The Best Things To Do In Melbourne This Weekend
Lizzie Scorer
Contributor | Urban List, Sydney, NSW
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Searching for the best things to do in Melbourne/Naarm this weekend? You're in luck. The calendar is always full of top-tier happenings in Melbourne.
Whether it's a foodie find, a magical night market or a street festival, Melbourne is serving up another weekend of fun events and activities.
Here’s everything that’s on in Melbourne this weekend.
Palomas And Pickle Ball At QT's Rooftop Racquet Club
QT Melbourne Rooftop, 133 Russell Street, Melbourne CBD | Fridays to Sundays
Image credit: QT Hotels | Supplied
QT’s Rooftop Racquet Club is swinging into Melbourne for Grand Slam season, serving up one helluva sunset session from Friday 2 January. Expect Altos Tequila cocktails like icy elderflower and coconut margs and pink grapefruit palomas, open-play pickleball, limited-edition merch and golden-hour DJ sets from Friday to Sunday.
On the food front, snack on popcorn prawns, al pastor pork tostadas and oysters dressed with Altos Tequila, coriander and lime mignonette. Plus, there’s a doubles deal: purchase two palomas and any dish to score an exclusive Rooftop Racquet Club cap.
Salsa At Vida Melbourne Latin Festival
Tom’s Block, Kings Domain Gardens, Alexandra Avenue, Melbourne CBD | Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 January
Shimmy down to Tom’s Block for the two-day Vida Melbourne Latin Festival. There’ll be sizzling food from Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, a margarita garden, over 20 DJs, a bazaar of local Latin American art, salsa dancing, live performances, and a kids area with face painting, magic shows, puppeteers and maraca-making workshops using recycled materials. It’s a free, all-ages event that you won’t want to miss.
Bounce Into 2026 At The World’s Biggest Inflatable Party
Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Road, Flemington | Until Sunday 11 January
Image Credit: Big Bounce Australia | Website
If your New Year’s resolution involves having more fun (and less adulting), consider it sorted: The Big Bounce Australia is back, taking over Flemington Racecourse from December 26 to January 11 with the world’s BIGGEST jumping castle. Yep—25,000 square feet of slides, obstacles, music, and mayhem are waiting for you.
They've laid out massive inflatable playgrounds stacked with giant slides, mega obstacle courses, an intergalactic alien zone with moon crater ball pits, a custom sports arena packed with goals and hoops, plus a DJ spinning tunes while you bounce, laugh and quite possibly question your core strength. It’s three hours of pure, unfiltered joy—aka summer done right.
There’s a session for everyone—from tiny tots and junior jumpers through to a rowdy adults-only bounce. Tickets start at $40, and spots sell out faster than you can say “pass the socks.”
So round up your crew, leave your phone in the lockers, and get ready to jump into 2026—literally.
Sofitel X Anastasia Musical Sips and Snacks
Sofitel Melbourne On Collins, 25 Collins Street, Melbourne | Until Friday 20 February
Image credit: Sofitel Melbourne | Instagram
Sofitel Melbourne On Collins is getting theatrical, serving up ANASTASIA-inspired sips and snacks to match the Broadway magic.
Inspired by Anastasia’s journey from St Petersburg to Paris, the tableside dessert layers French lavender mousse, raspberry, pistachio and chocolate, finished with lavender snow. Pair it with the Champagne Pommery cocktail, crowned with whipped cream, and you’ll tap straight into the musical’s elegance and old-world romance.
Available for a limited time, you’ll find these goodies at The Atrium on 35 Bar and No35 Restaurant—perfect for pre-show bubbles or a post-theatre sweet fix.
Feel like staying longer? The Anastasia Package treats you to a luxe overnight stay in a Superior King Room, A-Reserve tickets to the show and a breakfast buffet for two.
Popcorn With The Pooches At Moonlight Cinema
Royal Botanic Gardens | Until Sunday 5 April
Image: Moonlight Cinema X Lyka | Supplied
Moonlight Cinemas across the country are opening up the gates for furry friends to come, sit and watch the big screen. Running ‘til 5 April 2026, the cinema will be set up in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Picture dogs running around with paired snacks provided by Lyka—the gourmet dog food meals on wheels service.
You could be eating popcorn while your best friend chews down a Turkey Dental Jerky treat from a specialised goodie bag. Plus, watching a film with your dog always increases the magic of the moment—especially when you're under the stars.
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Melbourne Vibes: Free Live Gigs With Big Aussie Names
Various Locations | Ongoing
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 | Saturday 10–Friday 16 January
Image Credit: NGV Kids Summer Festival | Supplied
Grab the glitter and get ready to boogie—NGV’s Kids Summer Festival 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?
The Den of Nargun: A Tranquil Walk In Gippsland
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 escape steeped in Gunaikurnai lore. It’s peaceful, lush, and the perfect excuse to throw on your boots and go bush for the day. The path is super shady, making it ideal for a hot girl walk.
Unwind At This Dreamy Collingwood Bathhouse
Sense of Self, Cambridge Street, Collingwood | Open Daily
Image credit: Sense Of Self | Instagram
Escape the hustle and bustle of Melbourne at this luxe bathhouse in Collingwood. Sense of Self 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 on this Sunday, you are better than everyone else.
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