City guides
Australia
Victoria
What’s on in Melbourne
Australian F1 Grand Prix
21 — 24 March 2024
Albert Park Lake, near St Kilda.
Motorsport fans have a real treat when it comes time for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the superb modern Albert Park Lake circuit. The main race is the first on the annu…
Australian F1 Grand Prix
21 — 24 March 2024
Albert Park Lake, near St Kilda.
Motorsport fans have a real treat when it comes time for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the superb modern Albert Park Lake circuit. The main race is the first on the annual Formula One schedule, and forms the centrepiece of four days of events from karting through all racing categories and off-track entertainment. The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street circuit around the ornamental Albert Park Lake just south of the Central Business District. The road surface is comparatively smooth for a street circuit, and the course is considered fast and fairly easy to drive, leading to competitive lap times, despite the fact that overtaking is difficult. The event is very well supported by Australians and attracts some international fans.
Website www.formula1.com
Melbourne Cup
5 November 2024
Flemington Racecourse
Melbourne's premier turf event isn't just any horserace. The annual Melbourne Cup is billed as 'the celebration that stops a nation' and 'Australia's most famous Tuesday'. The race…
Melbourne Cup
5 November 2024
Flemington Racecourse
Melbourne's premier turf event isn't just any horserace. The annual Melbourne Cup is billed as 'the celebration that stops a nation' and 'Australia's most famous Tuesday'. The race is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere and draws interest from across the world. First run in 1861, it carries a proud tradition and is the highlight of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival. The event is also an excuse for dressing up and sampling gourmet delights, with society embracing the chance to show off and mingle with the fashionable and famous of Melbourne.
Website www.melbournecup.com.au
Australian Open Tennis Championships
14 — 28 January 2024
Melbourne Park
What started out as the Australasian Championships in 1905 has become what is known today as the Australian Open. It has been staged at six different venues: New Zealand, Melbourne…
Australian Open Tennis Championships
14 — 28 January 2024
Melbourne Park
What started out as the Australasian Championships in 1905 has become what is known today as the Australian Open. It has been staged at six different venues: New Zealand, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. Since 1972, the tournament has been held every year at Melbourne Park. The Australian Open is one of the four tennis championships that make up the 'Grand Slam,' along with the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, making the tournament a prestigious event for the top tennis professionals. Although the tournament was originally played on grass, two hard court surfaces are now used. The Australian Open is second only to the US for attendance numbers and is a very popular tournament with spectators.
Website www.australianopen.com
Melbourne Writers Festival
6 — 12 May 2024
The Melbourne Writers Festival is the city's premier literary event, well-established after nearly three decades. Every year the festival draws together well known and talented wri…
Melbourne Writers Festival
6 — 12 May 2024
The Melbourne Writers Festival is the city's premier literary event, well-established after nearly three decades. Every year the festival draws together well known and talented writers, artists, thinkers and performers from around the world. There is generally something for every lover of good writing, with a wide range of genres covered, from novels to film, journalism to song writing, comedy to cartooning, and even advertising and politics. The full program and bookings are available on the official website listed below. Past celebrity guests have included Isabel Allende, Margaret Atwood, Bill Bryson, A.S. Byatt, J.M. Coetzee, Paulo Coelho, Seamus Heaney and Ian Rankin, among many others.
Website www.mwf.com.au