A sunset concert at federation square

What's free in Melbourne this month

Gone a bit too hard on the wallet lately? These awesome festivals, exhibitions and family-friendly activities won't cost a cent.

When is public transport half price in Melbourne?

Public transport is half price in Victoria from Monday 1 June 2026 until Friday 1 January 2027. This includes Melbourne trains, trams and buses as well as regional trains, coaches and buses. Check the full details.

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

RISING: Melbourne

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RISING is back with a stacked program of free fun this winter. Watch an army of hacked Furby robots move in eerie synchronicity at Emporium. See the stunning Flower Power art installation bloom in City Square. It tells the story of the yam daisy, a staple food for First Peoples. Spot projections lighting up Hamer Hall. Then join an epic block party at Fed Square with performances by New Zealand's kings and queens of street dance, The Royal Family Dance Crew.

A concert at fed square at night

Mabo Day Celebration Concert

Honour the legacy of Indigenous land rights activist Eddie Koiki Mabo at a free concert in Fed Square. See Torres Strait Islander performers like Kee’ahn and Jessie Lloyd live on stage. Join a ukulele sing-along and enjoy spoken word. Then tuck into authentic Islander food.

Person standing in an exhibition gallery with digital and sculptural displays.

EMERGENCE[Y]

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Science Gallery brings together artists, scientists and collaborators from around the world for its newest exhibition. Immerse yourself in artworks representing our future and our everchanging world. Discover fashion made of fungus, coral soundscapes, a vertical city farm and First Nations knowledge of the Birrarung.

A tray of portuguese tarts

Taste of Portugal

Get ready to load up on custard tarts at this free Portuguese festival at Queen Victoria Market. Enjoy live entertainment like traditional dances and Brazilian samba music. Browse the market stalls for ceramics, gifts and textiles. Then much your way through authentic street food and drinks.

Sewing needles, thread and buttons

Repair Café

Melbourne’s City Library is transforming into a repair pop up for one day only in June. Bring along a small item and let the sewing, craft and tool experts get to work. Get a new button on your coat, add extra holes to your belt and fix up a tear or popped seam in your favourite garment.

More of the best free events

Three female comedians speaking into microphones with varied facial expressions.
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Funny Femmes and Thems

A monthly comedy night celebrating women, non-binary and gender-nonconforming comedians.

Australian Aboriginal political activist Robbie Thorpe, holding a microphone in front of the Aboriginal flag.
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Library Cinema at narrm ngarrgu

Each month, watch a movie on the big screen, including contemporary, classic and documentary films.

A colourful woven artwork with different textures and patterns representing a map.
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Hyperworlds: Unreal Cartography

An exhibition from Allanah Sarafian exploring maps as emotional and ideological objects.

A person spooning food from a large salad bowl onto a plate they hold in their hands.
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Local Lunch Club

Live well, eat well, together at Kathleen Syme Library.

Drag performer hosting bingo in the dimly lit Heartbreaker Bar.
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Drag Bingo

Enjoy a night of drag bingo at Heartbreaker.

A person in a black suit holds a large, green ape head sculpture behind them, on a city sidewalk with graffiti-covered walls in the background.
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Rehearsing the City Exhibition

See archival photos from Victoria’s collections, plus work by contemporary street photographers.

Two First Nations individuals sitting back to back on the ground outdoors, engaged in a traditional weaving activity near a body of water.
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FUTURE COUNTRY: Country Road + NGV First Nations Commissions

The second iteration of the Country Road and NGV First Nations Commission initiative.

Artworks of Australian landscapes hanging on a grey wall with the back of two women looking at them.
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Six Artists: Seven Days

A new art exhibition by six Australian artists at Sofitel Melbourne On Collins.

Four people seated in a row under dark purple lights, one person laughing.
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Comedy at the Charles Dickens Tavern

A lineup show of some of the best homegrown and international stand-up comedians live in the CBD.

A contemporary art gallery installation featuring large-scale fabric hangings with a person walking past them.
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Bina Jean: Sacred Unfolding

Sacred Unfolding is a fabric installation that explores the continual transformation of life.

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.

A surprised looking man wearing a Tyrolean hat and holding a microphone in a large room with striped drapes on the ceiling and people seated at benches.
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Ben Sorensen's Game Show Experience

Join Ben Sorensen’s free weekly Hofbrauhaus trivia experience.

Red and gold washing blowing on a Hills Hoist clothes line.
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KINGS Artist-Run: May Exhibitions

Presenting shows by Glenda Mejía and Tania Cañas, Aaron Ashwood and Perce Jerrom.

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.

Musicians, dancers and crowd dancing in a small venue.

Afrocan Days

Enjoy music, dance and a BBQ, with all ages welcome.

A simplistic coloured drawing of Birrarung with the city buildings on one side and piers and paths on the other.

Melbourne Conversations: The Swimmable Birrarung

Explore the science, culture and future of the river.

Two young women taking a selfie together while one of them eats a bowl of noodles.
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Waterfront Sessions

The Street Social brings you crowd-favourite street eats and sweet treats, music and good vibes.

Visitors on a tour at the Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio with electronic instruments on display on shelves.
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MESS Studio Tour

Take a free guided tour of a collection of rare instruments and hear the stories behind the sounds.

Free kids activities

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.

A graphic design pattern featuring a magenta abstract shape over a light blue grid background.
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Bush Kinder

Go 'all in' at this Bush Kinder workshop at narrm ngarrgu Library.

A hanging mobile of an umbrella with childish drawings on it and hanging from it in hearts, plus a blue swirly cloud above it; pink background.
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My Love Umbrella

Create your own 'Love Umbrella' hanging mobile in this joyful, hands-on craft activity for kids.

Group of children seated on the floor while adults look on.
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Auslan Storytime

Bringing stories to life through visual language and movement, 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.

Young children and their parents listening to a story book being read aloud in a colourful environment with large dinosaur cutouts.
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Dino Days

Young dinosaur enthusiasts, aged 3-5 years, are invited to explore all things dinosaur.

Free Melbourne markets

Aerial view of an interior market with stalls selling clothing and raft, and many people walking around and shopping in the space.

Boho Luxe Market: Christmas Edition

A design market full of handmade, ethically sourced products.

Market stall tents with signage next to a heritage brick building, with greenery and families.
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Younghusband Market

With great music, curated stalls, hands-on workshops and delicious food, a vibrant scene awaits.

Outdoor market with tented stalls, strolling marketgoers, bare winter trees and city buildings.

The Lygon Street Market

A monthly open-air market held on the first Sunday of each month.

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
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The Sunday Market at Southgate

Explore the Sunday Market at Southgate and meet the makers.

Selection of market goods including packets of teas and biscuits.
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Kensington Market

An eclectic mix of homewares, culinary treats, ceramics, sustainable goods and visual art.

Person browsing a display of clothing on a rack at a market in a commercial retail space.
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Bourne Local Market

Visit the Collins Square retail plaza for curated local market stalls.

See all free events

Last updated on Tue 2 Jun 2026

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Winter Only in the City - Checkout the cold list

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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.

Two people standing in front of a large pink spiky wall of speakers in an exhibition space.
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The Vinyl Factory: Reverb

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

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.

Visitors enjoying an evening event at the National Gallery of Victoria, seated on stools under shadowy lighting.
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NGV Friday Nights: Cartier

NGV Friday Nights shine with Cartier, featuring live music, flims, food and drinks.