What's open on the grand final long weekend
Kick goals on the long weekend at the city's best restaurants, live gigs, free events and more. Check individual events and venues for exact opening hours.
When is the grand final public holiday in 2025?
The public holiday will be on Friday 26 September, the day before the AFL Grand Final. The MCG will once again host the AFL Grand Final, on Saturday 27 September 2025.
Free events on the long weekend
Queen Victoria Market Moon Festival
The Moon Festival at Queen Victoria Market celebrates culture, food, and family fun.
Making Memoir of a Snail
Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.
65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art
An exhibition featuring more than 450 works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Distraction
An exhibition that plugs into the torrent of content and places we go when craving distraction.
Free and cheap for families
Fitzroy Gardens Outdoor Adventure
A free fun outdoor seek and find adventure around the Fitzroy Gardens.
Plans For The Planet: Olaf Breuning For Kids
Created by artist Olaf Breuning this exhibition invites kids to explore the natural environment.
Melbourne markets on this weekend
Creative Society Markets
An exciting new market where you can meet Melbourne's best creators, designers, makers and foodies.
The Sunday Market at Southgate
After decades positioned around the Arts Centre, the Sunday Market is now at Southgate.
Queen Victoria Market
This beloved Melbourne landmark is the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere.
The best long weekend events to book
French Impressionism
The Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
LEGO Star Wars: The Exhibition
Step into a world of epic battles, spaceships and landscapes from a galaxy far, far away.
Martin Grant
A major exhibition of work by Australian-born Paris-based fashion designer Martin Grant.
Venues open over the long weekend
Circl Wine House
Try some of the world's most exciting, up-and-coming wines alongside curated European-inspired food.
Johnny's Green Room
A rooftop bar above King & Godfree with great views, tunes and Italian inspired food and drinks.
Grill Americano
Offering Italian classics with signature Chris Lucas spin in sophisticated surrounds.
Yum Sing House
Modern Asian dining and a late-night bar with the hedonistic spirit of 1960s Hong Kong.
Grossi Florentino
Grossi Florentino has set the bar for Italian fine dining in Melbourne since 1928.
Hofbräuhaus
Delivering hand-selected German beer, authentic food and classic hospitality since 1968.
Mill Place Merchants
A cocktail bar hidden behind a vintage dressing room in a building dating back to the 1840s.
Last updated on Thu 17 Jul 2025
Only In The City
Only in the City
This city hums with energy - with hidden laneway cafes, rooftop bars, art and culture at every turn.
Young Marco / Logic1000 / Big Ever / KDV Performance Group
A night of deep feeling, delirious levels of up-tempo energy and full-sensory release.
Listening Acts | Performance
Two visionaries of live AV bend time and space in one transcendent night of sensory immersion.
Discover more
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