What's on in Melbourne?

Find out what's on in Melbourne: a lot! It is this variety that makes it the vibrant and high spirited city it is known to be.

Whether you are interested in the arts, sport, exhibitions or festivals, you will not run out of things to do in Melbourne.

Find out what's on each month with this Melbourne event planner:

What's on: September	What's on: October	What's on: November
What's on: December	What's on: January

What's on in Melbourne: Mainstream Arts Events

Melbourne is city that delivers an abundance of local and international arts events. You get a series of theatre, ballet, symphony and operat, as well as popular international entertainers at the Melbourne Arts Centre.

The National Gallery of Victoria hosts some major international exhibitions each year, as well as a regular range of talks, exhibitions and performance events.

It has an Australian section in the Federation Square complex with the greatest collection of Australian Art, and an International gallery on St Kilda Road.

There are also hundreds of Art galleries in Melbourne exhibiting the work of well-known and emerging local and Australian artists.

Family Events in Melbourne

Melbourne is also loved for it sports. Melbourne sports undoubtedly has shapes life in Melbourne, with its major sports events, such as the tennis, the Melbourne Cup and the AFL season.

The City of Melbourne organises a range of well-loved community festivities throughout the year that are loved by many families, with the Moomba Waterfest being the most popular.

The Melbourne Museum is putting on annual blockbuster exhibitions that give you insights into other times, worlds and place.

Then there are the movies, with a range of independent Melbourne cinemas that are cherished by many Melbournians.

Melbourne Insider Culture and Events

It is hard to give justice to what's on in Melbourne, especially in the arts. Firstly, there is too much to list here. Secondly, the Melbourne arts and music scene is organic and community based. A lot of it is not mainstream, but takes place in small performance venues and is passed on by word of mouth.

While we list the major Melbourne arts events here, there are always many smaller exhibitons, events and gigs happening around town. There are numerous Melbourne theatres, performance and exhibition spaces throughout the inner suburbs of Melbourne, as well as bars and other live music venues.

It is these that give Melbourne its special flavour. To find out what's on in Melbourne from day to day, please check the Beat.com.

What's on in Melbourne in February:

Chinese New Year Festival: a very popular event with traditional and contemporary Chinese cultural activities, festivities, dances and Chinese Opera. Stalls of culinary delights, arts and crafts, Chinese chess competitions, lion dances, dragon parades, calligraphy and childrens events. Chinatown, Little Bourke St.

Movie Extra Tropfest: at Federation Square. The worlds largest short film festival, showing the work of the most talented Australian filmmakers, whose films have been selected for the festival: Tropfest

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra free concerts: at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Not to be missed: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

St Kilda Festival : one of Melbourne's best known street festivals with an indigenous day and many talentd Australian musicians. St Kilda Festival

February, Riverboat Jazz Food and Wine Festival : a wonderful weekend of jazz music, food and wine activities taking place on land and water in Echuca-Moama: Riverboat Jazz Food and Wine Festival

Superbike World Championships: at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, with the best competition of the world racing for the world title: Phillip Island Circuit

Melbourne events for March:

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival: a must for local and international food and wine lovers, including over 150 events, classes, lunches and more: Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Moomba Waterfest: The largest free community festival in Australia, celebrating the spirit of Melbourne. There is the Moomba Parade, the madness of the Birdman Rally, the excitement of the nightly Fire show on the Yarra, or the thrills of the Moomba Carnival and a daily program of performances. Moomba Waterfest

Brunswick Music Festival : one of Victoria's premier music festivals and a major cultural event for Australia. It showcases ethnic, indigenous, acoustic and traditional music, featuring local musicians alongside interstate and international guests: Brunswick Music Festival.

Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix : racing extravaganza, glamour and entertainment around Albert Park Lake, which despite local protest is being endured by many and enjoyed by the racing fans around the globe. Melbourne Grand Prix

Melbourne Fashion Festival: a week of fashion, shows, famous faces, exhibitions, business events and parties. It is the largest fashion event in Australia: Melbourne Fashion Festival.

Rip Curl Pro: at Bells beach. This is the highlight of surfing Victoria, the stop #2 of the international professional surfing world tour. An event of iconic status at stunning southern Victorian ocean coastline.

March to April, Melbourne International Comedy Festival: one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world, alongside similar events in Edinburgh and Montreal with an enormous program of stand-up comedy, cabaret, theatre, street performance, film, television, radio and visual arts. Indeed very popular: Melbourne Comedy Festival

March to September, AFL: The Australian Football League season with 17 teams from around Australia, qualifying for the Finals the Grand Final in September. AFL is the most visited sport in Melbourne, supported and celebrated by many.

There is never a shortage of what to do in Melbourne in Autumn. Autumn is renown for being the festival season for Melbourne.

What to do in Melbourne in April:

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton. It has the reputation of being the biggest and best annual garden show in the Southern Hemisphere: Melbourne Flower and Garden Show

Apollo Bay Music Festival: a celebration of community and love of music in Apollo Bay. It features outstanding musicians, like the Black Sorrows and the Whitlams, from World Music, to Rock, to Folk to Blues - all in the beautiful setting along the Great Ocean Road: Apollo Bay Music Festival

What's on in Melbourne in June:

Melbourne Jazz Festival: a popular six day music festival with the best international and Australian jazz. There are some free events, concerts, workshops and a celebration of music around the city: Melbourne Jazz

Light in Winter celebrations: each year with a different theme, Light in Winter celebrates the darkest time of the year, the Solstice, light-art, indigenous stories and camp fires, and various celebrations and light ceremonies by different Melbourne communities. Around Federation Square in June.

What's on in Melbourne in July:

Melbourne International Film Festival: the most significant film event in Australia. Documentaries, experimental films, and forums with local and international film makers: Melbourne Film Festival.

Melbourne Open House: an opportunity to see behind the scenes of Melbourne buildings and places, to find out, get engaged in the rich past and sustainable future: Melbourne Open House

What's on in Melbourne in August:

Melbourne Writers Festival, with top national and international writers, in discussions, book readings and master classes. Melbourne Writers Festival.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of What's on in Melbourne. The spirit of Melbourne comes to live in its many community events, bars and live performances, which are too numerous to be listed here.