne.

An oil painting of a pink flamingo alongside a beautiful woman in a pink dress sitting on a rock.
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Yianni John and Sammi Edney: That Little Something Xtra

A father-daughter exhibition intertwining pseudo-symbolism and imaginative realism.

A little girl looking at a colourful display of cushions in an art gallery.
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Children's Play: Ragnar Kjartansson

A new children's exhibition by Ragnar Kjartansson, inspired by the idea of a theatrical feast.

View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River
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St Michael’s Grammar School: Twelve

An exhibition celebrating St Michael’s Grammar School's Visual Art and Design Graduates of 2026.

A realist artwork of mandarins nestled in white fabric.
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Genevieve Gadd-Carolan: Always A Student

A reflection of the commitment to the lifelong pursuit of learning and artistic discovery.

A black and white photograph of a family eating a meal at the family dining table circa 1950.
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You Have a New Memory

An exhibition that explores how and why we remember, through the lens of the Library's collections.

A painting of a woman in a pink dress, against a blue background.
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Emily Dober: My World

Enjoy the world of artist Emily Dober in The Gallery at City Library.

A mixed-media artwork on an oversized playing card.
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The Community Art Card Project

Gallery visitors can engage in collaborative art-making to create an installation.

An oil painting of the Australian sub-tropical rainforest with a small blue car driving on a black road curving through the middle.
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Ellsworth Overton: 50 Years with VAS

A new exhibition marking five decades of Ellsworth Overton's association with the VAS.

Mossy bird's nest balanced between twig branches on a tree.
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Design X Nature

An outdoor exhibition of artworks exploring how natural systems inform creative practice.

A abstract artwork in shades of cobalt blue, red, and cream.
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Recurring Echoes: Liliana Barbieri

An exhibition celebrating 25 years of artistic practice by Liliana Di Lizio Barbieri.

Trees and buildings reflected in water.
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Preview: The City on the Water. Cercando la Città Altrove

Italian-Australian photographic project unveiled at Melbourne's Italian Festa 2026

Blockbuster exhibitions

Two individuals talking to each other inside Melbourne Museum at night, with blue lighting.
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Nocturnal: Museum After Dark

Experience Melbourne Museum after hours, when the doors stay open and the night belongs to adults.

Events, talks and tours

A wall covered in framed images and photographs and displayed very close together.

Art and Heritage Collection Tour

Take a free guided tour of the art and heritage collection at Melbourne Town Hall.

People on a small tour at the Immigration Museum, in an empty room with columns and a tiled floor.

Immigration Museum Guided Highlights Tour

Gain new perspectives on immigrant life at this must-visit destination.

Last updated on Mon 3 Nov 2025

Only In The City

Only in the City
Inside a bustling market hall

Things you can only see in the city

Uncover secret rooms, historic architecture and iconic landmarks found only in the city.

A family of four standing in a grand library with antique desks, large white walls and a dome ceiling.

Things you can only do in the city

There's only one place to find these rare Melbourne experiences and secret spots.

Multiple plates on a white table cloth.

Things you can only eat in the city

Where to find the city's most iconic dishes.

Discover more

People in a corridor viewing artwork the walls.
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We Belong – Art Exhibtiion

Experience the creativity, identity and perspectives of deaf and hard of hearing young people.

Art photograph of a female floating on water viewed from above.
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Physis: Elemental Bodies

An exhibition of works by photographic artist Lilli Waters.

A line of woman holding guitars in an identical pose on a stage in front of a green curtain.
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Ragnar Kjartansson: Mercy

NGV presents a major solo exhibition of Icelandic artist, Ragnar Kjartansson.

A portrait of a woman sitting forward in a white outdoor chair, wearing a red leather swimming costume and boxing gloves, a gold medal hanging around her neck.
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Creatives x Creatives

24 photographers from history and Victoria today, photographing other creatives.