Flinders Street Station illuminated blue at night.

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

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 2026, the King's Birthday public holiday falls on Monday 8 June.

Free things to do on the long weekend

Large crowds gathered outside Queen Victoria Market stalls in celebration of the Taste of Portugal festival.

Taste of Portugal

A day celebrating Portuguese-speaking culture with free entertainment, food and merch for sale.

A live concert event at Fed Square at night, with a large, enthusiastic crowd gathered near a stage barrier.

RISING: God Save The Queens

A free, all-ages block party amplifying Pasifika culture heads to Fed Square as part of RISING.

A crowded scene within the Queen Victoria Market, featuring various banners for a craft fair and market called 'CRFT*WRK'
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CRFT*WRK Market

Enjoy a monthly craft fair at Queen Victoria Market.

A collection of vintage Furby electronic robotic toys displayed on wooden shelves.
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RISING: Furby Chorus and FRIENDs

Domestic robots gather to converse through synchronistic movement for the Australian Dance Biennale.

Artwork featuring a bright yellow flower against a patterned background.
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RISING: Flower Power

Flower Power shares First Peoples’ knowledges, ecologies and ongoing resistance.

North Melbourne streetscape in the 1980s with terrace house, station wagon and flower shop.
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On the Street Where I Live: Viva Gibb Exhibition

An exhibition of photographs capturing North and West Melbourne from the 1970s to 1990s.

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.

Selection of cassette tapees with handmade covers.
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Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations

A stirring exhibition exploring romantic love through the State Library's extraordinary archive.

The best long weekend events

Flinders Street Station lit up in blue at dusk during Melbourne's RISING festival, with city buildings in the background.
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RISING: Melbourne

A festival of new art, music and performance in the heart of Naarm/Melbourne each winter.

An outdoor alpine village pop-up event at Fed Square at night, featuring private wooden chalets, string lights, and a red carpet.
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Fondue Chalet

Melbourne’s much-loved winter dining experience returns to Fed Square.

Two young men dancing at a nightclub.

Discoteca Italiana

A one-night only extravaganza where you can immerse yourself in the energy and romance of Italy.

The full cast of the musical Book of Mormon on stage singing and dancing, with a painted sky coloured background and other theatre props.
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The Book of Mormon

Australia’s biggest ever musical comedy returns this February.

Actor Sarah Ruhl posing with her hand on her face and looking blankly ahead in a dark navy room.
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Eurydice

A luminous, poetic reimagining of the Greek myth, directed by multi-award-winner Gary Abrahams

Crowd of seated AFL fans wearing Big Freeze branded beanies.

AFL Round 13: Collingwood v Melbourne

The Big Freeze game between Collingwood and Melbourne is celebrating its 12th anniversary.

A room with coloured vinyl records displayed on illuminated shelves and a person standing in front a mixing desk with four turntables.
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RISING: The Vinyl Factory – Reverb

ACMI and RISING present The Vinyl Factory: Reverb, a major exhibition of vinyl culture and music.

A band performs live on a stage with purple lighting and bright blue light beams shining outwards from the back.

RISING: Day Tripper

The festival-within-a-festival returns.

Vintage black and white photograph of a dance class taking place inside the ballroom on the third floor of Melbourne's Flinders Street Station, shows a group of young people in white tops and black shorts performing a dance routine in a large hall with a wooden floor and arched ceiling.
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RISING: The Land of 1000 Dances

Experience RISING’s very own dance academy in the historic Flinders Street Ballroom.

Two classical ballet dancers on stage during a performance of Romeo and Juliet by The Australian Ballet, against a set of a building at night, with a full moon casting a white glow onto the stage.
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The Australian Ballet: Romeo and Juliet

This winter, Shakespeare’s timeless tale returns to captivate Melbourne audiences once more.

A smiling woman with blond hair holding up a whole cherry pie in a dish in front of her chin, with steam rising from the pie.
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Waitress The Musical

The irresistible Broadway hit about resilience, friendship and hope.

Two three-tiered cake stands displaying sweet and savoury cheese treats on a white table.
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High Cheese

A refined three-tiered journey, reimagined through cheese.

Family-friendly events

A large dinosaur model with its mouth open in a park setting.
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Dinos at the Zoo

Let your imagination run wild as you explore the trail of dinosaurs at Melbourne Zoo.

Play School exhibition with signature teddy and toys.
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Play School: Come and Play

A hands-on, playful exhibition where families can discover how the beloved TV show comes to life.

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.

People playing an 'Among Us' style game, one crew member pointing a weapon at another on a spaceship.

Saboteurs

Fans of the hugely popular online game, Among Us, will revel in this immersive, interactive game.

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.

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

Last updated on Mon 25 May 2026

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