Melbourne for free

Federation square on a sunny day overlooking Flinders Station and the city skyline

What's free in Melbourne this month

Everything to see, do and enjoy in Melbourne for free this month.

A young tourist couple and an older tour guide, standing in front of a famous Melbourne pub.

Melbourne Greeter Service

Discover what locals love about Melbourne with a free two-to-four-hour walking tour.

Girl looking out at mini village display in the garden.

The best free and cheap family activities

Find family-friendly fun and free events in Melbourne.

Wide shot of people sitting on grass hill watching the sunset over city skyline.

Melbourne's best free date ideas

Swipe right without maxing your debit card and try these free date ideas

A couple in a gallery looking up at a sign that says count down.

The best free museums and art galleries in Melbourne

Explore world-class museums, edgy artist-run spaces and blockbuster exhibitions for free.

Crowds milling around the Vic Market sheds at sunset.

The ultimate guide to Melbourne's best markets

Explore Melbourne's iconic markets.

Person walking in a laneway that's painted in brightly-coloured stripes.

Flash Forward

Explore 40 city laneways that have been transformed by over 80 creatives.

A couple standing in front of the Royal Exhibition Building, surrounded by trees.

Walks and itineraries

These self-guided walks and itineraries will help you discover Melbourne's best sights.

Outside of the Melbourne Town Hall building, as seen from Swanston Street.

Melbourne Town Hall Tours

Take a tour of one of Melbourne's most iconic buildings.

Two women walking through a cactus garden

Free tours of iconic Melbourne places

See glorious city sights without spending a cent.

A young boy and girl pointing to triceratops bones in the Museum.

Free things to do with kids in Melbourne

Get the kids out and explore these free events and adventures for an awesome day of fun.

A large street art mural of two elderly people

Free things to do in Melbourne every day

Have a grand day out on a budget at Melbourne's best free experiences, attractions and exhibits.

A busker performing in the street playing an electric guitar with his head facing downwards looking at the instrument.
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Bourke Street Mall Busking

Meet Melbourne's marvellous musicians and more in the iconic Bourke Street Mall busking program.

A garden at dusk

Five free must-do Melbourne walks

It’s time to get out and about in the city. Have a wander with these free guides.

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

Long line of tables covered in books.

Melbourne Book Market

Melbourne Book Market is a curated collection of more than 5,000 new and pre-loved titles.

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.

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

NGV International

NGV International houses a whole world of international art.

Dark silhouettes against panels of red and blue in a dark exhibition space.

ACMI

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

Large, rectangular building of Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

The world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art.

A group of people seated around a table in a pub like setting, some of them singing.
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Sea Shanties and Folk Songs

Join this free weekly celebration of rollicking and spirited singing.

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 person in army uniform kneeling and laying a wreath of flowers where other flowers have been placed.
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Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service

A commemoration to honour First Nations Defence personnel, past and present.

Large lettering saying FIRELIGHT above a stage at the Firelight Festival with two large flames shooting into the air at either end.
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Firelight Festival

Melbourne’s epic winter festival returns to Docklands for three fiery nights.

Inside a bustling market hall

Things you can only see in the city

Uncover secret rooms, historic architecture and iconic landmarks found only in the city.

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.

The exterior of the Koorie Heritage Trust at Fed Square with a yellow KHT sign out the front.

Koorie Heritage Trust

An Australian First Peoples arts and cultural centre.

An abstract artwork with red, white, black and yellow lines.
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Matthew Simpson: Serendipitous Painting

Artist Matthew Simpson's fifth solo exhibition showing high impact abstracts and graphic animation.

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.

Spanish flamenco dancers swirling the skirts of their brightly coloured dresses.

Spanish Language Fiesta: 10 Years of Culture

A vibrant Spanish cultural festival with live music, dance, food and interactive experiences.

Two people walking along a pathway in Fitzroy Gardens.

Fitzroy Gardens walk

If you’re looking for an iconic Melbourne garden walk, this is an excellent place to start

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 young child wearing a dressing gown, looking at an open picture book in her lap, blurred twinkling lights behind her.
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Bedtime Storytime

Hop into your pyjamas, grab your favourite teddy and enjoy bedtime stories.

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.

A drawing of three dolls dressed in kimonos against a mint green background.
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Japanese Storytime

Visit City Library for immersive Japanese language storytime.

An obscure image with monochrome tones resembling plumes of smoke.
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Kate Hunter: Unicellular

Unicellular intersects personal stories with sounds and images that reflect the overlooked.

A woman with two red plaits and a white cap holds up a picture book in a kids library area.
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Stompers

Bring your child to Library at The Dock on Tuesdays for a lifelong love of books.

A large group of people in active wear all running on a path in park.
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Run the Tan: Run Club

Start the weekend off on the right foot with a run around the Tan.

View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River
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Comedy in Theory

A weekly free comedy night in Melbourne.

Small sculpture made from coloured glass displayed on a wooden base and white pedestal.
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Robert Croft and Cam Michael

Artists Robert Croft and Cam Michael present their solo exhibitions at Jump Left.

See all free events

Free attractions

A drone shot of Fed Square at dusk, with a heart-shape of lights surrounding a central stage in the middle of a huge crowd.

Fed Square

Melbourne's public square and meeting place, opposite Flinders Street Station.

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.

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

NGV International

NGV International houses a whole world of international art.

A museum visitor in an exhibition space using a screen, surrounded by display objects.

Australian Music Vault

A celebration of Australian contemporary music – past, present and future.

Dark silhouettes against panels of red and blue in a dark exhibition space.

ACMI

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

Large, rectangular building of Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

The world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art.

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.

The glass-panelled entrance to the Victorian Police Museum.

Victoria Police Museum

Explore the social history of policing through interactive displays and over 300 collection items.

Free and cheap

People walking along a plant-lined pathway in public gardens, with city towers in the background.
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Fitzroy Gardens Heritage Tour

A journey through the heritage-listed gardens, where history and nature seamlessly blend.

Wide skyline shot of historic buildings in Melbourne.

Cheapskate's guide to Melbourne

Find happy hours, secret foodie spots, cheap activities and more.

Two friends are walking out of an arcade

The best things to do under $20 in Melbourne

The best cocktail deals, cheap eats and low-cost activities in Melbourne.

A table set with Thai dishes and someone lifting noodles from a bowl of soup.

Melbourne’s best dinners under $20

Find Melbourne's best cheap eats and pub deals for your next dinner out.