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Anzac Day
Dawn Service and March
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
Exhibition Building
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Parliament House
Open Day
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Australian Open
Tennis
Melbourne Park

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The White Hat Guide to

Melbourne Events 

Melbourne Events

Melbourne Events

Melbourne Events

Melbourne Events


What's on in Melbourne

Selected major events in Melbourne

Public Art

There is much public art to be seen on the streets at any time of day as well as inside many public buildings. More information on public art in Melbourne. In addition, public bodies such as the City of Melbourne often sponsor temporary artworks and installations in laneways and other public spaces.



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Toorak Village Festival of Sculpture

For the entire month of may, Toorak Village businesses will display contemporary sculptures in their windows and bolted to the pavements along Toorak Road. Take your time surveying the sculptures as well as the shops. Please enjoy 'a decade of sculpture' and take advantage of the warm hospitality of the traders in the village. Catalogues are available from any of the shops in the village and all sculptures are for sale. Toorak Village is between Wallace Ave and Grange Rd, just east of Williams Rd. Simply catch the no 8 tram from Federation Square, along Toorak Road to stop no 35.

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Gertrude Street Projection Festival

Commencing in 2007 the Gertrude Street Projection Festival has grown to become  one of inner Melbourne’s most visible and accessible free large scale arts festival. The festival celebrates projection art and lets us see familiar spaces and buildings in new, inspired ways. It’s a collaborative, volunteer effort of artists and traders, residents and community groups all brought together by The Gertrude Projection Association.

For 10 evenings in July and in over 38 sites, the length of Gertrude Street in Fitzroy is illuminated by the visions of talented projections artists for the Gertrude Street Projection Festival. Buildings, laneways, footpaths and tree trunks light up with site-specific, curated projections. The Festival’s diverse arts program celebrates and connects our diverse community.

White Hat can thoroughly recommend the festival as a showcase of the edgy, arty inner suburbs. more info >>

Our rating - 4 Hats

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The Melbourne Regatta and Blessing of the Fleet

Melbourne is one of the few cities that can pin-point the time, date and the people who first founded it. The Melbourne Regatta was first held on 30 August 1838, making it the first in Australia. In 2016 the Melbourne Passenger Boating Association will deliver a magnificent waterside spectacle to celebrate the connection between Melbourne and the sea.

Born out of a river settlement, developed through trade and immigration, stabilised by gold and farming, the city owes much to the ships who made that connection. The rivers and the great bay have been bountiful, providing food, leisure, relaxation and a highway to the rest of the world. Discover too, the land before it became Melbourne. Learn about the people and the natural landscape that existed long before, and why this made Melbourne a perfect place to build a village.

See a spectacle of cruising boats, dressed especially for the occasion. Hop aboard free ferry cruises around Victoria Harbour, be part of a Welcome to Country ceremony, and hear Father Bob bless the fleet.

You can also enjoy live entertainment with Normie Rowe, along with reggae, calypso, and blues bands. Plus there'll be walking tours, story-telling, roving entertainers, a mass choir and the Sunday market with many food stalls and local cafes. Everyone is invited to join in the fun and excitement and celebrate Melbourne's maritime and indigenous history.



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Enterprize Day (Melbourne Day)

An annual event to mark the European settlement of the area that was to become the City of Melbourne.

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Hispanic Latin American Festival (Johnston Street Fiesta)

Sexy and vibrant, Johnson Street’s Fiesta promises more kick than a tequila sunrise. Every year thousands of Melburnians are lured to Fitzroy for a weekend fiesta of food, music and dancing. The street is lined with stalls serving paella, chorizo sausages, sangria, tapas and other taste sensations. A giant stage offers entertainment for all ages.

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Carols by Candlelight

An event that has become a popular part of the Melbourne calendar

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Parliament House Open Day

Apart from its regular free daily tours, Melbourne's Parliament House has an annual open day. On this day not only are the interior spaces of Parliament House open to the public, the grounds and gardens are also accessible. More details at Parliament House Open Day >>

Our rating - 4 Hats

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Mazda Opera in The Bowl

Opera in The Bowl

It’s a Saturday evening in summer. You’re sitting in a park with family and friends, and a fabulous picnic dinner. The picture is complete when the glorious live music from Opera Australia begins.

Hear our brightest stars, under the stars, sing opera's most famous arias with the magnificent backing of Orchestra Victoria.

Dress up — or not — it's your night to enjoy the power of the human voice in the kind of communal, cultural celebration Melbourne loves best.



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Moomba Festival

Melbourne's long running community festival featuring rides, activities and entertainment in Birrarung Marr and the Alexandra Gardens. The Moomba fireworks will occur from 9.30 to 9.45pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights and the best viewing points can be had on the banks of the Yarra in Birrarung Marr or the Alexandra Gardens.



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Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is now regarded as the largest and most successful horticultural event in the Southern Hemisphere.

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Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix

Internation Formula 1 car racing. Also Formula 3, V8 Supercars.and a range of other events. Go along and soak up the action.

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Anzac Day March

The annual march along Swanston Street and St Kilda Road to the Shrine.



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Anzac Day Dawn Service

The traditional atmospheric service at the Shrine.



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Australian Open Tennis Championships

The Australian Open attracts the world's best tennis players and over 500 000 spectators over the fortnight making it the highest attended annual sporting event in Australia. It is the first grand slam tennis event for the calendar year and only four cities in the world get to host such an event

  • 14th & 15th January - 1st Round
  • 16th & 17th January - 2nd Round
  • 18th & 19th January 3rd Round
  • 20th & 21st January - 4th Round
  • 22nd & 23rd January - Quarterfinals
  • 24th January - Women’s Singles Semifinal; Women's Day Ceremony; Men’s Singles Semifinal
  • 25th January - Women’s Wheelchair Doubles Final; Men’s Wheelchair Doubles Final; Mixed Doubles Semifinal; Women’s Doubles Final; Men’s Singles Semifinal
  • 26th January (Australia Day) - Girls’ singles final; Boys’ singles final; Quad singles final; Women’s wheelchair final; Men’s wheelchair final; Pre-final entertainment / Australia Day; Women’s Singles Final; Mixed Doubles Final
  • 27th January - Men’s Doubles Final; Pre-final entertainment; Men’s Singles Final


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