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.

Crowds exploring an ornate government house room styled in blue and gold.

When is public transport half price in Melbourne?

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

A man standing on the balcony in an ornate blue room.

Open House Melbourne Weekend

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Calling all architecture buffs and sticky beaks. Melbourne's most beautiful buildings are throwing their doors open once again for Open House. Take a free guided tour of iconic spaces, from Town Hall to the State Library and the ornate Government House. Stroll the city on a self-guided tour. Then catch free art exhibitions, workshops and talks.

Two young adults observing a sculpture in a gallery space with digital and scupltural 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. Plus see a major new sculpture from Aussie artist Patricia Piccinini.

More of the best free events

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.

Display of sculptural moulded clay figures.
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Are you lonely tonight? I'm so lonesome I could cry

A group exhibition around the theme of loneliness, at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.

Two individuals smiling and enjoying a sunny day outdoors, with a curved green and pink stripe overlaid over the image.

Disability Pride

Enjoy comedy, drinks, art, badge-making and other activities at the Disability Pride celebration.

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.

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.

Illustration of a crane looming over a public housing apartment building.
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Library Cinema at narrm ngarrgu

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

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.

A woman looking at an old archival book with yellow and green binding in front of packed shelves of the same kind of book.

Behind the Scenes Tour

Take a guided tour of your State Archives for Open House Melbourne.

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 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.

A man in a black t-shirt standing with a microphone in front of a presentation screen and two stools, inside a bar setting.
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Off Leash: Monthly Live Comedy Show

A monthly comedy residency that's exactly what it should be: casual, funny, full of vibes.

A person holding a microphone performing stand-up comedy on a small stage at Fad Gallery Bar, in front of a live audience.
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Damn Fine Laughs

FAD Gallery Bar hosts Damn Fine Laughs, a new weekly stand-up comedy night.

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

A little girl looking at a colourful display of cushions in an art gallery.
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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.

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 representation of two hands holding a picture frame in front of a beach with blue sky, a black and white picture of a mother and her child in the frame.
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Make a Memory

Create a keepsake inspired by the book, These Long-Loved Things at a free drop-in craft session.

A young boy running in the kids dash at the Run Melbourne event, a parent behind him.

Run Melbourne Kids Dash

Kick off the Run Melbourne race weekend with the Kids Dash.

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

People walking towards a red illuminated archway that reads Winter Night Market.
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Winter Night Market

The Winter Night Market returns to the iconic Queen Victoria Market sheds.

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.

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.

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
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The Southbank Makers Market

Explore the Southbank Makers Market every Sunday on the promenade at Southgate.

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.

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 30 Jun 2026

Only In The City

Winter Only in the City - Checkout the cold list

Discover more

A light show experience with people walking through a darkened space with a deep blue light illuminating them.

Converge

A one night premier immersive light and surround sound installation.

An artwork that features discarded electronic components resembling a robotic creature, part of an exhibition at Science Gallery.

Friday Night Social: Wild Circuits

Enjoy Science Gallery Melbourne’s free Friday night parties with their latest exhibition.

Two people standing in front of a large pink spiky wall of speakers in an exhibition space.
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Reverb: A Journey into Sound

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

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.