Melbourne hosts so many festivals and events, you'll never be bored. No matter what your tastes you'll be sure to find plenty of fellow revellers to join you, whatever the season.
December - February
Summer is when Melbournians party hardest, with a carnival atmosphere taking hold on the city and people in an even sunnier mood than usual. It kicks off, of course, with the Boxing Day test match - possibly the biggest event on the Melbourne sporting calendar which sees 160,000 cricket-besotted fans fill "The G" to bursting to cheer on their national heroes. This sporting extravaganza is shortly followed by the Australian Open. Midsumma Festival, the lesbian and gay carnival, segues into the St. Kilda music festival along the seafront, with a whopping 50 bands a day playing for 8 days, so you can literally dance 'til you drop, and where better to drop than on the sun-filled beach!
March - May
A sports-rich season, Autumn begins with the Australian Grand Prix and the AFL Premiership - an ideal way to get your head round this national sport is to attend a match in the company of the locals in a spirit of fun and revelry. Budding horticulturalists flock to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and enologists get their fill of the latest vintages at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival held annually in March. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival takes place from end of March to late April, attracting huge international stars as well as a rich offerings of breakthrough artists and local comedians, cabaret starlets and stand-ups.
June - August
Warm your cockles with the joys and excitement of rugby season which kicks off at the Etihad stadium in winter. The Melbourne International Jazz Festival brings a swing vibe to the city and art lovers will not know where to look as the major winter exhibitions open across town, the Open House Weekend sees iconic buildings open their doors for a rare glimpse into Melbourne's usually secret architectural gems, the State of Design festival takes up the last weeks of July and the International Film Festival sees a host of silver screen stars take to the red carpet across the city.
September - November
Spring encourages all sorts of frolics across Melbourne. Don your best hat and frock for the 6-week Spring Racing Carnival AND the Melbourne Cup Carnival, tee off for the President's Cup or get caught up in the parade as the winners of the AFL Grand Final Series celebrate in the streets. These months are also punctuated by the effervescent Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival.
Find Melbourne things to see and do
December - February
Summer is when Melbournians party hardest, with a carnival atmosphere taking hold on the city and people in an even sunnier mood than usual. It kicks off, of course, with the Boxing Day test match - possibly the biggest event on the Melbourne sporting calendar which sees 160,000 cricket-besotted fans fill "The G" to bursting to cheer on their national heroes. This sporting extravaganza is shortly followed by the Australian Open. Midsumma Festival, the lesbian and gay carnival, segues into the St. Kilda music festival along the seafront, with a whopping 50 bands a day playing for 8 days, so you can literally dance 'til you drop, and where better to drop than on the sun-filled beach!
March - May
A sports-rich season, Autumn begins with the Australian Grand Prix and the AFL Premiership - an ideal way to get your head round this national sport is to attend a match in the company of the locals in a spirit of fun and revelry. Budding horticulturalists flock to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and enologists get their fill of the latest vintages at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival held annually in March. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival takes place from end of March to late April, attracting huge international stars as well as a rich offerings of breakthrough artists and local comedians, cabaret starlets and stand-ups.
June - August
Warm your cockles with the joys and excitement of rugby season which kicks off at the Etihad stadium in winter. The Melbourne International Jazz Festival brings a swing vibe to the city and art lovers will not know where to look as the major winter exhibitions open across town, the Open House Weekend sees iconic buildings open their doors for a rare glimpse into Melbourne's usually secret architectural gems, the State of Design festival takes up the last weeks of July and the International Film Festival sees a host of silver screen stars take to the red carpet across the city.
September - November
Spring encourages all sorts of frolics across Melbourne. Don your best hat and frock for the 6-week Spring Racing Carnival AND the Melbourne Cup Carnival, tee off for the President's Cup or get caught up in the parade as the winners of the AFL Grand Final Series celebrate in the streets. These months are also punctuated by the effervescent Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival.
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