What’s On In Melbourne This Week, This Month And Beyond
Kiera Eardley
Contributor | Urban List Melbourne
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Looking for what's on in Melbourne in September 2026? From blockbuster food festivals and pop-up markets to immersive art shows, live music gigs and family-friendly events, Melbourne is heaving with must-see happenings.
Here are Urban List's picks for the best things to do in Melbourne this week, all of August and further into 2026.
- September 2026 Food Events And Markets
- September 2026 Art, Culture And Exhibitions
- September 2026 Music, Theatre And Film Events
- What's On In Melbourne Later In 2026
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September 2026 Food Events And Markets
Bar Lourinhã Turns 20
Little Collins Street, Melbourne | April–November
Image: Bar Lourinhã | Supplied
In a city that never stops opening new restaurants, Bar Lourinhã has done something arguably far more impressive: stuck around. The beloved Little Collins Street institution is turning 20 this May, and founders Matt McConnell and Jo Gamvros are marking the milestone in typical Mediterranean and Iberian style.
A rollicking year-long anniversary program centres around a series of long-table dinners that will revisit 20 years of signature dishes, with themes from Winter Classics to Greek Night, and even a Christmas event. Kicking off with the first Long Table Dinner on 30 April, later celebrations include the Tutti Chic DJ night in July, which will see all wines by the glass go for $16, and a Father's Day croqueta and chorizo party in September.
Take your pick of events and make your booking via the Bar Lourinhã website. For those who can’t make it in person, you can still take a piece of Lourinhã home; McConnell and Gamvros have just released their debut cookbook.
High Cheese At The Westin
205 Collins Street, Melbourne | 5pm–9:30pm Tuesday–Saturday, 26 May–17 October 2026
Image: The Westin and Supercheese | Supplied
Love the idea of getting dressed up for high tea, but finger sandwiches don’t quite tickle your fancy? The Westin Melbourne has teamed up with Richmond cheesemonger Supercheese to make all your dreams come true.
High Cheese at The Westin Melbourne is returning for its third year, beginning a five-month residency from 26 May where a three-tier high tea menu heroes cheese at every turn. Cult favourite Supercheese is known for sourcing niche, small-batch cheeses from local and international producers, and executive chef Apoorva Kunte has stayed true to this ethos for their collaboration.
At High Cheese, guests move through a progression of savoury and sweet cheese-forward creations—including a shared centrepiece and sweet finale—each paired with a glass of delicious Punt Road Wine. The menu will be refreshed in August, so you have no reason to not return for a second (or third) cheesy visit in winter.
Running Tuesday through Saturday, bookings are essential.
San Francisco 49ers: Melbourne Foodie Passport
Various Locations, Melbourne | From 5 September
Image credit: Melbourne Foodie Passport | Supplied
The San Francisco 49ers are warming up for Australia’s first NFL game with a very Melbourne pre-match ritual: eating their way around town. Ahead of their clash with the Los Angeles Rams on 11 September, the team’s Melbourne Foodie Passport brings themed bites, player appearances and game-day ticket giveaways to six local spots.
Expect custom doughnuts at American Doughnut Kitchen, 49ers smashburgers at Easey’s, a themed snack menu at Nonna’s House and a team-branded coffee truck at Grace’s Elegant Espresso. Even Bunnings is getting involved, with its Port Melbourne sausage sizzle raising funds for Ripponlea Kindergarten on Saturday 5 September. Meanwhile, Transport Bar in Fed Square becomes the team’s fan HQ for the week.
49ers alumni, mascot Sourdough Sam and the Gold Rush cheerleaders will make appearances throughout the program, with each venue hosting ticket giveaways for the match. Come for the doughnuts, potentially leave with a considerably bigger Friday planned.
Free Vinyl Nights And Cocktails At The Espy
Ghost at The Espy, St Kilda | 8–11pm Friday 28 August, 4 and 11 September
Image: The Espy | Supplied
Free entry, three dance-filled Friday nights, and DJ Michael Koletas pushing the obvious aside to spin cult classics and hidden gems from his vinyl collection. Get ready for the Johnnie Walker B-Side Sessions at Ghost, The Espy’s low-lit cocktail bar that you’ll find tucked away at the top level of the sprawling venue. These events are a strictly limited run that pairs vinyl with an exclusive cocktail menu.
There are four Johnnie Walker Black Label drinks to choose from: a Kuro Melody with strawberry and orange bitters, a Whisky Track with sake and gingerbread, the sweet-and-sour Ronan Reserve, and a yuzu Vinyl Highball.
September 2026 Art, Culture, Exhibitions And More
Seek The Heat At Peninsula Hot Springs
Peninsula Hot Springs, Fingal | Until 4 October
Image: Peninsula Hot Springs | Supplied
This grey Melbourne winter weather has us craving warmth and some serious R&R, and a bath at home just isn’t really cutting it. Enter, Peninsula Hot Springs’ Seek the Heat program. Until 4 October, the award-winning geothermal springs will become a full sensory experience after dark that’s designed for serious restorativeness.
With your general bathing ticket, explore seven chakra-coloured illuminated pools accompanied by original soundscapes from artist Josh Rodyhouse—designed to play through the water itself, rather than just blared overhead—and enjoy colour-immersive saunas for peak relaxation. You can also purchase add-on experiences like aromatic Sauna Infusions and Cacao Rituals, and the Thursday evening Bathe-In Cinema runs until 27 August with films like The Sapphires and Red Dog.
Margaret Preston At The NGV
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne | 4 September 2026–31 January 2027
After seven decades of work and over 200 paintings, prints, and sculptures, the first major retrospective retrospective of Margaret Preston’s career in over 20 years is heading for the NGV’s Ian Potter Centre. Opening in September, this landmark exhibition will chart the full arc of one of Australia’s most influential modern artists. Preston is known for her Post-Impressionist-influenced still lifes of the early 1900s, her expansive landscapes depicting the 1940s, and her characteristically bold woodblock prints that she’s perhaps best known for.
In addition to Preston’s work, you’ll be able to check out nineteen works by contemporary First Nations artists like world-premiere commissions by Marilyn Russell and Jimmy Frank Jupurrla. This places Preston’s appropriation of Indigenous visual culture in direct and necessary dialogue with the people who have since responded to, interrogated, and reframed it.
To explore highlight artworks like Flannel flowers, Shoalhaven Gorge, New South Wales, and over 30 woodblock prints.
Bloom & Graze At CherryHill Orchard
CherryHill Orchards, Coldstream | 12–13 September
Image: CherryHill Orchads | Website
Spring means the cherry trees are in bloom at the Yarra Valley’s CherryHill Orchards, and that means Bloom & Graze is back for another year. Across two days in September, the family-0wned orchard will open the gates for a weekend full of local producers, artisan stallholders, live music, guided tours of the orchard, and free workshops. Plus, dogs are more than welcome.
Sip your way through CherryHill’s very own range of cherry spritz, cider, vodka, and blossom gin, taste food from local producers, or book yourself into a paid masterclass. Naught Gin is hosting a cocktail session, and Yarra Valley Dairy is pairing up with Tillie J Wines for a cheese-and-wine pairing class.
A Million Blooming Tulips In The Yarra Valley
Tesselaar Tulip Festival, Silvan | 12 September–11 October
Image: The Tesselaar Tulip Festival | Website
Head to beautiful Silvan this spring for a full month of tulips, cherry blossoms, and Dutch charm in the heart of the Yarra Valley. The Tesselaar Tulip Festival will see over a million spring bulbs in bloom across the friendly farm, and the flowers will be complemented by daily live entertainment, a tractor train tour, clog dancing workshops, a Dutch cheese market, and replica windmills dotted throughout the fields.
The Tesselaar food offering really sweetens the deal, too. Eat your way through poffertjes, Dutch kibbeling, croquettes, and frikandellen, amongst many more delicious food and souvenir options across the stalls. And for anyone in need of new footwear, you can buy yourself a pair of wooden clogs imported directly from Holland, or just snap a photo of Australia’s largest clog, which will be on site all weekend.
Celebrate Defiant Love At The Rebel Heart Exhibition
Keith Murdoch Gallery, State Library Victoria | Until 27 January 2027
Image: Rebel Heart | Eugene Hyland
Love doesn’t follow a rulebook, and the State Library Victoria’s latest exhibition is dedicated to the people who throw that book entirely out the window. Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations uses the Library’s extensive archive of letters, diaries, and rare manuscripts to share stories of romantic defiance across the ages, from Victorian-era same-sex couples to a mid-century marriage caught in the crossfire of the White Australia policy.
The high notes of the exhibition include a mourning brooch woven from the hair of pastoralist couple Anne Drysdale and Caroline Newcomb, and the story of bushrangers Captain Moonlight and James Nesbitt after they met in Pentridge Prison. Eventually turning to the present, Rebel Heart explores digital intimacy through mixtapes, DMs, and even AI relationships.
Check out original music commissions from Angie McMahon, Mindy Meng Wang, Mo’Ju, and Amos Roach, all of which respond to the material on display to add a truly moving layer to the experience. Entry is free, and the exhibition runs until January 2027; find out more here.
NGV Set To Dazzle With Cartier Exhibition
National Gallery Of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne | Friday 12 June–Sunday 4 October
Image: NGV / Cartier Exhibition | Supplied
Don your petticoat and collect your monocle for this dazzling new exhibition featuring all things sparkly from tiaras to necklaces and timepieces. Cartier is gearing up to grace Melbourne with a never-before-seen exhibit of their finest jewels from June to October in 2026 at The National Gallery of Victoria.
The collection will include the house’s signature ‘Garland style’ tiara, worn by the one and only Rihanna (royalty in her own right) in 2016. And for all the crows out there, worry not, for plenty of other shiny bits that have graced the very heads of Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Margaret, and The Duchess of Windsor will be present.
Cartier currently boasts a whopping 3,500 pieces in a growing collection, and with 300 of those jewels set to visit Melbourne, in a panoply of gems, the exclusive display is one of a kind.
“This exhibition is set to be a brilliant addition to our arts and cultural calendar, providing tourists and locals alike a unique opportunity to see treasures never before seen in Australia,” Minister for Creative Industries, Colin Brooks says.
Blak & Bright Writers Festival
Various locations, Melbourne | 3–6 September
Back for its fifth year, Blak & Bright is Australia’s only First Nations led literary festival, and this year it’s bringing its strongest program yet. Across four days and plenty of beautiful venues across Melbourne like the Wheeler Centre, State Library Victoria, Capitol Theatre, and Bard’s Apothecary, the festival closes out on Sunday evening (6 September) at Camp Sovereignty.
There are so many events, you might have trouble choosing. Our standout is The Right to Offend on Sunday at the Wheeler Centre, which will unite Evelyn Araluen, Melissa Lucashenko, Chelsea Watego, and Tony Armstrong in a discussion on censorship and truth-telling that can’t be missed. For a more poetic experience, check out Friday’s Spokenground at Bard’s Apothecary: a spoken word and poetry night featuring Ziggy Ramo and Ali Cobby Eckermann. Or for something totally unexpected, maybe the Dungeons & Dragons & Damper event is more up your alley, with its live D&D experience built around a story by Claire G. Coleman sure to be one for the history books.
Plenty of events at Blak & Bright Writers Festival are free, but registration is essential—find the full program here.
Australia’s Largest Fragrance Fair Is Heading To Geelong
Deakin University, Geelong | 11–13 September
Prepare your nostrils, because Australia and New Zealand’s best independent perfumers and artisan makers are about to descend on Geelong’s waterfront. For one weekend in September, the Geelong Fragrance Fair will host the largest gathering of independent perfumery with a marketplace, events program, and a chance to meet the people who make the scents you love.
If you choose one day to visit, make it Saturday: there are talks that cover the history of fragrance, Australian scent stories with Lore Perfumery, and a session about the science behind smell with Dr Caroline McMillan. Finish off your strongly scented day with a scratch-and-sniff screening of John Waters’ cult-classic 1981 film Polyester, shown at the Pivotonian.
Across the whole weekend, explore a city-wide Geelong Scent Trail that will take you to key landmarks (and smells).
World-Famous Bubble Planet
62 Dawson St, Brunswick | Ongoing
Image credit: Bubble Planet | Supplied
Lift your spirits: Bubble Planet is floating into Brunswick on 1 April. Just in time for the Easter school holidays, it’s sure to be a fever dream of colour and play for all ages.
Bubble Planet has already mesmerised more than ten cities around the world—from London to Los Angeles, and New York to Milan—where it’s drawn over five million visitors. How does it work? Well, guests move through a spherical universe via multiple rooms, each featuring surreal, dream-like landscapes and everything from giant inflatables to floating soapy bubbles. Explore the Giant Bubble Dome, where you can relax on huge inflatable clouds while watching meditative animations above, and the continuous illusions of the Infinity Room.
There are 11 rooms to discover at Bubble Planet (hosted at Fever Melbourne). Visitors of all ages will love the colourful combination of technology, creativity, and the senses in this floor-to-ceiling sensory experience.
September 2026 Music, Theatre And Film Events
Melbourne Fringe Festival Returns
Various locations | 29 September–18 October
Melbourne’s Fringe Festival is back for 2026, and this year’s theme of Turn Towards The Heat will see more than 450 events sprawl across 100 venues. Check out the event program and circle some highlights with us: Briefs: The Works, a global cabaret phenomenon, is returning after a 15-year hiatus; Dune But Worse follows a French-trained Kiwi clown in the dystopian world of Frank Herbert; and 95-year-old Liz Hicklin will take the stage in Sylvia Plath Stole My Boyfriend’s fierce account of her relationship with Ted Hughes.
Bolster your Fringe experience with fun additions like fire artists, circus acts, VR installations, Pasefika spoken word, puppets, and a Harold Holt swimming pool comedy (if you know, you know). Club Fringe is available for post-show drinks and dancing, too—check out the full program here and plan out your experience.
What's On In And Around Melbourne Later In 2026
40 Years of MSO x Elton John
Hamer Hall | Thursday 1 October–Saturday 3 October
Image: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | Supplied
Forty years ago, Elton John invited the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to join him on a national orchestral tour. This October, the MSO is returning the favour in a special tribute.
The Music of Elton hits Hamer Hall across three nights to bring Sir Elton's most beloved songs to life with the help of a full orchestra, singer/pianist Jason Dean, and his band Superband. At the helm is musical director Chong Lim AM—who is, mind you, the man behind the Qantas’ iconic I Still Call Australia Home ads.
Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival
Across Melbourne, finishing at the MCG | Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October
Image credit: Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival | Supplied
Melt Festival
Across Brisbane/Magandjin | Wednesday 21 October to Sunday 8 November
Image credit: Melt Festival Brisbane Powerhouse | Supplied
Need an excuse to travel up north? Here it is. Melt Festival returns to Brisbane/Magandjin this spring, bringing over 100 queer arts and culture events to more than 50 venues. Big names like Courtney Barnett, Melanie C, TEEKS and Jude York are involved, but the biggest draw might be a five-storey-high hot-pink duck. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s famous Rubber Duck is coming to Australia for the first time, bobbing along the Brisbane River/Maiwar before starring in the River Pride Parade on Saturday 24 October.
Expect themed party boats, riverside activations and a free Opening Party at Brisbane Powerhouse. And in a city first, there’ll be a Brisbane Pride Rally, March and Fair Day joining the festivities for one enormous Pride Saturday.
Elsewhere, Circa premieres Show Me Love, an immersive acrobatic journey through Brisbane Powerhouse’s hidden corridors, while new drag competition Mr First Nation celebrates Blak excellence. There’s also free participatory art, Heated Rivalry Trivia, Queer PowerPoint chaos, local music and plenty more reasons to make a trip out of it. Basically: pack something pink, book the flight and follow the duck.
It’s Strictly Girls Only At This ’90s And 2000s Night At The Toff
The Toff, 252 Swanston Street | Saturday 24 October, 6–10pm
There were over 180 women on the waitlist for this before the date was even announced, which is a good sign that The Toff will be humming on Saturday 24 October. House of Zim’s Melbourne debut has a simple (and wonderful) premise: 200 women aged 35 and over dancing to the music that shaped them, all in the one high-energy room. Expect house, pop, and R&B from the ’90s and 2000s played by a female DJ, with The Toff’s art deco decor, classy booths, and dancefloor providing the perfect backdrop for the night.
There’s even an old-school photobooth on the premises, so you can immortalise the girls-only vibes of the night. And with the event running from a sophisticated 6pm to 10pm, you could be tucked up in bed by 11pm.
Dirty Dancing In Concert
Plenary Theatre, South Wharf | 7:30pm, Saturday 21 November
Image: Zdenko Hanout | Supplied
Nobody puts Baby in the corner. But if you want to feel like you’re right there on stage with Baby and Johnny, grab your dance partner and have the time of your life (sorry) at Dirty Dancing in Concert. The concert’s world tour is heading to The Plenary on 21 November, and it blends a full screening of the remastered ’80s classic with a live band and vocalists performing in sync with every song.
The good times keep rolling beyond the credits, with an after party that invites the crowd to sing and dance along to hits from the soundtrack like (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life (which won an Academy Award, just quietly). For a film that racked up more than $214 million at the box office and has inspired sequels, a stage show, and a TV series, this concert experience feels more than fitting.
Get your tickets quick; nearly a quarter of a million tickets have already sold worldwide, and we’re sure Melbourne is going to be all over this chance to fall in love with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey all over again.
Christmas Is Coming Early: Elf The Musical
CROWN LIVE, Southbank | 27 November–13 December 2026
Image: Elf The Musical | Supplied
Lock in some Christmas magic early this year and snag a ticket for Elf The Musical. Making its Melbourne premiere at the brand-spanking-new Crown Live theatre on 27 November, the full-scale Broadway production will see Will Ferrell’s beloved Buddy the Elf reimagined on stage just in time for the festive season.
Gareth Isaac is reprising his rave-reviewed lead role after the show’s smash run at Sydney Opera House in 2024—and we’ve heard the Melbourne production is bigger and even more spectacular. If you’re anything like us, the original movie is a cornerstone of your Christmas rotation, so why not level up this year and experience the story in real life?
Main image credit: St Kilda Festival | SWAY Digital Agency
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