10 Awesome Things To Do In Melbourne This Weekend
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Whether it's Dolly Parton hitting the Comedy Theatre stage bootstraps and rhinestones in tow, or the awaited return of Lightscape’s epic winter trail, Melbourne’s serving up another weekend of top-tier happenings.
Comedy lovers can catch a second round of laughs at Replay Festival, or see Casey Donovan shine in the Tony Award-winning Kimberly Akimbo, whilst K-pop stans can soak up STAYC at Festival Hall.
Fashion lovers, you're going to want to get amongst the steals on offer at The Finders Keepers market, while your not-so shopping-savvy significant other warms up in Collingwood’s luxe Sense of Self bathhouse. And if you’re craving a little nature fix? The Den of Nargun trail is your best bet.
Here’s everything that’s on in Melbourne this weekend.
Melbourne Vibes Pop-Ups Turn CBD Streets Into Stages
Various Locations
Image Credit: Melbourne Vibes | Supplied
Melbourne Vibes is in full swing, with ALWAYS LIVE continuing to drop free pop-up gigs across the CBD every weekend through summer. The series has already turned city streets into impromptu stages for names like Cut Copy, Briggs, Miss Kaninna, Bliss n Eso, Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano and Mallrat, with the most recent weekend seeing Alice Ivy and Playlunch step up for back-to-back sets in the heart of the city.
There are still more unannounced gigs to come, with Melbourne’s laneways, precincts and public spaces all up for grabs as potential stages. ALWAYS LIVE will keep rolling out a fresh slate of surprise shows each weekend via their socials and mailing list, so switch on notifications and let the city’s soundtrack dictate your summer plans.
NGV Kids Summer Festival: Disco & Dreamy Dress-Ups
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne CBD
Image Credit: NGV Kids Summer Festival | Supplied
Grab the glitter and get ready to boogie—NGV’s Kids Summer Festival (January 10–16) is unleashing a kaleidoscope of free family magic across NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. Picture this: the Great Hall pulsing with Kids Disco Parties, where little legends lose it to pop bangers under that trippy coloured canopy, all sparked by Danielle Brustman’s Let’s Party! Fashion for Kids—a Children’s Gallery wonderland of twirling dress-ups, wild garments and pure creative chaos running all summer.
Comedy king Rich Higgins (The Listies) drops joke-bombs in workshops, while drop-in sketching and collage stations morph kids into pint-sized fashion rebels. Bushra Hasan’s tours spin surprising yarns from the NGV collection, teens snoop in the Conservation lab and a Mercedes-Benz photobooth freezes the frenzy. Over at The Ian Potter, Ngarrindjeri artist Emma Stenhouse weaves the epic Pondi river cod tale—craft fish puppets and etch river bends—beside Hermannsburg Potters’ terracotta footy anthems (draw your own match-winner). Yorta Yorta/Wiradjuri star Tania Rossi ties First Nations masterpieces to storybook favourites in cosy sessions.
Relaxed Sessions (Jan 14–15) dial down the dazzle for a gentler groove into Let’s Party! and Great Hall fun. NGV’s Tony Ellwood promises a “vibrant world of fashion and self-expression,” backed by Minister Colin Brooks—this is Melbourne summer at its sparkliest, no tickets required. Who needs a ramp when the whole city’s your runway?
When: From 10-16 January 2026
The Den of Nargun Is The Tranquil Winter Walk You Didn’t Know You Needed
Mitchell River National Park, East Gippsland, Accessible year-round
Trade the city chaos for ancient forests, misty creeks, and a little mythological magic. The Den of Nargun Circuit Walk is an underrated winter escape steeped in Gunaikurnai lore. It’s peaceful, lush, and the perfect excuse to throw on your boots and go bush for the day.
This Luxe Collingwood Bathhouse Is The Steamy Winter Retreat Of Your Dreams
Sense of Self, Cambridge Street, Collingwood, Open Daily
When Melbourne’s chill sets in, this is where you go to thaw out in style. Sense of Self in Collingwood is all about slow wellness—with a dreamy mineral bath, hot and cold therapy, and plush lounges that practically beg you to stay all day. You’ll leave lighter, warmer, and stoked with the knowledge that you have this Sunday you are better than everyone else.
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