Public listings checked 25/10/2026. Dates use each event’s local time. Check organiser details before travelling.
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Explore Melbourne and its surrounding neighbourhoods, from Carlton and Fitzroy to St Kilda, Footscray and Dandenong. Listings show their suburb so you can plan beyond the CBD.
Listings across Carlton, Collingwood, Dandenong, Docklands, East Melbourne, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Northcote, Richmond, Southbank, St Kilda, Williamstown.
Free things to do
48 matching events listed in the next 60 days. Admission prices are shown where supplied.
Australia had its own Thermopylae. People have just forgotten it.
In 480 BC, one of history's most famous battles was fought in central Greece at the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae. For three days, a few thousand Greeks, led by 300 Spartan warriors and their king, Leonidas I, held back a vast Persian army. Eventually encircled, the Spartans and their allies were killed. Their stand, however, allowed thousands of comrades to escape and fight on, leaving an enduring example of courage and sacrifice.
In April 1941, on the eve of Anzac Day, Australian and New Zealand troops returned to this same ground. Outnumbered and under relentless pressure from advancing German forces, ANZAC units used the rugged terrain of Thermopylae and nearby Brallos Pass to delay the enemy, enabling thousands of Allied soldiers to withdraw to safety.
Spartans and ANZACs draws a powerful connection between these two defining moments. It reveals how service, sacrifice and mateship transcend time, linking ancient warriors with modern soldiers in a shared legacy of courage.
This exhibition invites reflection on the enduring values forged in conflict, and how these stories continue to shape the meaning of remembrance today.
Journey through the past, present and future of the moving image with interactive experiences and captivating stories in this unforgettable exhibition.
Featuring playable videogames, movie sets, iconic costumes and props, this interactive FREE exhibition travels across time and cultures to explore the screen-based art, film, TV and videogames that changed the world.
Five distinct sections frame the major moments in moving image history, including the origins and future of cinema, production design and the creative process, Australian culture and stories, the rise of videogames, and how screens inform, influence and empower us.
These stages come to life through interactive experiences that let you animate shadows, craft optical toys, experiment with time, assemble film scenes and create soundscapes in a custom Foley studio.
These moments can be collected with the Lens, a free tool that collects your favourite objects, artworks and creations in the exhibition. It also animates the Constellation, connecting what you collected to the cosmos of screen content outside ACMI.
Southbank Makers Market offers visitors the opportunity to discover a curated selection of local makers showcasing handmade jewellery, art, ceramics, homewares and unique gifts from talented Melbourne creatives.
Come and explore, meet the makers and artists face-to-face, and learn about their products and what inspires their work. All handmade and made in this great city; take home a piece of Melbourne.
Stallholders are positioned in marquees along the Yarra River Promenade between the Evan Walker and Princes bridges. The market is complemented by some of Melbourne's long-standing and much-loved cafes and restaurants in the Southgate complex.
St Kilda Esplanade Market – Melbourne's Makers' Market by the Sea.
A St Kilda Sunday tradition since the 1970s, the Esplanade Market is a vibrant open-air showcase of Melbourne's creative spirit. Set along the scenic Upper Esplanade with views of St Kilda Beach, it's just steps from Luna Park, Acland Street and Fitzroy Street.
Browse up to 131 unique stalls featuring handcrafted artwork, woodwork, jewellery, accessories, pet products, original designs, and artisan food products. Whether you're hunting for a unique gift or simply enjoying the atmosphere, there's something for everyone.
Take a break in the Foodie Zone, where global flavours and gourmet street food await.
The market is pet-friendly and perfect for a relaxed day out with family and friends. It's Melbourne's open-air gallery by the sea – a must-visit for locals and tourists alike.
Getting there is easy: hop on tram Route 16 or 96 for a quick 15-minute ride from the city. Parking is available nearby.
You Have a New Memory is a State Library Victoria exhibition that explores how and why people remember, through the lens of the Library's enduring collections.
A meditation on the idea of memory, the exhibition invites curiosity about how memories are made, preserved and shared.
Through a cinematic slideshow alongside objects on display, encounter extraordinary and little-known memories hand-picked from the State Library's collection, spanning more than 4.5 million items – from deeply personal diaries and sacred cultural artefacts to stories we may never fully know.
Across 170 years of collecting and stewardship, the exhibition elevates the ordinary and the exceptional alike to show that our collective memory is built as much from everyday life as it is from historic events.
Moving between the intimate and the collective, You Have a New Memory invites you to reflect on your own memories – and leave with new ones.
As the saying goes, an army marches on its stomach. Yet the essential contributions of those who cook, research, and serve food to hundreds of hungry troops often go unrecognised.
This new exhibition at the Shrine honours the vital work of the Catering Corps and unveils the fascinating science and innovation behind military meals.
Step into the world of military catering to explore what and how troops have eaten—from the Boer War to Afghanistan. This immersive exhibition brings you personal stories from cooks on submarines to soldiers with field rations, showcasing the skill and adaptability of Defence chefs. Whether cooking in combat zones or delivering fine dining for diplomats, these chefs embody resilience and creativity.
Discover what First World War soldiers thought of their rations, hear stories from the most unexpected field kitchens and find out what's in a modern-day ration pack.
Sparks in the Dark celebrates the resilience, creativity and courage of women living with the enduring impacts of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).
Created by emerging artists Mursal Azizi and Kat Rae, the exhibition brings together traditional artistry and contemporary artistic practice. At its heart are 260 embroidered handkerchiefs, created by 45 women living in Afghanistan—one for every week since the Taliban regime seized control of the country in August 2021. These are presented alongside powerful new works by Azizi and Rae, creating a moving dialogue across cultures, generations and lived experiences.
The exhibition is shaped by the artists' deeply personal connections to conflict. Rae is an Australian Army veteran and war widow, while Azizi is an Afghan artist based in Melbourne whose practice explores women's empowerment, identity and social justice through her lived experience.
Together, these works create a rare and powerful connection between Afghan women, Australian veterans and Victoria's Afghan community. Through intricate embroidery and contemporary art, Sparks in the Dark shares stories of resilience, loss and hope, honouring the women who continue to create beauty and meaning despite oppression.
The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the enduring human impact of war and the extraordinary strength of those whose stories continue long after conflict fades from the headlines.
Shop directly from Melbourne’s best artists, designers, crafters and makers at Fitzroy’s iconic Rose Street Market.
Each weekend there is a huge line-up of creative types, so expect to feast your eyes on plenty of unique gems and one-off wonders that you will not get anywhere else.
There is everything from art, homewares, photography, clothing, accessories, jewellery and more. Come along and see it for yourself.
Thirsty or hungry? The market has its own eatery complete with rooftop bar to make sure you are well fed for the day.
Acknowledge the past, present and future of Treaty with Victoria's First Peoples.
In this exhibition, explore a historic collection of items related to the first and only known claim to 'treaty' in Australia, the Batman Treaty.
The Batman Treaty was marked by John Batman and Victorian Aboriginal leaders in June 1835. Batman's transaction negotiated the purchase of a tract of country 40 miles in length or 500,000 acres, in exchange for consumable goods, personal supplies and clothing, with an additional yearly payment in this manner, or tribute of similar goods.
It was almost immediately declared invalid by the government at the time. The treaty remains a critical piece of history and sheds light on the way negotiations have evolved since then. Come and view the original treaty documents, alongside a painting of the Batman Treaty signing by John Wesley Burtt, and maps which detail the area that Batman intended to acquire.
A central space in the exhibition, inspired by the majestic tree depicted in Burtt's painting, encourages contemplation and conversation. Videos displayed in this space share the diverse perspectives of Victoria's Aboriginal community, providing a link between the manuscripts of the past and the path to Treaty today and into the future.
Presented by State Library Victoria through the Victorian Indigenous Research Centre, with the support of the Hansen Little Foundation.
The 1960s is remembered as a turbulent decade. In contrast to the conservative 1950s, the sixties are associated with changing ideas, youthful rebellion and experimentation. New music, new fashions and new attitudes to authority defined the generation gap.
Young people were much more visible in society, as the baby boom of the 1950s grew into the youth boom of the 1960s. By 1971 almost 40 per cent of Melbourne's population was aged under 21. Young people were also more prosperous than ever before. Full employment and rising wages meant that many young people had money to spend, and marketers took full advantage. Teenagers and twenty-somethings were clear market segments, with their own magazines, fashions and music.
In this exhibition come look at what it was like to live in Victoria during the 1960s. How different were the 1960s from the decades before or after? Was it really all about sex, drugs and rock and roll? Did the sixties really swing in Victoria?
On display will be original protest records and ephemera, costumes including one worn by Seeker, Judith Durham and some designed by Pru Acton. Instruments relating to contraception (the Pill was introduced in the 60s), and a special section for Barbie and her enduring legacy – including a 1960s Barbie and accessories.
Journey Among Men is a powerful new exhibition celebrating the enduring strength of First Peoples culture, creativity and connection across generations of First Peoples men.
Developed over two years on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Dhagung Wurrung, Taungurung, Gunai/Kurnai, Tati Tati, Barapa Barapa, Wamba Wamba and Yorta Yorta Country, the exhibition brings together newly created cultural belongings by eight First Peoples artists.
The exhibition features new works by Mick Harding, Brendan Kennedy, Kevin Williams, Earl Handy, Mitchil Harding, Cahill Kennedy, Iluka Sax-Williams and Lewis Wandin-Bursill.
Through carving, burning, incising and other cultural practices that bridge the old and the new, Journey Among Men celebrates the healing power of art, intergenerational knowledge sharing and the resilience of living culture.
Emergenc[y] brings together artists, scientists, and collaborators from around the globe to explore how people adapt to a world in flux. In an age marked by ecological collapse, technological acceleration, and social upheaval, adaptation becomes not only a biological imperative but a creative and ethical act.
Spanning from the cellular to the planetary, the latest Science Gallery Melbourne exhibition explores how adaptation unfolds in every layer of life from the regenerative promise of stem cells to the movement of Martian winds. Engage with the interconnected crises and possibilities of the time through regenerative coral soundscapes, resilient fungal fashion, First Nations knowledge of the Birrarung and a vertical city farm.
This free exhibition is both a warning and an invitation to grow, to listen, to reconfigure, and to act. Visit Science Gallery Melbourne to consider: how might people not only survive through change but emerge in a critically reimagined future?
