Festivals

Packed crowd of people cheering, holding their hands up, and watching an event outside.

There's always a festival going on in Melbourne, whether it's film, comedy, arts, music, food or design. Check out the current events below.

Two models stand smiling outdoors in vibrant, unconventional fashion ensembles.
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Melbourne Fashion Week

M/FW takes over the city from 19–25 October.

Illuminated panels with shades of red on a black background.
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Melbourne International Jazz Festival

A city-wide celebration of jazz, improvisation and boundary-pushing contemporary music.

Rainbow lights on water jets and a giant bauble on the river at night.

The ultimate guide to Melbourne’s best Christmas events

Seek out Christmas movies, festive pop-ups, glittering decorations and more.

A group of friends picnicking at the Music Bowl.

Melbourne's best blockbuster events

The best major events on in Melbourne this year.

Crowds thronging a street with leafy trees, tent stalls and stage with lighting and live performance as part of the Antipodes Greek Festival.
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Antipodes Festival

Lonsdale Street comes alive with Greek food, live music, dancing and entertainment for all ages.

A hand attaching a small, black oval metal disc to a grey t-shirt with a safety pin.
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Radiant Pavilion

Discover the work of 300+ contemporary jewellery and object artists in events across Melbourne.

A woman looking at a display of Formula 1 racing suits in an exhibition.

The best Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix events in Melbourne

Map out your perfect Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne.

A runway model wearing a tailored white long-sleeved shirt walks toward a darkened audience filled with photographers taking photographs.
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PayPal Australian Fashion Festival

The Festival returns with a new name, but is the same Melbourne fashion institution.

Traditional Indonesian dancers at an Indonesian festival.

Festival Indonesia

Discover Indonesian culture, food, music, dance and family fun.

A laneway lit up with hanging fairy lights

The best hidden Christmas events and laneway pop-ups in Melbourne

Find the best laneway street parties, free workshops, pop-up events and gigs.

A group of older adults smiling and interacting at a table during a community gathering.
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Victorian Seniors Festival

Celebrate Victorian Seniors Festival with free and low-cost events for older Victorians.

A woman walking through a Christmas shop filled with white decorations.

Where to enjoy a European-style winter in Melbourne

Embrace the chill with warming treats, pop-ups and events worthy of a Northern Hemisphere winter.

A glowing archway of red lights in a garden at night.

9 things in Melbourne you can only do in winter

Find the best festivals, markets and projections coming to Melbourne this winter.

Crowds looking at a festival stage in the city.

The best free festivals in Melbourne

The best free festivals you need to visit in Melbourne this year

A woman with tightly curled hair peeking out from behind some flowers.
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Alter State

A disability-led arts initiative celebrating Deaf and Disabled artists, creativity and culture.

Santa in front of a lit up Christmas tree in Fed Square.

Christmas in the city

See the city light up with dazzling displays, festive events and activities for the whole family.

A woman in a blue t-shirt and red bucket hat welcoming a child with arms wide.

Deaf Festival

Celebrating Deaf culture and connecting communities with stalls, entertainment and fun for all ages.

Flinders street station lit up in blue lights at night

7 things Melburnians will do even if it's raining

From AFL games and night markets to winter festivals and theatre shows.

See all festivals

Discover more

A Melbourne Fashion Week outdoor fashion capsule installation of fashion mannequins in a large glass rectangular case, displayed in a public space.
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Fashion Capsules

A diverse series of curated exhibitions in surprising locations across the city.

An asymmetrical pearl necklace featuring unique, double-pointed pearls arranged in a single strand that cascades into decorative loops and rings along one side.
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Lean In

A contemporary jewellery exhibition of three of Australia's most accomplished jewellers.

A collection of strange but cute statuettes of small animals displayed on a green moss-covered multi-tier stand at a market stall.
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Ugly Cutie Market

A two-day art market bringing together over 130 artists, makers and wonderfully unusual creations.

Two thick, patterned metal rings sit on a dark surface, with one lying flat and the other standing on its edge.
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The God In Small Things: Group Exhibition

Australian and international contemporary jewellers contemplate: can jewellery save the world?