- Ballarat is once again rolling out the pastry mat for a full month of flaky indulgence. Back for its third year, Ballarat’s Best Pie is fast becoming a winter pilgrimage for pastry lovers, and 2025 is set to be the tastiest yet. Running all through August, the competition sees 36 wildly creative pies, both sweet and savoury, vying for top honours, from classic beef renditions to duck, limoncello and even lion’s mane mushroom.
- Hawthorn’s much-loved Lido Cinemas is celebrating its 10th birthday with a nostalgic throwback: $5 tickets to all general sessions all week long. Until 13 August, cinephiles can catch everything from recent releases to cult classics for just a fiver—on the big screen and in Dolby Atmos elegance.
- La Trobe University’s Mildura campus Open Day is on 13 August.
- Kicking off on Thursday, 14 August, the 2025 AFLW season will span 12 rounds over 12 weeks for the first time, followed by four weeks of finals and culminating with the NAB AFLW Grand Final on Saturday, 29 November.
- The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is on 14-24 August.
- The Langham, Melbourne has partnered with iconic British brand Laura Ashley to launch an exclusive afternoon tea experience at Aria Bar & Lounge, running until 14 August 2025.
- From the soaring St Peter’s Church to the grand town halls of Daylesford and Clunes, the villages of Glenlyon and Bullarto and aboard the Spa Country Rail, Winter Sounds 2025 is bringing some of Australia’s finest artists to extraordinary spaces across Dja Dja Wurrung country from 14-17 August
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast in Warrnambool on 15 August.
- The Shepparton Outdoor Living and Caravan Expo is on 15-17 August.
- An amazing mix of 30 Aussie and international distillers will be showcasing a range of new and established liquor brands at the St Kilda Spirits Festival on 15-17 August.
- From 15-17 August Welcome to Thornbury is throwing a massive birthday carnival to celebrate a decade of cocktails, food trucks and community chaos.
- Care Expo Melbourne bring together a diverse range of community services, businesses, and organisations from the support, health and care industries at the Melbourne Showgrounds on 15-16 August.
- Join the Shrine of Remembrance to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day on 15 August.
- Opening August 15 at the Shrine to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Eucalypts of Hodogaya explores the remarkable collaboration that created the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Yokohama where more than 1,500 Commonwealth soldiers, including Australians, are buried in a garden blending Western and Japanese traditions.
- Where does creativity come from? It’s a question as elusive as it is compelling – and one that State Library Victoria explores with profound insight in its captivating new exhibition, Creative Acts: Artists and their inspirations, opening 15 August and running until 31 May 2026.
- Eroni’s Circus will be at Tarneit from 15-31 August.
- Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits introduces us to Alan Adler (1932 – 2024), who while little known, was the oldest and longest serving photobooth technician in the world, right here in Melbourne. See an exhibition of his test photos at RMIT Gallery until 16 August.
- Celebrate Indian Independence Day at Fed Square on 16 August.
- The Sunbury Psychic Lifestyle Market is on 16 August.
- The Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne is holding its Banksia Festival – an exciting series of lectures, workshops, art and craft exhibition, book and plant sales, guided walks, and more, from Saturday 16 to Sunday 24 August 2025,
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast Ballarat on 16 August.
- Prahran Market is hosting a Greek weekend on 16-17 August.
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast in Colac on 17 August.
- La Trobe University’s Albury-Wodonga Campus Open Day is on `17 August
- The Deakin University Geelong Open Day is on 17 August.
- The Corio Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 17 August.
- The Beaufort Day Out is on 17 August.
- Silvers Circus is in Mildura until 17 August.
- Until 17 August 2025, the globally acclaimed interactive artwork IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE by Melbourne’s own ENESS will make its long-awaited Australian debut, transforming the heart of the Chapel Street Precinct into an inflatable, light-filled dreamscape.
- The Berwick Half Marathon is on 17 August.
- Victoria University’s Footscray Park Campus Open Day is on 17 August.
- The University of Melbourne Open Day is on 17 August.
- The Elwood Bowls Club Record Fair is on 17 August.
- The Handmade Design Market is on at the Coburg Town Hall on 17 August.
- The New To You preloved clothing market is on at Williamstown Town Hall on 17 August.
- Whether you are a seasoned trail runner or are aiming to challenge yourself over a formidable natural course, the Devilbend Trail Run, on 17 August held at the Devilbend Natural Features Reserve, Tuerong, is for you!
- The Maling Road Auto Classico will transform Canterbury’s historic shopping village into a European-style motoring celebration on 17 August.
- A multicultural festival celebrating India’s Independence Day will be held in Knoxfield on 17 August.
- The 2025 edition of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is happening until 24 August, with more than 275 films, shorts, and immersive experiences lighting up cinemas across the city, regional Victoria, and online.
- Grampians in a Glass is a three-week tasting takeover of North Melbourne’s Bobbie Peels, reimagining the cellar door experience with interactive sessions, exclusive back vintages, and a chance to meet the winemakers behind some of Victoria’s most distinctive drops. The event runs across three Wednesday nights – August 6, 13 and 27.
- Melbourne’s much-loved Winter Night Market is returning to Queen Victoria Market in 2025, lighting up Wednesday nights until 27 August 5pm–10pm.
- Behind the Lines is an annual exhibition of political cartooning on tour from the Museum of Australian Democracy that celebrates the year’s best political cartoons.See it at the Old Treasury Building in Melbourne until 28 August.
- 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.
- You’re invited to Spice Fest! A celebration of bold flavours, fiery eats, and epic free Saturday night entertainment at Burwood Brickworks until 30 August.
- 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.
- Elmo’s Circus Dream presented by Circus Royale is at Watergardens until 31 August.
- Melbourne’s most elegant after-dark experience returns this winter as NGV Friday Nights transforms the gallery into a vibrant hub of art, music, and indulgence. Until 3 October 2025, visitors can explore the blockbuster French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston exhibition after hours, surrounded by an eclectic soundtrack and luxurious pop-up bars.
- Step into a world of exquisite craftsmanship and timeless elegance with Kimono, a brand-new, NGV-curated exhibition celebrating the enduring allure of Japan’s most iconic garment. Running until 5 October at NGV International, this breathtaking showcase explores the kimono’s profound influence on global art, fashion, and design—from the Edo period to today.
- Works from Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot and more are headed to Melbourne for the NGV’s international-exclusive presentation of the major Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, French Impressionism, until 5 October 2025.
- A groundbreaking international exhibition that explores the connection between society, art, and design through the lens of play is coming to the Incinerator Gallery in Melbourne’s west. The Playground Project is making its much-anticipated southern hemisphere debut until 12 October 2025, bringing a bold new vision of playground design to Australian audiences.
- 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.
- Camouflage is an exhibition running at The Shrine until March 2026. See how nature has inspired military disguise—from animal patterns to clever tricks of deception. Explore real camouflage uniforms, historical objects, and rotating artworks by well-known artists. Follow the evolution of camouflage from the First World War to today and learn how it reflects changing military strategies, culture, and creativity.
What’s on in Melbourne and regional Victoria this week: 11-17 August 2025
By Melbourning
