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Massive list of what’s on in Melbourne and regional Victoria in May 2025 (160+ activities and events)

MelbourningBy Updated:No Comments19 Mins Read

This list will be updated as more April events are announced so check back regularly.

Events running throughout May

  • This May, celebrate all things Timothée with ChalaMAY, a career retrospective of one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars with a film for each week of May at Cinema Nova in Carlton.
  • Melbourne is set to come alive with the vibrant energy of YIRRAMBOI, the city’s premier First Nations arts festival, as it returns for its fifth iteration from 1 to 11 May 2025. This year’s festival, the most ambitious yet, explores four powerful themes—Legacy, Joy, Reclamation, and Akin—through a groundbreaking program of 180 performances and events across 40 venues.
  • The 8th Geelong Pride Film Festival will be held from Thursday 1st May to Sunday 11th May 2025 at the Pivotonian Cinema, Village Cinemas Geelong and Platform Arts.
  • Enjoy live music and local musicians in venues around Banyule at Chillin’ in Banyule from 1-25 May,
  • Aftershocks – a new exhibition of works by Australian artist Sidney Nolan opens at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum on 1 May and runs until 29 June.The collection includes 56 works of Nolan’s 1961 paintings of Auschwitz victims and exhibited for the first time his later works depicting the Ravensbruck women’s Holocaust camp.
  • The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery is holding its annual Rocky Road Festival from 1-31 May,
  • From 2-21 May, the 2025 HSBC German Film Festival presented by Palace, in association with German Films, will showcase the best contemporary German cinema direct from major festivals in Europe plus a selection from its German-speaking neighbours, Austria and Switzerland. 
  • Circus Rio Carnival is at Sandown Park Hotel in Noble Park from 2-11 May
  • Circus Royale is at Hampton Park from 2-18 May.
  • From 2-18 May 2025, Melbourne’s inner west will come alive with the Sleepless Footscray Festival, a dynamic celebration of art, music, and community spirit.
  • The Bald Archy is an Australian art prize, which parodies the prestigious portraiture award, the Archibald Prize is back May 2025. The first chance to see it in Victoria this year is in Mansfield from 2 May to 1 June.
  • Melton City Libraries’ annual Heritage Festival from 3-17 May is a celebration of all things historical in the City of Melton.
  • Eroni’s Circus is in Bayswater until 4 May.
  • The Melbourne International Animation Festival is back for its 25th edition on 4-11 May
  • Back for its 7th year the South African Film Festival runs from 4-31 May with a bold mix of features documentaries and Oscar-recognised shorts.
  • LEGO Star Wars: The Exhibition is making its galaxy-first debut at Melbourne Museum from 4 May 2025 to 26 January 2026. This world-first exhibition brings two of the world’s most beloved brands together with renowned LEGO Certified Professional Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught at the controls.
  • Experience the vibrant flavours and cultures of Asia at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market as the Hawker 88 Night Market returns for its 2025 season. Running every Wednesday evening until 7 May between 5 PM and 10 PM, this five-week festival offers a sensory journey through the bustling street markets of Asia.
  • This winter, Fed Square is bringing a taste of the French Alps to Melbourne with Fondue Chalet, a cozy and immersive dining experience running from 15 May to 22 June 2025. 
  • The world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition on loan from the Natural History Museum London is now on display at the National Wool Museum in Geelong until 18 May.
  • Fashion becomes a powerful storyteller in Stitchin’ Stories: Blak & Threadly, the fourth iteration of the Blak Design program hosted by the Koorie Heritage Trust at Fed Square, showcasing the extraordinary work of nine First Peoples designer until 18 May
  • The Australian Heritage Festival runs until 18 May and explores the state’s places and spaces, stories, collections and ideas that make us who we are.
  • After leaving an indelible mark on Melbourne’s memory, Vincent van Gogh’s vibrant works will return to THE LUME Melbourne until 1 June 2025. Back by popular demand, Van Gogh is an enchanting experience that immerses you in a powerful multisensory symphony of light, colour, sound and aroma.
  •  Harry Potter: The Exhibition is on at the Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre until 9 June. This immersive showcase brings the beloved Wizarding World to life, featuring authentic props, costumes, and interactive experiences designed to transport visitors straight into the Harry Potter universe.
  • Uncover the untold stories of a global icon, Dame Nellie Melba. A Toast to Melbashares rarely seen objects, photographs, and personal treasures from Coombe Yarra Valley, Arts Centre Melbourne and Yarra Ranges Regional Museum—brought together for the first time in this dynamic new exhibition until 29 June.
  • Step back in time and experience the grandeur, opulence, and tragic fate of the RMS Titanic like never before. Titanic: A Voyage Through Time, an extraordinary virtual reality (VR) experience opens in Melbourne until 29 June, offering an unparalleled journey aboard the world’s most famous ship.
  • Get ready to be mesmerised by the breathtaking beauty of our blue planet at the Ocean Photographer of the Year Exhibition, hosted at Seaworks Williamstown until 6 July.
  • An international-exclusive exhibition Frida Kahlo: In her own image is at the Bendigo Art Gallery featuring objects and artworks that have never been seen before in Australia direct from Mexico’s Museo Frida Kahlo until 13 July.
  • Blak In-Justice: Incarceration and Resilience highlights Indigenous incarceration in Australia through powerful artworks. Curated by Barkindji artist Kent Morris with Heide Museum of Modern Art until 20 July featuring First Nations artists connecting with culture and country.
  • From cattle dogs to lap dogs, divine felines to the black cats of superstition a new exhibition coming to the National Gallery of Victoria called Cats & Dogs, will explore humanity’s deep connection to the beloved companion animals through more than 250 works of art and design. Its on display from  until 20 July 2025 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square. 
  • Floribunda is an intoxicating larger-than-life mashup of floral imagery, design and motif drawn exclusively from the NGV Collection, as curated by David Sequeira. You can see it at Bunjil Place in Narre Warren until 20 July.
  • Step into the shadows of Melbourne’s history with Bones & Burial Boxes, a gripping exhibition that uncovers the hidden stories of the city’s most infamous prison burial sites at Pentridge Prison from until 31 August.
  • From the runways of Paris to the NGV … Australian fashion legend Martin Grant returns home to Melbourne with the biggest exhibition of his career. Studded with his signature silhouettes and timeless tailoring, this glittering retrospective is not to be missed. Catch it until 26 January 2025 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square.
  • Get ready to tinker, build, and innovate! Scienceworks is launching its newest hands-on exhibition, Tinkertown, until 7 February 2026, promising to inspire the next generation of engineers, designers, and creators.

What’s on in and around Melbourne 1-4 May 2025

What’s on in and around Melbourne 5-11 May 2025

  • The Melbourne Design Fair is on at MCEC on 8-11 May
  • Robots are taking over ACMI for MechaFest on 8-12 May –  a weekend festival of classic anime screenings, talks, trivia and cosplay.
  • Frankston’s South Side Festival is back for its fourth year, running from 8 to 18 May 2025, and it’s bigger and bolder than ever. This vibrant celebration of art, performance, and community will transform Frankston into a hub of creativity.
  • The Bourne Local Mothers Day Market is on at Collins Square on 8 May
  • The Melbourne Writers Festival is back from 8-11 May 2025 with a cosmic combination of literary stars.
  • The Mothers Day Market in Greensborough is on 10 May
  • Celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 99th Birthday with a very special Q&A screening of Ocean with David Attenborough at the Classic Cinema in Elsternwick on 10 May,hosted by WWF and bespoke guest speakers with Kate Noble, Senior Manager Oceans Policy at WWF-Australia
  • Immerse yourself in the culture of Latin America at the Chachivaches Latin Market – a two-day cultural festival on 10-11 May. Queen Victoria Market will be drenched in colour with live dance performances and pop-up market stalls.
  • Victoria’s biggest Jordanian-Australian Cultural Festival, the Olive Tree Festival, is being held at the Mickleham North Community Centre on 11 May.
  • The Cruden Farm Mothers Day Market is on in Langwarrin on 11 May

What’s on in and around Melbourne 12-18 May 2025

  • Uncover the hidden stories behind some of The Shrine of Remembrence’s most intriguing objects in a special gallery tour as part of the Australian Heritage Festival on 12-18 May.
  • Join the stars of the current production of Jesus Christ Superstar for a special musical event at Chapel Off Chapel on Monday 12 May – the performers will tell their stories and perform the songs that changed their lives. roceeds go to support the Australian Children’s Music Foundation’s music programs for disadvantaged children and youth around Australia.
  • The Northside Vegan Vegout is on at Welcome to Thornbury on 14 May.
  • The MeatShare Festival is a one-of-a-kind food experience at Queen Victoria Market on 17-18 May bringing together meat lovers, top vendors, chefs, and food enthusiasts to celebrate the best of premium meat and local produce.
  • The Northcote Urban Wine Walk is on Saturday 17 May. 
  • The Blacksmiths Festival is returning for its 6th year in Footscray on 17 May.
  • The Melbourne Design Week Film Festival on 17-25 May will explore the impact of architecture and design through the moving image and its power to innovate, inspire and affect change.
  • Melbourne’s Annual Wedding Expo is on at the Melbourne Showgrounds on 18 May.
  • I Wore It Once market is a curated, high quality pre-loved fashion market at the Peninsula Community Theatre,  91 Wilsons Road Mornington on 18 May.
  • The Lilydale Psychic and Wellbeing Expo is on 18 May
  • Gather your botanica-loving friends and family: the Botanica Festival, the National Trust of Australia’s annual celebration of the natural environment, sustainability and gardening, is returning on Sunday 18 May at the iconic Rippon Lea Estate. 
  • Crate Digger Record Fair returns to Richmond’s Corner Hotel on Sunday 18 May.
  • Join the Lido Cinema in Hawthorn for the Grand Final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest live on the big screen from the St. Jakobshalle, Basel on Sunday 18 May.

What’s on in and around Melbourne 19-25 May 2025

  • Join Associate Provost Professor Marcia Langton AO and Senior Curator Judith Ryan AM as they discuss their new book  65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art at Ivanhoe Library on 22 May.
  • The Big Design Market ‘Almost Winter’ returns 23-25 May at the iconic Royal Exhibition Building, bringing together more than 250 vendors.
  • The Long Walk Naarm on 23 May will transform Birrarung Marr Hilltop into a First Nations festival and an afternoon of family-fun. There’ll be live music performed by some of Australia’s leading Indigenous artists, plus free sport and art activations. The festival ends with the walk to the ‘G for the Dreamtime match.
  • Foodpreneurs Festival at Abbotsford Convent on 23 May isn’t just a foodie event or trade show – it’s a powerhouse festival designed specifically for makers, bakers, brewers and creators who are turning their passion into profit.
  • Prepare for a magical fusion of classical music and cutting-edge technology as the globally acclaimed DroneArt Show arrives in Melbourne for two nights only. Following a sold-out US premiere, this breathtaking open-air experience will transform Caulfield Racecourse into a canvas of light and sound on 23-24 May blending the elegance of live classical music with the wonder of synchronized drone artistry.
  • Celebrate cats at the inaugural Oz Feline Fair & CATstravaganza, the ultimate convention for everything cat! At MCEC on 24-25 May
  • The Footscray/Seddon Urban Wine Walk on Saturday 24 May.
  • Korea Festival is coming to Federation Square for a two-day celebration of Korean culture, traditions, and delicious food on 24-25 May.
  • The Schoolhouse Studios Kids Market is on in Coburg on 24 May.
  • The annual Japan Festival is on at the Box Hill Town Hall on 25 May
  • The Melbourne Record Fair is on at the Queen Victoria Market on 25 May.
  • The Scottish Heritage Day on 25 May is run by the Dandenong Agricultural and Pastoral Society Inc. This annual event celebrates and showcases the Scottish and native horse breeds.
  • The RSPCA’s last ever Million Paws Walk is on Sunday 25 May at Albert Park Lake and other locations around Victoria.

What’s on in and around Melbourne 26-31 May 2025

What’s on in regional Victoria 1-31 May 2025

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