- The Footy Fest is back bigger than ever before, taking over Yarra Park from Wednesday 24 to Saturday 27 September. Entry is free and features entertainment for all ages including player appearances, giveaways, Toyota Dodgems, The Pub, AFL Play zone, music and some of Melbourne’s best food trucks and bars.
- Cherryhill Orchard’s annual Blossom Festival returns from 24 September to 5 October in Wandin East
- Australia’s biggest inflatable obstacle course is coming to Ballarat until 24 September.
- For 11 unforgettable days from Thursday, 25 September to Sunday, 5 October, the Melbourne Royal Show is back. The Melbourne Showgrounds will transform into a playground of joy, discovery and shared experience.
- Geelong Wonder Children’s Festival is back until 25 September with a program that’s bursting with enchantment, imagination and unforgettable fun.
- The 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade will take place on Friday 26 September, with an expanded program and new features designed to elevate the fan experience.The Parade will again see the two Grand Final teams travel in Toyota HiLux vehicles along a fan-friendly route through the Melbourne Park precinct, Birrarung Marr and over the William Barak Bridge before finishing at Yarra Park.
- Don’t miss the Queen Victoria Market’s Grand Final Public Holiday Spectacular on 26 September. Meet two professional footy players (12pm–2pm) for handball coaching, Q&A time, photos and autographs. You can also enjoy live MC entertainment, skill challenges and more giveaways to keep the whole family involved.
- Join in Diwali and Garba Night in Clayton on 26 September – two festivals, one night of celebration.
- The Interval Festival 2025 on Friday 26 September at Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen is a debut open air electronic music festival features headliners across two stages set amongs sculpture gardens and lush greenery, strictly for 18+.
- Melbourne underground garage rock legends Eddy Current Suppression Ring are back, playing their first free gig in ten years at Fed Square on Grand Final Eve 26 September.
- Head to Ringwood Town Square to celebrate all things footy at Eastland’s Footy Fest on 26 September.
- The Koala Conservation Reserve on Phillip Island will come alive with family fun this Save the Koala Day, coinciding with the AFL Grand Final public holiday on 26 September with a free, footy-themed celebration.
- The Dromana Fire Brigade Open Day is on 26 September.
- Wodonga CraftAlive is on 26-28 September
- The Bendigo Chinese Association is hosting its Annual Harvest Moon Festival at the Dai Gum San Chinese Precinct on Friday 26 September.
- Saddle up for an unforgettable afternoon of boot-stompin’ rhythms and smooth country vibes at the Two Types Festival at the Cape Horn Vineyard in Echuca on 26 September.
- The Ballarat AFL Holiday Market is on 26 September.
- The Mallee Root Festival is on at Ouyen Lake on 27 September with an epic day packed with fun, food, and entertainment for the whole family.
- The Goulburn Valley Orchid Club Spring Spectacular of Orchids is on at the Mechanics Hall in Mooroopna on 27-28 September.
- 13th Australian Tap Dance Festival is on in Prahran on 27 September to 4 October.
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast Dandenong on 27 September.
- The most Melbourne of all Melbourne things to do has to be watching the AFL Grand Final – and the next best thing to being at the MCG has to be catching the game on Fed Square’s Big Screen, in the heart of the city on 27 September.
- The Dandenong and District Orchid Club’s Annual Orchid Show is on in Noble Park from 27-28 September.
- The Moon Festival is a vibrant celebration of Asian culture at the iconic Queen Victoria Market on 27-28 September featuring traditional performances, food stalls offering a variety of delicious Asian cuisines, children’s activities, and community engagement opportunities.
- The Vietnamese Museum Australia invites you to its Mid-Autumn Festival – also known as the Moon Festival, Lantern Festival or Children’s Festival – in Sunshine on 27 September.
- Mornington’s Big Dance Grand Final Day Festival is on 27 September.
- The Birrarung Riverfest is back until 28 September 2025 with more than 60 free events will stretch from the Yarra’s headwaters to its mouth, all aimed at restoring habitats, tackling stormwater impacts, and getting hands-on with caring for the river we call Birrarung.
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast Healesville on 28 September.
- The Ferntree Gully Psychic and Wellbeing Expo is on 28 September.
- The Melbourne Basant Festival is on at the Mernda Recreation Reserve on 28 September.
- Experience a joyful day of connection, creativity, and community at Montsalvat’s Spring Gathering on Sunday 28 September in Eltham.
- The Horsham Show is on 28 September.
- The Traralgon Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 28 September.
- Spacetember, IMAX Melbourne’s intergalactic film festival returns until 30 September. Gear up for a cinematic voyage through the galaxy with a range of exclusive IMAX expanded aspect ratio content and epic 3D features on the biggest screen in the Southern Hemisphere.
- International cricketers from four nations are descending on Mildura for the 2025 Spirit of Cricket Festivale tournament until 30 September.
- 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.
- Wyndham Cultural Centre’s brand-new children’s festival, Fam Bam Live, runs until 4 October with music, comedy, theatre, magic, and hands-on workshops – all designed just for kids (and their grown-ups too) right in the heart of Werribee.
- 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.
- Until Sunday 5 October, Marvel Stadium will transform into a dynamic hub of sport, competition, food, drink and entertainment, open to attendees of all ages – including three full-sized pickleball courts.
- Discover Bendigo’s Tulip Display after dark! Running nightly until Sunday 5 October, this free, family friendly activation is sure to impress the entire family.
- These September school holidays, Melbourne Zoo will be transformed into the mythical world of How to Train Your Dragon, offering families an imaginative mix of movie magic and wildlife adventure. Running until to 5 October 2025, the Viking-inspired program promises to be one of the most exciting school holiday events in Melbourne.
- Mattel is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a major activation at Chadstone these September school holidays, transforming the retail hub into an immersive playground until Sunday 5 October.
- This spring, Fed Square invites you to pause, take a deep breath and press RESET. Until 6 October 2025, the free, family-friendly RESET Festival is back, blending sustainability, creativity and community in a month-long celebration of living lightly on the planet.
- The Greater Dandenong’s Children’s Festival will be back again to celebrate children aged 0-12 years old until Saturday 11 October.
- The annual display of blooms is back at the Tesselaar Tulip Festival in Silvan until 12 October.
- 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.
- This spring, Queen Victoria Market will once again come alive with the sights, sounds and tastes of the Fringe Flavours Night Market. Teaming up with Melbourne Fringe Festival, the market will host five Wednesday nights of entertainment and eats, running until 15 October between 5pm and 10pm.
- The Italian Film Festival is on until 16 October.
- The Ballarat International Foto Biennale returns with a blend of curated exhibitions, city-wide pop-ups, workshops, talks, and more — all under the festival’s central theme, Lifeforce until 19 October 2025.
- The 2025 AFLW season is here, spanning 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.
- 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.
- A thousand years of mystery, craftsmanship, and cultural connection come to life as Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard until 26 January 2026. Described as “one of the most significant European archaeological discoveries of the century,” the Galloway Hoard offers Australians a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view a dazzling collection of rare Viking Age artefacts – many never seen before outside the United Kingdom.
- 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.
- 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, running until 31 May 2026.
- Melbourne’s love affair with gaming is set to reach new heights as ACMI prepares to launch Game Worlds – a massive interactive exhibition that plunges visitors into 30 iconic videogame universes, with 20 fully playable experiences. Running until 3 July 2026, this deep dive into gaming culture promises to be a must-see for casual players and hardcore fans alike.
- Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Eucalypts of Hodogaya at the Shrine 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. It runs until August 2026.
What’s on in Melbourne and regional Victoria this week: 22-28 September 2025
By Melbourning
