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Things to do

What’s on in Melbourne and regional Victoria this week: 6 to 12 July 2026

MelbourningBy 1 Comment10 Mins Read
The Finders Keepers Winter Design Market
  •  Be surrounded by a display of 50 dancing butterflies, symbolising resilience, transformation and the enduring strength of First Nations culture, marking 50 years of the NAIDOC movement at Collins Square from 6-10 July.
  • Melbourne Storm fans in the City of Casey can catch the team going through their paces with a local training day being held at Casey Fields on Tuesday 7 July.
  • The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival returns to cinemas from 7-19 July.
  • Running from 10 July to 2 August at Palace Cinemas the Nordic Film Festival will showcase new films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, including award winners, festival favourites and highly anticipated releases from some of the region’s most celebrated filmmakers.
  • The Zoos Victoria Careers Expo is on at the Melbourne Zoo on 9 July.
  • Laundry Sessions will transform the Abbotsford Convent into a multi-sensory after dark playground across two nights on 9 and 10 July.
  • The Childrens International Film Festival returns to the Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn until 10 July.
  • There’s a pop-up inflatable playground in Colac until 10 July.
  • If your child has outgrown good‑quality clothing, join the City of Monash’s Great Clothing Exchange at Clayton Library on 10 July to swap it for something new‑to‑you.
  • Christine Anu headlines an incredible line-up of First Peoples talent, as part of the annual NAIDOC in the City festival and free concert at Fed Square on 10 July.
  • Taking place on Friday 10 July from 12pm to 5.30pm, the annual KHT NAIDOC Week First Peoples Art and Design Market will bring together more than 20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, designers and makers.
  • The Finders Keepers winter design market is on at the Royal Exhibition Building. on 10-12 July.
  • Ballarat’s historic Civic Hall will be transformed into a sprawling world of inflatable art as Hidden 2026 returns with an immersive festival experience unlike anything else on the regional arts calendar. Running from 10 to 12 July, the three-day event invites visitors to step inside a dreamlike landscape of air-filled installations, where touching, wandering and interacting are all part of the experience. 
  • There’s a Model Railway Exhibition in Stawell on 11-12 July
  • Geelong’s new convention centre will host a free Community Open Day on Saturday 11 July, offering a chance to explore the new waterfront destination before the first major events get underway.
  • Join in a special evening of joy, culture, and community to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s birthday at Enlighten at the Great Stupa of Universal of Compassion near Bendigo on 11 July.
  • The Melbourne Magic Festival is coming back for 2026 with shows all over Melbourne until 11 July.
  • Crafty Creatures at the Park on 11 July at Wilson Botanic Park in Berwick promises to be  a relaxed evening surrounded by glowing animal installations, live reptiles and the sounds of the Australian bush.
  • The Noojee and Neerim Truffle Festival from 11 July to 2 Augustwill celebrate West Gippsland’s French black truffles and the region’s growing reputation for cool-climate produce.
  • Taste 120+ whiskies in one epic day at The Whisky Show in Albert Park on 11 July.
  • The Christmas in July market at Werribee Racecourse is on 11 July
  • There’s a record fair at Moon Dog World in Preston on 11 July
  • Melbourne’s annual Bastille Day French Festival is set to return to Queen Victoria Market on 11-12 July for a weekend packed with French food, music, culture and community celebrations.
  • Wallis Mall in Niddrie is being transformed into a Winter Wonderland on 11 July.
  • Wander through captivating illuminated artworks that invite you to explore and interact at Eltham After Dark: Art Illuminated on 11 July.
  • The Elmwood Pre-loved Children’s Market is on in Burwood on 11 July.
  • The NGV’s NAIDOC Week Celebration is on 11 July.
  • The Narre Warren Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 12 July.
  • There’s an art and craft destash market in Fitzroy North on 12 July.
  • Balloons Over Mildura until 12 July is a spectacular nine-day hot air balloon festival filling Mildura’s iconic big skies with colour and excitement
  • Discover a glowing winter wonderland of snow, lights, fire and ice at Winter Glow at Adventure Park in Geelong until 12 July.
  • Chadstone is launching a brand new month long festival that will transform the shopping centre after dark with immersive art, dining experiences, music and community events. Running until Sunday 12 July, Light to Night will take over the entire precinct, encouraging visitors to linger well beyond shopping hours with a program designed around art, food and nightlife.
  • Premiering at ACMI until 12 July 2026, Play School: Come and Play!invites pre-schoolers and their grown-ups behind the scenes of the iconic show, revealing how an episode of Play School is made today.
  • Step into a prehistoric world as more than 60 animatronic dinosaurs arrive across three local zoos for a special seasonal event. Dinos at the Zoo will run until Sunday 12 July at Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary, spanning both the Easter and winter school holiday periods.
  • An enchanting sound and light show, Electric Wonderland at Bendigo’s Rosalind Park until 12 July delivers interactive exhibits, immersive light installations and magical projections using the latest in audio visual technology. 
  • Winter Wonderland at Skyline Melbourne brings the magic of the season to life — with hourly snowfalls, giant Ferris wheel rides, and delicious treats until 12 July,
  • Until 19 July experience the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament live on the Bunjil Place Outdoor Screen. Settle in under the open sky, watch world‑class football on the big screen and enjoy the atmosphere as fans gather to cheer, celebrate and share the action.
  • Eroni’s Circus is in Wodonga until 19 July.
  • Embrace the chill with the return of the popular Ballarat Winter Festival until 19 July.
  • Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill comes alive with stunning light projections, music, wintry treats, and a magical winter glow at Winter Wonderlights  until 19 July
  • The East Gippsland Winter Festival runs until 19 July.
  • FROSTED – A Winter Spectacular is in Narre Warren until 19 July, transforming the colder months into a glowing, family-friendly escape.  The heated big top set up opposite Westfield Fountain Gate will become a fully immersive winter wonderland designed with younger kids in mind.
  • Iconic Brunswick Street café Mario’s is marking four decades in Melbourne with a major new exhibition bringing together 40 of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Running until 20 July, 40 Artists – 40 Years will transform the walls of Marios into a multi generational survey of the artists who have shaped, challenged and passed through the venue since it first began hosting exhibitions in 1988.
  • In Bloom tells the story of a garden coming alive after sunset — a hidden nocturnal world where native flora, pollinators and natural ecosystems glow with colour, movement and life. Inspired by the beauty and biodiversity of Geelong Botanic Gardens, guests’ journey through immersive environments influenced by blooming landscapes, native wildflowers, shifting seasons and creatures such as the iconic Blue Banded Bee. See it until 26 July.
  • After drawing almost 140,000 visitors in Brisbane and Perth, BODY WORLDS: The Anatomy of Happiness is heading to Melbourne for a limited season at The District Docklands until 29 July. Created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, the inventor of plastination, and curated by physician and designer Dr. Angelina Whalley, the exhibition explores the human body through the lens of emotion, health and wellbeing.
  • Running every Wednesday until 29 July, Queen Victoria Market’s Christmas in July series will swap traditional winter vibes for a full festive makeover, complete with giant walk-in snow globes, live ice sculpting, sparkling decorations and roaming Christmas-themed performers.
  • A landmark international fashion exhibition is heading to Melbourne’s south east, with The Offbeat Sari set to make its Australian debut at Bunjil Place Gallery until early August. Developed by London’s Design Museum and conceived and curated by Priya Khanchandani, the exhibition brings together 54 groundbreaking saris loaned from leading designers and studios across India.
  • 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.
  • The Linden New Art Postcard Show running until 1 August is a winter classic in St Kilda. Now in its 36th year, the exhibition brings together up to 1,000 postcard sized artworks by artists from across Australia.
  • Lightscape – Melbourne’s favourite winter tradition is returning to Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne until 2 August. Expect brand-new large-scale installations by leading Australian and international artists, trail-side treats and a mesmerising world of colour, music and light beneath the night sky.
  • Shane Warne’s legacy will take centre stage at a major exhibition presented by the Melbourne Cricket Club of the late cricket icon’s most prized personal items at the Australian Sports Museum until 9 August 2026. WARNE: Treasures of a Legend will feature 48 pieces from his career, offering rare access to objects that shaped one of Australia’s most celebrated  sporting stories.
  • Melbourne’s iconic Winter Night Market is making its return to Queen Victoria Market this winter, bringing fire pits, street food, live music and late-night shopping back to the city every Wednesday night until 26 August.
  • Melbourne is getting a deep dive into vinyl, sound and music culture, with RISING and ACMI unveiling The Vinyl Factory: Reverb, at ACMI. Running throughout this year’s RISING event and extended until 31 August, the large scale exhibition explores how vinyl and music have shaped art, fashion, film and social movements.
  • Melbourne’s winter nights are set to sparkle as National Gallery of Victoria unveils the return of NGV Friday Nights alongside the highly anticipated 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces: CARTIER exhibition. Running every Friday until 2 October at NGV International, the after-hours series will combine late-night exhibition access with live music, film screenings, French-inspired food and immersive performances inspired by the world of Cartier.
  • A dazzling world-exclusive Cartier exhibition will run at the National Gallery of Victoria until 4 October featuring more than 300 jewels, tiaras, necklaces, brooches, timepieces and design drawings, making the exhibition the largest presentation of the legendary jewellery house ever staged in Australia.
  • In a landmark moment for its 130th year, Geelong Gallery, in partnership with Art Exhibitions Australia and ACPA Advising Curating Producing Art, is proud to present Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel, Art Dealer Among the Artists, the most ambitious international exhibition in the Gallery’s history, running until 11 October.
  • Melbourne Museum will open ROME: Empire, Power, People until Sunday 25 October 2026.The Melbourne-exclusive exhibition will bring more than 150 objects from two of Italy’s leading museums to Australia for the first time, offering an in-depth look at the rise and rule of one of history’s most influential civilisations.
  • A thought-provoking new exhibition EMERGENCE[Y] at Science Gallery Melbournebrings together artists, researchers, and designers to examine how humanity might adapt to a rapidly changing planet until 5 December 2026.
  • Colour at Scienceworks in Spotswood is a vibrant, hands-on exhibition exploring the surprising science behind how we see the world, running until 26 January 2027.
  • Home is Football: Belonging in Australian Soccer at the Immigration Museum until 27 January 2027 explores how the world game has shaped identity, migration and community across Australia. Featuring stories from Ange Postecoglou, Lydia Williams and grassroots players, the exhibition celebrates football’s power to connect people both on and off the pitch.
  • World of the Book returns until 17 May 2027 – State Library Victoria’s largest ever tribute to women writers, alongside hundreds of extraordinary Australian and international works from the State Collection. Now in its 21st year, this beloved exhibition brings together more than 400 rare, remarkable and historically significant items from c. 2000 BCE to today, many on public display for the first time.
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