A busy floating bar on the river at night with the city skyline lights in the background.

What's open on the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday

When is the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday this year?

This year, the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday falls on Tuesday 4 November, 2025. Taking an extra day? Kicking on late into Cup Day-eve? Find fun events to make the most of your public holiday.

Free on the public holiday

Two people seated below a neon sign.
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The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

Comedian holding a microphone, standing under a spotlight in a bar with plants and bar stools.
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Laugh Lab

Come watch some of Melbourne's best comedians perform in the cosiest cocktail bar in town.

Person looking at a display in a glass case, rows of colourful books in the background.
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World of the Book

Explore the rare, the sacred and the iconic in the 20th anniversary of this annual exhibition.

An artist painting in a workshop with brightly coloured murals on the wall, artist's materials on the floor.
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Creative Acts: Artists and their inspirations

Step inside the unseen inner worlds of artists at State Library Victoria.

What's open for drinking and dining

Some venues will have different hours and holiday surcharges – call ahead with any questions.

Array of dishes including bread and dips, salads and meat.

Stalactites Restaurant

One of Melbourne’s longest established and best-known Greek restaurants.

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.

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.

A dimly lit restaurant with glamorous decor and a crystal chandelier, and patrons dining at tables.

Society

A glamourous restaurant and bar with contemporary dining and bespoke cocktails.

Exterior of restaurant Grill Americano, showing windows and blue awnings.

Grill Americano

Offering Italian classics with signature Chris Lucas spin in sophisticated surrounds.

Several chefs preparing Japanese food in front of dining patrons who are seated at a high wooden bar in front of them.

Kisumé

Exquisite sushi and one of the city's finest wine cellars.

Neon-lit entrance to Yakimono restaurant.

Yakimono

Yakimono is a high energy Japanese-inspired eating house.

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.

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.

Inside a dimly-lit restaurant, showing a long bar and several tables.

Maha

This opulent, award-winning restaurant brings Middle Eastern flavours to modern fine dining.

A glowing red street canopy over a dark doorway in a laneway.

Jayda

Enjoy seasonal cocktails, wine and bar snacks in a sophisticated, opulent space.

Interior of a bar, with a bartender behind a timber counter, a wall of bottled drinks behind him, high bar stools and some tables in the foreground.

Mr Mills

Mr Mills is your moody laneway bar for DJ sessions, signature cocktails and late-night bites.

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.

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.

Formal dining room with tables and chairs, bench seating and bar area.

Ministry of Crab

Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan restaurant with a focus on Northern Australian mud crab.

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.

Restaurant's bar area with Asian-inspired decor, illuminated screen detail, red stools and wooden shelving.

Lexy Restaurant and Bar

Where high-glam sophistication meets the electric spirit of modern Asian fusion.

Best events and attractions to book

Two children looking at ancient Grecian artefacts on display in a glass cabinet.
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Rituals: Gifts for the Gods

An exclusive international exhibition exploring the rituals and mysteries of ancient Greece.

A small tour group looking up from the ground floor of the La Trobe Reading Room.
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State Library Victoria Unlocked

On this exclusive tour, gain access to State Library Victoria before the doors open to the public.

A waiter in a restaurant, blurred in motion.
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Order Up: A City Fed by Many Cultures

Experience the soul of Melbourne’s hospitality scene like never before and this exhibition.

Three long narrow boats with people seated in them and a guide standing at the rear of each boat, punting on the lake at Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Punting on the Lake

Glide between the bays and islands of Ornamental Lake on a guided boat cruise.

Smiling vendor selling a range of pastries, dips and spreads at Queen Victoria Market.

Queen Victoria Market

This beloved Melbourne landmark is the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere.

Tranquil scene of trees and lawn surrounding a lake.

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

A picturesque haven for recreation and a key botanical resource for research and conservation.

Gold-plated Eureka Tower skyscraper and cityscape against the city skyline and blue sky with clouds.

Melbourne Skydeck

This 300m high public observation deck captures everything that is special about Melbourne.

Two children resting their hands on the glass water wall at NGV International.

NGV International

NGV International houses a whole world of international art.

Child looking over right shoulder with delighted smile, dark dinosaur model behind.

Melbourne Museum

Explore history, culture, science and nature at this popular Melbourne attraction.

Koala in a gum tree at Melbourne Zoo.

Melbourne Zoo

Journey through a world of wildlife in the heart of Melbourne.

A family of two adults and three children gathered around and looking at their strip photos outside a vintage style photo booth on Flinders Street in Melbourne city.

Flinders Street Photobooth

Have your photo taken at a vintage black and white photobooth.

People seated at desks arranged in an octagonal pattern inside the La Trobe Reading Room of State Library Victoria.

State Library Victoria

Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free public libraries in the world.

People skating in an indoor ice rink with disco lighting.

O'Brien Icehouse

An ice arena for public skating and ice sports events, located in Docklands.

The geometric exterior of ACMI at Federation Square in Melbourne.

ACMI

Museum dedicated to the moving image through events, film screenings and exhibitions.

Family in a glass tunnel looking up at a very large stingray.

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Discover thousands of aquatic animals in four enchanting worlds at this top Melbourne attraction.

What's on over the weekend and Cup Day eve

A young girl holds an old ship steering wheel.
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Polly Woodside Open Day

Climb aboard and roam the decks of one of Australia’s last surviving 19th-century tall ships.

Last updated on Thu 30 Oct 2025

Only In The City

Only in this City of Ours
A family of four standing in a grand library with antique desks, large white walls and a dome ceiling.

Things you can only do in the city

There's only one place to find these rare Melbourne experiences and secret spots.

A Ferris wheel in the city at sunset with colourful reflections on the river.

Melbourne’s most Instagrammable experiences

You won't need filters at the city's most photogenic spots.

People including a man in a wheelchair heading down a laneway past a large tropical-themed wall mural with city buildings in the background.

Meyers Place

Explore one of Melbourne's most iconic laneways, filled with bars, restaurants and murals.

Discover more

Hands opposite each other bringing two tulip cocktail glasses together in a celebratory clinking motion.
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Autumn Sunset Cocktails at Walsh Street

Open the door to Robin Boyd’s iconic Walsh Street residence after-hours for Autumn Sunset Cocktails.

Diners seated at a table and eating from plates that have designs projected onto them from above, as part of an immersive visual art and food experience.
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7 Paintings Dining Experience

A dinner show that combines art, technology, and culinary delight into a unique experience.

Two people holding Japanese sake bottles and a third holding a trumpet, in a Japanese bar setting in Melbourne.

Sake x Studio Ghibli Jazz

Enjoy live Ghibli jazz, premium sake and Japanese bites for one night only.

Fireworks at a riverside carnival

What's on and what's open over the Labour Day long weekend

Kick off the long weekend with Moomba, awesome free events, street art walks and more.