Melbourne’s school holiday calendar is set to burst into colour this January, with the NGV Kids Summer Festival bringing a packed program of free activities to the city for a full week of creativity and play.
Running from 10 to 16 January 2026, the festival transforms NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia into family-friendly hubs of art-making, performance and movement. Across the week, kids can dance under the Great Hall canopy, take part in drawing workshops, enjoy storytelling sessions and join live performances designed to spark imagination and get young visitors moving.
At the centre of the festivities is the NGV Children’s Gallery, which becomes an immersive fashion playground with Let’s Party! Fashion for Kids: Designed by Danielle Brustman. Open throughout summer, the exhibition invites children to explore dress-ups, dancing and bold fashion pieces inspired by celebration and self-expression.
Exclusive festival highlights include joke-making workshops with Rich Higgins from kids-comedy duo The Listies, high-energy Kids Disco Parties and drop-in fashion design activities using drawing and collage. Artist and educator Bushra Hasan will lead lively family tours through the NGV Collection, while teens can book a behind-the-scenes visit to the NGV Conservation lab. A photobooth will also be available for families to capture the moment.
Over at The Ian Potter Centre, a strong First Nations-led program includes drawing and weaving workshops with Ngarrindjeri artist Emma Stenhouse, storytelling with Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri artist Tania Rossi, and creative activities inspired by Hermannsburg Potters.
Relaxed Sessions on 14 and 15 January will offer quieter access for visitors who benefit from reduced sensory stimuli.”
Tony Ellwood AM, Director, NGV, said: “This year’s NGV Kids Summer Festival offers kids and families the opportunity to explore the vibrant world of fashion and self-expression through Let’s Party!, a celebration of creativity and colour, while also engaging with a rich program performances, art-making and First Nations-led activities that invite children to connect with Indigenous culture and storytelling.”
