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.

An early watercolour painting of Melbourne's Yarra River.
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Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River

Explores the chequered history of the stream we call the ‘city’s river’.

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 illustration of a large white tiered cake, with a cherry on top, framed by red curtains, against a pale pink background.
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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.

Red laser beams dance across the water’s surface,
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Multimmersion: Upside Down V2

A contemplative exploration of light, space and reflection transforms the Yarra River – Birrarung.

A painting on black showing the back of a green man, kneeling near a fantasy garden of illuminated plants and vines.
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Fledge Radiance: Tré Turner and E Salmon

A curated exhibition showcasing queer Blakfulla artists in celebration of NAIDOC week

Inside a large, darkened gallery space with projected artwork on the walls and a single person viewing.
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Occupation Studies: ngayanhurra bayarral Birrarung

A new multichannel audiovisual artwork by artist Tahlia Palmer.

A sunset concert at federation square

What's free in Melbourne this month

Everything to see, do and enjoy in Melbourne for free this month.

Yound adults walking through an exhibition with bright lights on one side.
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MSDx: In the Making

Explore hundreds of design student projects in this behind-the-scenes look at the built environment.

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.

A printed swatch of fabric hanging from a solid concrete wall and draped over a wooden easel.
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Elizabeth West: Beyond The Frame

Beyond the Frame examines the shifting boundary between seeing and being.

A person in a gallery setting looking at a sculpture of an oversize wooden pipe with a sculpture of a giant peeled mandarin balanced on the pipe.
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Poetry Goes No Further Than Language

Explore a moment in mid-1980s China when a group of artists began to question values about art.

Portrait in oils of a woman viewed in profile with dark hair in a bun.
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Victorian Artists Society Portrait Exhibition

This annual exhibition celebrates portraiture in all genres.

Medium close-up shows a woman with short brown hair and light skin wearing a black top, her eyes are not in the frame.
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Social Networks

An exhibition that explores how we approach social and physical environments through language.

An illuminated textile sculpture in white / cream with a yellow glow.
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Arabella Strachan: Natural Light

An exhibition featuring illuminated textile sculptures exploring the natural world.

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 tour at the Immigration Museum, looking over a table with a video display.

Immigration Museum Guided Highlights Tour

Immigration Museum Guided Highlights Tour

Last updated on Mon 3 Nov 2025

Only In The City

Winter Only in the City - Checkout the cold list

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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.

A tall white box with the middle vertical section torn and rolled upwards, showing a white old-fashioned movie camera inside.
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Screens In The White Box

An experimental film program exploring the relationship between cinema and gallery space.

Large brass percussion instruments installed on a wall in a darkened gallery space.
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Revivification

What happens to creativity when it is no longer bound to a living body?

Painting of two individuals in a parking lot setting. A woman in a red top is perched on the roof of a vehicle, while a man stands nearby looking toward her.
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Top Arts

Top Arts 2026 offers a captivating look into the inventive and imaginative spirit of young artists.