- Knox City Council will be observing National Sorry Day on Monday 26 May with a ceremony to be held around the Yarning Circle at Knox Civic Centre from 10am.
- National Reconciliation Week is on 27 May to 3 June with plenty of events around Melbourne and regional Victoria.
- An immersive Polaroid pop-up is coming to Fitzroy’s WALKENS House of Film from 27 May.
- The 2025 Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival which takes place from May 27 to June 3, during National Reconciliation Week, will celebrate its ninth year with a feast of films, videos and activities at venues in Bendigo, Castlemaine, Heathcote and Yandoit.
- Surprise your senses with a blindfolded three course dinner full of flavour as Dining In The Dark returns to Melbourne on select dates from 28 May to 22 October.
- Melbourne’s beloved smokehouse Fancy Hank’s is marking International Brisket Day in the best way possible—by giving away free brisket sandwiches for one day only on Wednesday, 28 May.
- The Traralgon Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 28 May
- Silvers Circus is in Seymour from 29 May to 1 June.
- The Southside Vegan Veg Out is on at Urban Ground in Mordialloc on 29 May
- Looking for expert advice on what to study or just want to know more about what’s on offer? Check out the RMIT Study Expo on 29 May.
- There’s a free community event celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures at Bunjil Place Plaza in Narre Warren on 29 May.
- Celebrate National Reconciliation Week with Mullum Market at Ringwood Town Square on 29 May featuring First Peoples arts and Culture stalls, food and performances
- The Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show is back at MCEC from 30 May to 1 June
- The Water Lantern Festival, a globally celebrated event, is set to illuminate Queens Park Lake from 30 May to 1 June. Inspired by traditional lantern festivals in China, Thailand, and Vietnam, this festival offers attendees a serene and visually captivating experience, fostering a sense of community and reflection.
- Little Kids Day In is back at Scienceworks on 30 May for a fun-filled day designed for children aged 5 and under, and their grown-ups.
- The Circus Rio Carnival is at Patterson Lakes Tennis Club from 30 May to 8 June.
- Eroni’s Circus will be in Rowville from 30 May to 15 June.
- The Bendigo Caravan, Camping and Liesure Roadshow is on at the Bendigo Showgrounds from 30 May to 1 June.
- Surfing Victoria, will again be hosting the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles at Bells Beach from 30 May to 1 June
- Creative Geelong’s May’d Festival on 30-31 May is a two-day festival celebrating art, music, books, clothing and more as Centrepoint Arcade transforms into a vibrant hub of creativity.
- The inaugural Southern Rail Trail Running Festival is being held in Leongatha on 31 May and offers distances from 5km to 100km, catering to all fitness levels.
- The HER secondhand clothing market is on at Kilmore Trackside on 31 May.
- The Melbourne Board Game Market is on at the Coburg Town Hall on 31 May
- Banyule Council and Barrbunin Beek Aboriginal Gathering Place invites you to join them for a family day to celebrate National Reconciliation Week on 31 May.
- The Malvern Doll Fair is on at the Malvern Town Hall on 31 May.
- CamberWELL-BEING returns this year to celebrate the diverse range of health and wellness business in Camberwell Junction. Everyone is welcome to join the Wellness Trail in the Camberwell Junction precinct on Saturday 31 May from 11am to 2pm.
- The House of Wax Vinyl Fair is on at the Northcote Social Club on 31 May.
- Step into the shadows and discover something truly unique at The Winter Graveyard Market in Coburg on 31 May — a one-day-only event celebrating all things curious, creative, and handcrafted.
- Experience the vibrant culture of Macau and join a dynamic celebration of Macau’s rich heritage at the Museum of Chinese Australian History’s Macau Cultural Day on 31 May and 1 June.
- The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery is holding its annual Rocky Road Festival until 31 May.
- Back for its 7th year the South African Film Festival runs until 31 May with a bold mix of features documentaries and Oscar-recognised shorts.
- Moonee Valley will come alive after dark this winter with the return of Valley Sounds, a free micro-music festival running until 1 June as part of the Live and Local program. Showcasing an impressive lineup of Australian talent across bars, restaurants, and unexpected venues, the festival promises to bring warmth to the cooler months with electrifying performances.
- 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 until 1 June.
- After leaving an indelible mark on Melbourne’s memory, THE LUME leaves Melbourne forever on 1 June 2025.
- The Vegan Market returns to Seaworks in WIlliamstown on 1 June.
- Head to Werribee Racecourse for the Samoa Independence Day Festival on 1 June
- There’s a craft and food market at Marnong Estate Winery Mickleham on 1 June,
- Willum Warrain Reconciliation Week Family and Allies Day is on in Hastings on 1 June,
- The Yarra Ranges Volunteer Expo is on in Lilydale on 1 June
- Experience the vibrant culture of Macau and join a dynamic celebration of Macau’s rich heritage at the Museum of Chinese Australian History’s Macau Cultural Day on 1 June.
- The Moon Dog Beach Club in Frankston is hosting a record fair on 1 June.
- Take your doggies out on a venture around Brunswick’s dog-friendly bars at the Brunswick Puppy Pub Crawl on 1 June.
- The Olives to Oil Festival Westside is on in Yarraville on 1 June and will have demonstrations of olive oil pressing, tastings and sales.
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast Ballarat on 1 June
- The Classic Muscle Car Club and St Anne’s winey at Myrniong are holding a Cars Food & Wine Festival on 1 June.
- Scienceworks is looking up this Pride Month. Every Saturday during the month of June, Melbourne Planetarium’s Stargayzing Show will guide you on a journey through the night sky to explore some of the stories in the stars and space with an LGBTQIA+ flavour.
- This winter, Elwood’s iconic Riviera Beach Club will undergo a spectacular transformation into Riviera Winter Wonderland – a frosty paradise complete with real ice skating, snow blizzards and private igloos, running from 1 June to 3 August 2025.
- 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.
- Aftershocks – a new exhibition of works by Australian artist Sidney Nolan is at at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum 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.
- 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.
- LEGO Star Wars: The Exhibition is making its galaxy-first debut at Melbourne Museum until 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.
- 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 Melbourne and regional Victoria this week: 26 May-1 June 2025
By Melbourning
