The ultimate guide to summer festivals and events in Melbourne and regional Victoria

Best summer festivals and events in Melbourne 

Moonlight Cinema

29 November 2024 - 30 March 2025. Central Lawn, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: Yes

Experience great cinema in the great outdoors at Moonlight Cinema, running throughout the entire summer season in Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens. You can choose from Christmas classics like Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Holiday to new releases like Gladiator II, Wicked and Paddington in Peru. There are plenty of tasty snacks, hot food and cold drink options available to buy at each screening.

Boxing Day Test Australia v India

26 - 30 December 2024. MCG, Melbourne.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

The Boxing Day Test match is one of Australia's modern Boxing Day traditions. Each year Australia's best batters and bowlers compete against touring international teams over five days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Whether you're a cricket fan or simply want to support Aussie sports, grabbing a ticket to the Boxing Day Test is sure to be a great day out.

Australian Open 2025

6 - 26 January 2025. Melbourne Park.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

The Australian Open (AO) is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held worldwide. Alongside the matches, Melbourne Park turns into a festival village, with a vibrant atmosphere full of live music, entertainment, exhibition matches, and a big screen for watching matches. Opening Week (6-11 January 2025) focuses on the qualifying competition plus exhibition matches, open practice sessions and the Kids Tennis Day. Main-draw tournament action begins Sunday 12 January 2025.

Vida Melbourne Latin Festival

10 - 12 January 2025. Tom's Block, Kings Domain Gardens, Melbourne.

• Ticketed: Yes (General Access is free but registration is required)
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: Yes

The all-ages Vida Melbourne Latin Festival showcases the vibrant music, culture and flavours of Latin America. Alongside a range of food, drink and market stalls, the festival will host music and entertainment performances from local artists and Latin bands. There will also be a range of children’s activities, including magic shows, puppeteers, face painting and maraca making workshops.

Midsumma

19 January - 9 February 2025. Across Melbourne.

• Ticketed: Certain events
• Children: Certain events
• Dogs: Certain events

RACV is a proud partner of Midsumma, Australia’s premier LGBTQIA+ festival that celebrates queer culture. Experience visual arts, live music, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, parties, sport, social events, and public forums across 22 days. The biggest events are the Midsumma Carnival (Sunday 19 January), Midsumma Pride March (Sunday 2 February), and Victoria's Pride Street Party (Sunday 9 February).

Lunar New Year

From 29 January 2025. Across Melbourne.

• Ticketed: No
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

Lunar New Year in Melbourne is a vibrant celebration that includes spectacular lighting displays, fireworks, live performances, Dragon Boat races, market stalls and more. Celebrating the Year of the Snake in 2025, there are a multitude of celebrations on around the city, from firecrackers and Chinese lion dances in Melbourne’s Chinatown village to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's Chinese New Year performance. The festival usually culminates with fireworks at Queensbridge Square.

RACV Members get 10 per cent off MSO concert tickets.

Frankston Waterfront Festival

7-8 February 2025. Frankston Foreshore.

• Ticketed: No 
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: Yes

The Waterfront Festival is the highlight of Frankston’s summer event season. Across Friday night and Saturday, enjoy free entertainment and activities topped off by a fireworks display at 9.15pm on  Saturday 7 February on the Frankston Pier. Sneaky Sound System and Pierce Brothers are headlining the festival, with other iconic Australian bands and upcoming talent performing too. Finish off the festival with tasty treats from food trucks and the beer garden.

St Kilda Festival

15-16 February 2025. St Kilda Foreshore.

• Ticketed: No
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: Yes (but not recommended due to large crowds)

The St Kilda Festival is Australia's biggest free and all-ages musical festival. In 2025, some of the biggest names in Australian music will be performing. With more than 70 artists, plus street performers, family entertainment, market stalls, local community group activations and more, there's something for everyone at St Kilda Festival. While you're in the area, have a swim at St Kilda Beach or pop in to Luna Park, where RACV Members save on tickets.

Antipodes Festival

22-23 February 2025. Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

• Ticketed: No
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

Held in the famous Greek Quarter on Lonsdale Street, the Antipodes Festival is the world's largest celebration of Greek culture outside of Greece. In fact, Melbourne is the world's third-largest Greek-speaking city - opa! Get your Greek on with live entertainment, pop-up bars, Greek street food, cooking demonstrations, craft stalls, dancing lessons, and children's activities. Our tip: nibble on some loukoumades - deep-fried donuts with honey and walnuts.

Best summer festivals and events in regional Victoria

Cinema in the Vines

21-22 December 2024. Tokar Estate, Yarra Valley.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

Just 10 minutes’ drive from the RACV Healesville Country Club & Resort lies Tokar Estate, a winery hosting fun film nights in the spectacular Yarra Valley. Whether it's date night or mate night, enjoy Home Alone on Saturday 21 December or Polar Express on Sunday 22 December, along with lawn games, a food truck, candy bar, and of course estate-grown wine. BYO picnic rug, camping chair or bean bag for a more comfortable experience.

Ocean Sounds

11 January 2025. Churchill Island, off Phillip Island.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

Ocean Sounds is a one-day concert at sunset featuring major bands like Birds of Tokyo, Boy & Bear, and The Cat Empire. Melbourne-based club slash gospel band Sunshine and Disco Faith Choir will also be performing, as will Australian indie-pop artist Jem Cassar-Daley, the Bass Coast's surfy-blues outfit Ozone Street, and the cross-cultural project Cool Out Sun. Not far from the RACV Inverloch Resort, this Phillip Island festival also has a great line-up of food trucks and stalls to satisfy your mid-set cravings.

Summer Sundays

5, 12, 19, 26 January 2025. Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

• Ticketed: No
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: Yes

The free Summer Sundays concert series in Ballarat provides live music, food trucks and a pop-up beer garden in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens every Sunday in January from 3-7pm. Dance along to bands like The Hot Lemons, The Thing From Spring, Serendipity, Dayfever and many more.

Explore all the Ballarat region has to offer and make a stay of it at the nearby RACV Goldfields Resort, where there's plenty of free activities nearby to keep the family busy.

Geelong Beer Festival

18 January 2025. Johnstone Park, Geelong.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

Australia's most colourful beer festival is back in 2025, showcasing the local craft beer scene along with celebrated Australian breweries, cideries, distilleries, vineyards, cocktail specialists and local gourmet street food. British India is headlining the live entertainment program, which also includes Felipe Baldomir, Jordy Maxwell, The Sound Lounge, and more. There's also live cooking demonstrations showcasing local ingredients, roving performers, kids' entertainment, and a masterclass series.

Peninsula Film Festival

17-19 February 2025. Village Green, Rosebud.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes (some films are recommended 15+)
• Dogs: No

The Peninsula Film Festival (PFF) celebrates short films, with up to 20 shortlisted films screened outdoors in the Mornington Peninsula and judged live by a panel of celebrity judges. The new feature film Unbreakable: the Jelena Dokic Story will be shown at the Oz Indie Showcase on the evening of Friday 17 February, while the short film competition is on Saturday 18 February. There is also a filmmaking workshop on Sunday 19 February.

Stay at the nearby RACV Cape Schanck Resort, where the family can enjoy plenty of free things to do around the Mornington Peninsula.

Riverboats Music Festival

14-16 February 2025. Aquatic Reserve, Echuca.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

The Riverboats Music Festival is a three-day event highlighting a diverse range of music genres, including folk, blues, and rock from acts including John Butler, Little Birdy, Owelu Dreamhouse, Pierce Brothers, and many more. It takes place on the banks of the Murray River, and offers a relaxed and scenic atmosphere with food and market stalls onsite. There's also paddlesteamer sideshows: a one-hour cruise down the mighty Murray aboard the historic PS Pevensey on Saturday 15 February and Sunday 16 February with performances by participating artists.

Festival of Colours

23 February 2025.  Elephant Walk,Torquay.

• Ticketed: No (although you purchase coloured powder packets)
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

The Festival of Colours, also nown as Holi, is an ancient festival originating in India. Coloured powders are joyfully thrown over singing and dancing attendees at this free, family-friendly event in Torquay. Alongside the coloured powders, you can also enjoy live stage entertainment, face painting, fortune telling, kids' activities, and delicious vegetarian/vegan food stalls. The festival is within walking distance of the RACV Torquay Resort.

Festival of Sails

25-27 January 2025. Geelong Waterfront.

• Ticketed: No
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

Geelong's Festival of Sails is a celebration of all things sailing, culminating in the oldest sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere: the Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race. This three-day festival of world-class sailing has plenty to do, with cruises, sailing lessons, fireworks, the RAAF Aerial Show, live music, morning yoga, food trucks and other entertainment along the Geelong Waterfront to complement the Regatta races.

FEASTIVAL

28 February-2 March 2025. Falls Creek Alpine Resort, High Country.

• Ticketed: Yes
• Children: Yes
• Dogs: No

Take your friends and family to the three-day music, art, comedy and food FEASTIVAL event in Victoria's pristine alpine Falls Creek area, which is also a greatr place for cross country skiing in winter. Don't miss the Comedy Show, live music around the village, or the Art Exhibition Opening. There will be music, markets, circus workshops, yoga, pilates, dining experiences and kids' activities too.