What's free in Melbourne this month

The iconic Buddha's Day festival is back! Head to Golden Square Car Park for three days of glowing installations and live performances. Explore traditional tea ceremonies, dance workshops, kids activities and more. For those needing some chill out time, make your way to the pop-up lotus flower sanctuary for guided meditation sessions.

A celebration of all things Sri Lankan is coming to the market this autumn. Kick off the day with live music, dancers and DJs. There’ll also be cultural workshops and more family fun. Factor in funds for snacking. We’re talking Melbourne's crispiest hoppers. Loaded plates of kottu roti, lamprais and curries. Plus Sri Lankan sweets. 

Melbourne's unmissable festival of First Nations arts and culture is back. See Melbourne's streets and laneways aglow at Barring Yanabul, a free city-wide street party on 10 May. There'll be pop-up installations, drag acts, dance and more, across various locations. Kick on afterwards at Section 8 on 10 May with free music all night. The fun kicks off at 1pm as part of the Uncle Archie Roach Block Party.

Immerse yourself in the culture of Latin America at this two-day cultural festival. Queen Victoria Market will be drenched in colour with live dance performances and pop-up market stalls. Dip into your wallet to shop for traditional crafts and try authentic street food. Think Brazilian barbecue, empanadas, alfajores and more. 

Good design welcomes everyone, and you’re invited to this free panel discussion at the Victorian Archives Centre. The talk explores the importance of inclusive and equitable design. You’ll get a fascinating look at how disability rights activists have impacted our city’s urban spaces in the past. Plus ideas for how we can foster inclusion into the future, moving beyond ramps and railings to more creative solutions. 

Get down to the Birrarung Marr Hilltop for a First Nations festival and an afternoon of family-fun. There'll be live music performed by some of Australia’s leading Indigenous artists, plus free sport and art activations. The festival ends with the walk to the 'G for the Dreamtime match.

Celebrate all things Korean at this epic two-day festival. From high-energy K-pop battles to taekwondo demonstrations and live kimbap cooking classes. You can even play a real-life version of Squid Game... If you dare! Bring some coin to sample tteokbokki and more traditional street food.

There's no need to wait until winter for another delicious night market in Melbourne! Queen Victoria Market transforms into a buzzing Asian-inspired hawker market every Wednesday night. Sip refreshing cocktails and feast on delicious street food from the hawker stalls. Then shop for gifts, groove along to live music and more.

Head to this secret gallery in one of Melbourne's most iconic laneways and you'll discover a treasure trove of paintings, sculptures and more. Get rare access to famous work by some of the world's best street artists – including Banksy. Plus locals like Adnate, Vexta and Tom Gerrard. You can also see Rone’s stunning immersive space, The Workroom. This sewing room was part of his iconic TIME exhibition at Flinders Street Station.

Create your own AI monster avatar. Enter a Japanese-inspired glowing silk shrine. Then draw demons from Filipino folk stories. The Science Gallery’s latest exhibition explores the connection between science fiction and mythology. Expect art installations, film and curious immersive experiences. Photo by Matthew Stanton.