What's free and what's open on the King's Birthday long weekend

Flinders Street Station illuminated blue at night.

It may have changed from the Queen's Birthday to the King's Birthday, but you can still have a royal long weekend at the city's best restaurants, festivals, free events and more.

When is the King's Birthday long weekend?

In 2027, the King's Birthday public holiday falls on Monday 14 June.

Free things to do on the long weekend

Portrait of a woman with her face painted blue and embellished with gold stars, wearing a colourful, fan-like headdress.
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Passage: The Art of Atong Atem

NGV presents the first-ever major solo exhibition of contemporary artist Atong Atem.

Two children resting their hands on the glass water wall at NGV International.

NGV International

NGV International houses a whole world of international art.

The exterior of the Koorie Heritage Trust at Fed Square with a yellow KHT sign out the front.

Koorie Heritage Trust

An Australian First Peoples arts and cultural centre.

Large, rectangular building of Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

The world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art.

Aerial view of the Shrine of Remembrance, surrounding parklands and the city buildings .

Shrine of Remembrance

The national war memorial of Victoria, honouring all Australians who have served their country.

Interior of SoyToy Club store looking out to the window that has a large AstroBoy image painted on it.

SoyToy Club

An independent streetwear brand merging Japanese culture with Melbourne street style.

Grand palazzo-style facade of Old Treasury Building.

Old Treasury Building

Discover Melbourne's history in one of its finest 19th century buildings.

The exterior of Blindside Gallery, with an open door, and a large window showing the white walls and artwork inside.

Blindside Gallery

An independent contemporary art gallery located in North Melbourne.

Dark silhouettes against panels of red and blue in a dark exhibition space.

ACMI

Museum dedicated to the moving image through events, film screenings and exhibitions.

A table in a gallery covering in round shell-like coloured glass pieces.

Tolarno Galleries

One of Australia’s most stimulating exhibitors of contemporary art and design.

Outside of the Melbourne Town Hall building, as seen from Swanston Street.

Melbourne Town Hall Tours

Take a tour of one of Melbourne's most iconic buildings.

A tall brick building with people outside and a large detailed entrance.

Science Gallery Melbourne

A free gallery where arts and science collide.

Looking out through floor to ceiling glass windows onto buildings around a courtyard, part of the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre.

Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre

A place of inspiration and vitality, that promotes the spirit and charism of Saint Mary MacKillop.

Person walking in a laneway that's painted in brightly-coloured stripes.

Flash Forward

Explore 40 city laneways that have been transformed by over 80 creatives.

A basketballer in a yellow t-shirt and black shorts bouncing a basketball with his right hand.

Puma

One of the world's leading sport lifestyle companies for footwear, apparel and accessories.

Family-friendly events

A child engaging in an immersive augmented reality adventure game standing in front of a brick wall and holding a digital device up high.

Hunters and Raiders

A world-first AR treasure hunt filled with clues, mystery and real-world adventure.

A large outdoor mosaic sculpture of an abstract face, in front of the entrance to Southgate, with several tall buildings in the background.

Southgate

A dining precinct located on the banks of the Yarra River, opposite Flinders Street Station.

Baby looking in a mirror.

Children's Gallery Melbourne Museum

This is a wondrous place for young children to explore, play and learn.

People looking at large posters with information about the Metro Tunnel and a display in the centre

Metro Tunnel HQ

Discover the future of rail in Victoria, with activities and interactive games for all ages.

Painted bears of various sizes standing on a wooden ledge.

Bear With Us

Unleash your inner artist in this therapeutic and fun experience.

Koala in a gum tree at Melbourne Zoo.

Melbourne Zoo

Journey through a world of wildlife in the heart of Melbourne.

Two people standing on the 'ceiling' of an inverted living room.

House Down Under

Australia’s favourite inverted house photo experience brings topsy-turvy fun to Melbourne.

A giant ball pit with brightly coloured geometric patterns and neon shapes on the walls.

Hijinx Hotel

No beds here. Just ball pits, bold colours, brain-teasing challenges and a lot of laughter.

A smiling young girl seated as a table in front of a pile of slime.

Slime Lab

A play and retail space offering awesome and creative slime workshops for kids.

A large room with a wooden floor, armchairs and cat climbing equipment arranged around the room.

Cat Cafe Melbourne

A haven for cat-lovers, curl up with a coffee and relax around the feline residents.

Historic Cooks' Cottage stone English building with ivy and hedges in Fitzroy Gardens.

Cooks' Cottage

Come and explore Cooks' Cottage and learn about its English origins and relocation to Melbourne.

People skating in an indoor ice rink with disco lighting.

O'Brien Icehouse

An ice arena for public skating and ice sports events, located in Docklands.

Where to eat and drink on the long weekend

Vintage wood-panelled bar with shelves for bottles and signage.

Disuko

A day-to-night Japanese rooftop, restaurant and vinyl-backed cocktail bar, inspired by 1980s Tokyo.

Bar service area in centre of a restaurant, illuminated with pink light, dining tables with patrons eating and drinking around it.

Hochi Mama

South-East Asian fusion, cheeky cocktails and street-style energy in the heart of the city.

Looking down on assortment of Vietnamese dishes and condiments on a wooden table.

Straight Outta Saigon

Vietnamese street food dishes inspired by the southern flavours of Saigon.

Overhead view of a black dining table in a restaurant filled with several dishes of food.

Kiss & Tell

Experience Asian fusion tapas and cocktails at this bar nestled in the heart of the city.

Rooftop bar with white paving, white seating and tables, green-tiled bar with city buildings in the background.

Hotel Nacional

An entirely gluten-free Mexican-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant.

Thai food and drinks in takeaway containers.

Dodee Paidang Thai Bar and Cafe

Thai restaurant specialising in traditional-style street food dishes.

The interior of Ms Ava bar with a sign on the column and a fern.

Ms Ava Bar

Ms Ava serves an elevated bistro-style menu, signature cocktails and plays Frank Sinatra.

Chopsticks poised over a steamer of dumplings, with several other plates of food on the table.

Secret Kitchen

An excellent spot for yum cha and Chinese delicacies.

People standing at the bar or seated at small tables enjoying drinks and snacks.

Bodega Underground

Bodega is a late night taqueria and underground mezcaleria in the basement of the Crossley Hotel.

Seats and coffee tables in Westin Hotel lobby lounge.

Lobby Lounge

Crafted cocktails and bar bites in the lobby of The Westin Melbourne Hotel.

The exterior of D.O.C Pizza & Mozzarella restaurant in Carlton, showing a typical Victorian-era corner building.

D.O.C Pizza & Mozzarella Bar

The authentic flavour of a Rome-style pizza without the cost of a plane ticket.

Salads, bagel and bowls of savoury food.

Green Man's Arms

Green Man's Arms is an enchanting pub serving vegetarian and vegan cuisine with Israeli flavours.

Cafe intereior with large industrial-style seating area with tables and booths, Japanese-style flags and shelving.

Operator San

A Japanese brunch by Operator25 cafe, serving sweets, savouries, specialty coffee and drinks.

Wall mural and illuminated bar area behind ornamental tiles.

An Di

Showcasing the diverse and vibrant dishes of Vietnam.

Diners seated at tables at an outdoor rooftop bar in the fading evening sunlight.

Johnny's Green Room

A rooftop bar above King & Godfree with great views, tunes and Italian inspired food and drinks.

Neon-lit entrance to Yakimono restaurant.

Yakimono

Yakimono is a high energy Japanese-inspired eating house.

A French bistro-style restaurant with seated patrons and an open kitchen.

Maison Bâtard

Chris Lucas' Maison Bâtard heralds a grand new legacy for a heritage Bourke Street site.

The classic interior of Luci restaurant, with a staircase, and floor-ceiling-windows and dining tables and chairs.

Luci

A contemporary Australian restaurant set in the grand hall of historic Equity Chambers building.

The illuminated exterior of the Douglas Club, showing its classical architecture.

The Douglas Club

Set within the Equity Chambers Building, The Douglas Club is the perfect spot for a city drink.

Sunset view from Ponyfish Island Bar women at tables looking happy and drinking.

Ponyfish Island

A floating bar on the Yarra River under the Southbank pedestrian bridge.

Exterior of restaurant Grill Americano, showing windows and blue awnings.

Grill Americano

Offering Italian classics with signature Chris Lucas spin in sophisticated surrounds.

Interior of Chin Chin restaurant, filled with patrons seated at dining tables, high ceilings giving an industrial warehouse feel to the busy space.

Chin Chin

A fast-paced hawker-style dining sensation serving Thai-inspired food.

Berry-red coloured gelato.

Pidapipo Gelateria

Authentic, artisanal Italian-style gelato in bustling Degraves Street.

Shopfront of Piccolina Gelateria.

Piccolina Gelateria

Enjoy traditional Italian gelato: pure, natural and authentic.

Waiter's hand placing a plate of cod on a marble table with a slice of cake and glass of white wine.

Bar Lourinhã

Iconic Mediterranean and Iberian restaurant bar serving produce-inspired tapas and shared mains.

A waiter holding a white plate of steak frites, a classic French meal consisting of beefsteak paired with french fries.

Common Cuts

A craft-led city grill, dining room and listening bar.

A dining couple seated on a high stool at the sleek bar area at Sachi restaurant, with a view into the open kitchen space where several chefs are working.

Sachi

An omakase and Japanese seafood restaurant.

Waitress serving two diners in a Japanese cafe with painted white brick walls.

Atsu

Crispy katsu donburi, kushikatsu skewers and highballs – Carlton's most indulgent Japanese local.

Array of dishes including bread and dips, salads and meat.

Stalactites Restaurant

One of Melbourne’s longest established and best-known Greek restaurants.

Souvlakis and chips wrapped in paper, a Greek salad and blue bottles on a marble table

Hella Good

A souvlaki shop from the owners of one of Melbourne's best-known Greek restaurant, Stalactites.

The external facade of the Waterside Hotel, with a vertical garden on the building behind it, seen from the corner.

The Waterside Hotel

A Melbourne CBD destination for a pub, Southeast Asian dining and a rooftop experience.

The view into a restaurant from the Yarra Riverwalk, showing a large central bar with staff, the words Marmont in cursive font displayed high on an external glass wall.

Marmont

Californian-inspired but uniquely Melbourne with good food, great music, and unbeatable views.

Inside a dimly-lit restaurant, showing a long bar and several tables.

Maha

This opulent, award-winning restaurant brings Middle Eastern flavours to modern fine dining.

Cha Ching restaurant exterior, looking through windows onto tables set for dinner at night.

Cha Ching Melbourne

An Asian-fusion concept restaurant offering a variety of dishes, spiced drinks and cocktails.

Looking through the windows at the interior of Circl Winehouse, with bar and wait staff inside.

Circl

Try some of the world's most exciting, up-and-coming wines alongside curated European-inspired food.

Restaurant dining tables and long bar with soft lighting.

Past / Port Dining Room & Rooftop Bar

From express lunch to late nights, enjoy South-East Asian dining upstairs at the Waterside Hotel.

Note hours may vary and surcharges may apply. Check with the venue before visiting.

Last updated on Tue 9 Jun 2026

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