Festivals and Annual Events

This festival gives local and international actors a chance to perform to the best of their ability for your amusement. Don’t miss it! It starts on the 1st of February and is enjoyed by Australians and tourists alike. The event, which started off as a mediocre short-scale musical festival, has transformed into a country-wide extravaganza and is celebrated with immense joy and zeal.

This festival exhibits the extensive range of entertainment, vibrant live music, action and activities critical to the St Kilda’s captivating and symbolic milieu. The event begins from the 31st of January and ends on the 8th of the next month. During all this period of seven days the city of Melbourne overflows with music, dining, drinking and shopping. Offering a diverse array of products and leisure opportunities the festival is a must for all tourists coming to Melbourne.

Check-in to catch the alluring and glamourous episode of the avant garde fashion show. The event takes place for a period of seven days from the 15th to the 22nd of March. Featuring some of the most prominent fashion designers and models of the world, the event is one of the most eagerly awaited events for the people of Melbourne. The prime objective of the festival is to showcase some of the fresh trends which redefine the conventional concepts of fashion in a contemporary way.

This festival presents an illustration of Melbourne’s gastronomic intrinsic worth. The 16 days of this festival allow you to gain exposure to some of the most appetizing and lip-smacking cuisines, and is reason enough for numerous visitors to travel to Melbourne to enjoy the mouth watering delights.

Experience the taste of national and international music, in the old fishing village of Port Fairy. The Port Fairy Folk Festival takes place over a four-day period (from the 6th to the 9th of March), and features musicians from all around the world who are skilled in all kinds of music, such as folk, jazz, blues, rock and hiphop (to name a few). These musicians are given the chance to present their talent in order to entertain the music lovers of the city of Melbourne.

This is a parade of perhaps the funniest people who will ever have the chance to entertain you, and you definately won't be able to stop laughing at their jokes. The event, organized in the middle of April, features, not only comedy actors, but artists from all around the world who provide entertainment for the people of Melbourne. Moreover, the intention of this event is very generous, as the money generated from this event is used in charitable organisations.

This festival features the Australian art of short-film-making, in which the people show their creativity at St. Kilda’s Palais Theatre and George Cinema. The festival features some of the landmark film creations of Australian cinema and therefore attracts numerous tourists towards the city. It is advisable for tourists to purchase the tickets of the event as soon as possible, as they tend to sell out quite quickly.

It’s a scintillating night where people from all over the world showcase their films alongside the locals. The event takes place from the 16th till the 22nd of July and features some of the most prominent documentaries and films acclaimed filmmakers of the world. The festival, which is organized on a massive scale, also provides significant opportunities for fresh filmmakers to showcase their work to the masses.

The Melbourne Art Fair puts on view 80 of the most highly rated galleries from many countries across the world including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, China, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Held from the 30th of July till the 3rd of August, the event is one of the prominent platforms to demonstrate some of the most significant works of Arts and Crafts. In addition, national and global collector programs, curator programs and culturally motivated programs are also organized during the festival.

This festival will appeal to fans of great literature. Books written by world renowned authors are available for purchase, and various writing workshops are offered to the general public. The event, which is endorsed by the UNESCO City of Literature, is held from the 22nd till the 31st of August. It encompasses some of the great and freshly prepared works of writers for the promotion of literature and poetry in the society. Some of the best work showcased in the event are also awarded prestigious awards, which are named after some of the prominent authors and literary personalities of the world.

The Melbourne Fringe Festival embraces a wide array of art forms where the performers spice up the event with their innovative and highly entertaining art works. The festival runs for three weeks; commencing from the last week of September till early October, showcasing some diverse forms of arts such as theater, comedy, music, performing arts, film and cabaret. The location where these festivals take place have been equipped to embrace digital art and circus performance as well.

This show portrays the agricultural side of the city, and features exciting action-filled sports, with farm machinery and animals and amusement rides. The program is organized for 10 days where, alongside interacting with some of the most distinctive species of livestock and cattle, you are also provided the opportunity to enjoy some extremely exciting rides. The festival allows people to gain an understanding of some of the most sturdy and robust species of bulls, sheep and cows which participate in the races held in the show, providing immense entertainment to the onlookers.

One of the most significant festivals in Melbourne, highlighting the global art forms of dance, theatre, visual art and multimedia is the Melbourne International Arts Festival. The event is held from the 9th till the 25th of October. During this period, it attracts large audiences, who come to witness some spectacular exhibits of fine arts, and performing arts. One of the major epitomes of the event is also to preserve and introduce the true meaning of Australian culture on a global platform.

This is one of the world’s greatest horse-racing carnivals, and is a sporting event which one shouldn’t miss. It includes the ever famous Melbourne Cup at Flemington, and always takes place on the first Tuesday in November. Racing is one of the most beloved sports for Australians and therefore the significance of this event can not be neglected. This globally arranged event demonstrates thoroughbred racing, fashion and amusement under the same flagship, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Australia’s foremost event of music that exhibits the jazz and blues held in Wangaratta in north-east Victoria, is the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz. Starting from the 31st of October till the 3rd of November, this festival has been providing people the opportunity to enjoy some of the most tremendous works of jazz music since its formation in 1990. The agenda of the festival also incorporates national Jazz Awards and along with this, workshops are also organized for motivating people who are skilled in playing this kind of sophisticated music, to further their talent.

If you want to combine the fun of camping, and listening to the best underground music, then Meredith Music Festival is the right event to attend. Held on the 12th, 13th and 14th of December this event provides a highlight of the music loving temperament of the people of Melbourne. The festival showcases some of the most prominent musical landmarks which serve as extreme captivation for the people of the city as well as the tourists.

This festival showcases the arts and communities of gay, lesbian and transgender people. The celebration lasts three weeks from mid-January until February. It represents the ideal mix of artists and entertainers displaying their wonderful talents, artworks and different cultures.