Melbourne is a lively city with heaps of festivals happening year-round!
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria and is known for its incredible arts and cultural scene. If you happen to be visiting the city during one of the iconic festivals, you absolutely must stop by!
Though there are heaps of festivals happening year-round, here are some of the biggest ones.
Some of the world’s biggest acts perform in Melbourne’s stadiums. Stadium shows take place during summer, outside of the footy (AFL) season, and around the cricket.
Melbourne Fringe
Melbourne Fringe is an annual festival for independent arts. The festival has been happening since the 1980s and usually takes place over 3 weeks between September to October.
Each year, there are around 300 different shows happening throughout the 3 weeks. These shows are spread across the city at over 100 different bars, theatres and other locations. Whether you’re into theatre, comedy, music, art or circus, there is a show for everybody!
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the second-largest international comedy festival worldwide. This festival began in 1987 and has been a hit amongst locals and visitors ever since.
The festival typically lasts 4 weeks, beginning in March and ending in April. The festival hub is located at Melbourne Town Hall, though most performances take place at a range of venues across the city.
In 2018 alone, this festival showcased over 550 comedy shows with over 3,500 artists. The shows range from stand-up acts to cabaret, sketch shows, improv and art exhibits. There is even a large televised Gala that showcases headlining acts of the festival!
Moomba Festival
Every March, the Moomba Festival takes place over the long Labour Day weekend. This is the city’s longest-running and largest festival, having begun in 1955.
There are music programs, water skiing competitions and children’s activities happening throughout the long weekend. You can also watch the street parade, visit the massive carnival and watch nightly fireworks.
Midsumma Festival
Midsumma Festival is a large, annual LGBTQIA+ festival that takes place across 22 days between January and February. It originally began in 1989 as a week-long pride celebration. However, the festival has expanded and attracts around a quarter of a million visitors every year.
There are different events that take place each weekend during the time of the festival. The Midsumma Carnival kicks off the festival with performances, food trucks and booths from local vendors. There is also a parade that takes place in St. Kilda. The festival wraps up with a large Pride celebration that takes place in the suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood.
Melbourne International Film Festival
Melbourne’s International Film Festival occurs over 3 weeks in August. The event began in 1952, making it one of the world’s oldest film festivals after the Venice, Cannes and Berlin film festivals.
During this festival, you can find screenings of films from around the world. These films are shown throughout Melbourne and extend into regional Victoria. This festival is the largest film festival in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, it brought in $9.7 million to the city’s economy in 2022!
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Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.