Table of Contents
Melbourne event calendar
see also:
Event calendar for Melbourne
January
- usually warm (25-30degC max) but may be hot (35-42 degC) or cool (18-21degC max)
- consider getting away from oppressive heat by:
- beach holidays in Otways or SE coast - but tend to be over-crowded & need to book early even for camping sites
- get away to alpine resorts (eg. Mt Buller) for relaxing bushwalks & spa, etc away from the crowds
- drive to Dandenongs for day trip
- holiday in Tasmania - peak season and still can be quite hot
- twilight music at the zoo every Fri-Sun evening until 2nd week March
- Moonlight Cinema in the Botanic Gardens in Summer
- Australian Open Tennis
- Australia Day celebrations:
- vintage car rally
- fireworks
regional festivals
- Alpine Valleys Gourmet Weekend , 2004 ph: 5751 1575
- Australian Federation Tattoo - a Scottish Tattoo in Ballarat
February
- usually the hottest month
- hot, northerly winds risk dust storms and bushfires in Victoria
- great for beach holidays in Otways as kids now back at school, but still not great waves for surfing
- Melbourne International Music & Blues Festival:
- banks of Yarra & Melb. Exhibition Centre
- Myer Music Bowl free concerts by Melb. Symphony Orchestra
- Twilight music at the Zoo every Fri-Sun evening until 2nd week March
- Chinese New Year celebrations
- Melbourne White Night - all night festival - Feb 22nd 2014
- biennial Australian International Airshow - Avalon (en route to Geelong) - avoid travelling to Otways this weekend
- Sand sculpting workshops & competition - Rye Beach end Feb-1st week March
regional festivals:
- Drouin Ficifolia Festival 1st 2 wks Feb (Gippsland)
- Warrnambool Wunta festival
- Hanging Rock Harvest Picnic - last Sunday in Feb?
- Echuca - Riverboats, Jazz, Food & Wine Festival
- West Gippsland - Hot Sauce & Fiery Foods Festival - Redback Chilli Co, Jindivick
March:
- often hot enough for beach, but now waves improving and thus better for surfing
- Labour Day weekend:
- Moomba festival
- Motor show at Exhibition Centre
- Caravan and camping show at Exhibition Centre
- Melbourne International Fashion Week
- Circa Nocturna - Melbourne Alternative Fashion Show
- Triathlon and mini-triathlon St Kilda on the Sunday after Labour Day
- Great Melbourne Bike Ride ph: 1800 616 600
- Melbourne International Comedy Festival
- AFL football season starts late March
- Melbourne Food & Wine Festival:
- last week March - 2nd week April
- must book early eg. 1st week Feb - see RACV
- World's longest lunch - 1000-seat 3 course meal at Docklands, etc
regional festivals:
- Ballarat Begonia Festival - 1st 2wks March
- Inverloch Jazz Festival
- Yackandandah Folk Festival
April
- cold nights usually mean the end to solar heated swimming pool use in Victoria unless “Indian summer”
- slow moving High pressure systems tend to be remain centred over Melbourne causing:
- Melbourne to have its least windy month, with mild sunny days (max. 18-22degC) and cold mornings (2-5degC) with fog/smog
- NB. unstable moist weather on NSW/Qld coast with cool SE winds bringing rain
- great weather for:
- drives to Dandenongs or NE Victoria for autumn scenery
- camping
- bush-walking trips
- golf - eg. along the Murray River (warmer weather) such as Echuca and Surrounds
- surfing with wet suit - great waves, but cool weather & water becoming colder
- Easter:
- last weekend for lifesaver patrolled surf beaches in Victoria
- Bell's Beach world surfing championship
- Melbourne International Comedy Festival
- Anzac Day holiday (25th)
May
- as for April but becoming cooler during the day
- Victoria starts to get green again
- don't forget Mother's Day
- consider romantic, or just relaxing getaways with log fires & spas
- Toorak Festival of Sculpture - May 1st-30th
- Choral@Montsalvat
- Montsalvat Artists Colony 7 Hillcrest Ave, Eltham
June
- shortest day of year, start of the cold months (max. 12-18degC)
- Queen's Birthday holiday
- 1st snows in Vic Alps (usually) good for tourist drives but may not be enough for ski-ing
- ensure you maximise end of year tax deductions such as purchase of tax deductible items or pre-pay interest on loans
July
- cold, wet month usually
- consider going north for holidays - eg. Nth Queensland, NT, Indonesia, tropical islands
- check out the pounding Winter surf along the Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles
- snow season in Alps - Snow Bookings
- Winter is a great time to view the Milky Way Galaxy and its many beautiful sites through a telescope
August
- usually the coldest & wettest month
- consider going north for holidays - eg. Nth Queensland, NT, Indonesia, tropical islands
- snow season in Alps - Snow Bookings
- Ballarat Foto Biennale - regional photography exhibition
September
- windy, cloudy month, but generally green countryside and good for waterfalls & bushwalks
- consider going:
- tropics for holidays as for August as even Gold Coast ocean water now a bit too cool
- Grampians for its Spring wild flowers
- Dandenong Ranges for its tulips
- Tesselaar Tulip Festival - mid-Sept to mid Oct - Silvan in Dandenong Ranges
- snow season in Alps - Snow Bookings
- Spring Fashion
regional:
- Trout Rivers Trout Country Festival on the Goulburn River
- World Cup Aerials Mt Buller
- Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph - Ouyen
- Echuca Winery Wander
October
- windy, cloudy month, but generally green countryside and good for waterfalls & bushwalks
- consider going north for holidays - eg. Queensland or to the Grampians for its Spring wild flowers before the bush flies arrive!
- Bathurst 1000 car race (NSW)
- buy tickets for summer events such as Australian Open Tennis, Melbourne Blues & Jazz Festival & concerts
- see Ticketek
- Italian Film Festival at Cinema Como
- Caulfield Cup horse racing - opportunity for ladies to dress up and have fun
- daylight saving starts
regional
- Cobden Spring Festival
- Horsham Spring Garden Festival
- Mildura Jazz, Food & Wine Festival
- Food & Wine Festival Seymour
- Wangaratta Jazz Festival
November
- weather starts to warm up, some beach days
- solar heated pools may get warm enough for a swim if several consecutive days of sun
- one day and international test cricket season starts in Australia
- Spring horse racing festival:
- Derby Day - Saturday before Melb. Cup
- Melbourne Cup - 1st Tuesday of Nov.
- Oak's Day - ladies day - Thursday after Melb. Cup
- late Nov:
- Sexpo - health, sexuality and lifestyle exhibition at Melbourne Exhibition Centre opp. casino
- Body, Mind & Soul expo at Melbourne Exhibition Centre
- bush flies come down from the NSW cattle farms to annoy us over Summer (usually start about mid-Nov)
regional:
- Wangaratta Jazz Festival
- Grampians Arts Discovery Festival ph: 1800 657 158
- Earthcore Carnival alternative lifestyle camp out on the Goulburn River
December
- Dec 7-14th: Women's International Jazz Festival
- Dec 24th: RVIB Carol's by Candlelight, Sidney Myer Music Bowl (book via Ticketmaster 7)
- Boxing Day holiday (26th):
- 1st day of cricket test match at MCG - usually a sell-out
- New Year's Eve and day:
- fireworks on the Yarra
- Lorne falls festival - very popular, friendly 2-3 day camping / music festival - book early
- New Year's Day racing carnival at Hanging Rock
regional:
- Summer wine festivals in Mornington Peninsula
- Summer Harvest Jazz Music Festival at Nedlands Lavendar Farm, Mornington Peninsula
- Yuulong Lavender Festival, Mt Egerton, Ballarat