Massive list of what’s on in Melbourne and regional Victoria in August 2026 (170+ activities and events)

This list is updated regularly, so be sure to check back.

What’s on throughout August 2026

• Ballarat is once again rolling out the pastry mat for a full month of flaky indulgence. Back for its fourth year, with Ballarat’s Best Pie running from 1-31 August where you can take your pick from 30 savoury and sweet pies at some of the city’s top cafes, restaurants, bakeries and pubs.
• The Melbourne International Film Festival returns from 6-23 August.
• The Art Gallery of Ballarat is set to host the globally renowned World Press Photo exhibition for the first time from 8 August to 20 September at the historic Ballarat Mining Exchange, the exhibition marks the first time Victorians have been able to experience the showcase locally in more than 10 years.
• Silvers Circus will be in Shepparton until 9 August.
• Now in its 12th year, the University of Melbourne’s annual Science at Melbourne Festival celebrates of all things science, with a series of free events for students, staff and the general public  from 10-21 August.
• Silvers Circus will be in Epping from 13-23 August.
• The 2026 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is on 13-23 August.
•  Now or Never, the city’s festival of art, ideas, sound and technology, is bringing more than 150 events to venues and public spaces across the CBD from 19 to 30 August 2026.
• 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.
• Until 31 August 2026, the Catchment to Coast exhibition will be on display at Cardinia Cultural Centre, exploring the flow on effect of water across the shire.
• 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.
• 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 March 2027/. 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.
• 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.

What’s on in and around Melbourne 1-9 August 2026

• Melbourne Rare Book Week is on until 1 August.
• 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.
• The Melbourne Rare Book Fair is on until 1 August.
• Welcome To Thornbury is holding a Mulled Wine and Hot Cheese Party on 1 August.
• The Melbourne Board Game Market is on at the Coburg Town Hall on 1 August.
• The 2026 Sunshine Model Railway Club Annual Model Railway Exhibition is on in Braybrook on 1-2 August.
• The Essendon Gem Show is on 1-2 August.
• On Saturday 1 August, Melburnians are invited to experience the bold, the rare, the fortified and the unforgettable, as the wines of North and North East Victoria are poured within the walls of the historic Old Melbourne Gaol City Watch House for the North x North East Victorian Wine festival.
• Monash University’s Peninsula and Caulfield campus open day is on 1 August.
• The Franchising Expo 2026 is on at MCEC on 1-2 August.
• 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.
• Running until 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.
• Explore over 60 of Australia’s leading dealers and thousands of items for sale at The Melbourne Fair when it returns to Caulfield Racecourse until 2 August. From antique rings and vintage designer fashion to beautiful furniture, fine art, jewellery, decorative arts, books and antiquities, there’s something for everyone.
• Until Sunday 2 August at Cinema Nova, Monster Fest Weekender: Highway to Hell delivers a white-knuckle ride through some of the wildest, weirdest and most dangerous road movies ever made.
• The Melbourne Card Fair is on in Thornbury on 2 August.
• The Vic Market Record Fair is on 2 August.
• Monash University’s Clayton campus open day is on 2 August.
• RMIT University’s Bundoora campus open day is on 2 August.
• La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus open day is on 2 August.
• The Glen Huntly Vintage Car Show on 2 August will feature a stunning display of classic and vintage cars, live music, kids activities, and food offering.
• The Second Life Market is on in Kensington on 2 August.
• The Carrum Downs Winter Wonderland Market is on 2 August.
• The Bay Rodders Swap Meet is on in Dandenong South on 2 August.
• Join Scienceworks for Little Kids Day: Caring for Country on 3 August and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day with storytelling, crafts and STEM-inspired play for children aged 0–5 and their grown-ups.
• To celebrate turning 50, Dandee Donuts at Dandenong Market will host a week of giveaways from Tuesday 4 August to Sunday 9 August.
• The Melbourne Outdoor Living & Caravan Expo is on at Caribbean Park in Scoresby on 7-9 August.
• Bolivian National Day celebrations are being held in Brunswick East on 8 August.
• The West Talks Death: A “Dying To Know” Day Expo is on in Maribyrnong on 8 August.
• The Belgrave Record Fair is on at Sooki Lounge on 8 August.
• The Swiss Festival 2026 is on at Seaworks in Williamstown on 8 August.
• Celebrate Jamaica’s 64th Independence Day with an afternoon and evening full of culture, music, food, and family fun in Moorabbin on 8 August.
• The 2026 Melbourne Spartan Event – Spartan Race is a competitive obstacle race series, with events spanning America, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Athletes run, climb, crawl and push through custom-built obstacles designed to test strength, endurance and mental grit across varying distances and difficulty levels. It’s on at Werribee Racecourse on 8-9 August.
• Caravan Sounds brings a one-of-a-kind experience to the Chapel Street precinct– a custom-built caravan sound system, a professional DJ and a playlist designed to keep the weekend going. Kicking off in Windsor on Sunday 9 August, popping up in Windsor Plaza – conveniently located just outside Windsor Station.
• The Mini Folks Baby and Children’s Market is on in Macleod on 9 August.
• The RMIT Makers Market is on in Brunswick on 9 August.
• The Vintage and Modern Toy Fair is on at the Melbourne Showgrounds on 9 August.
• The Australian Catholic University’s Melbourne campus open day is on 9 August.
• RMIT University’s Brunswick and City campus open day is on 9 August.
• The Sacred Mist Witches Market is on in Beaconsfield on 9 August.
• The Pakenham Wedding Expo is on 9 August.
• The Berwick Half Marathon is on 9 August.

What’s on in and around Melbourne 10-16 August 2026

• Don’t miss your chance to taste the best of Coonawarra with 20 premium producers pouring their finest drops for one night only at Southbank on 12 August..
• The St Kilda Spirits Festival is on 14-16 August.
• Celebrate National Science Week at Melbourne Museum and Scienceworks from 15-23 August. Explore a fascinating program of talks, workshops, events and hands-on experiences designed to spark curiosity and inspire discovery.
• Hop Hen’s Record Fair is on in Lilydale on 15 August.
• The Evolve Auto Festival is on in Docklands on 15 August.
• Celebrate India’s Independence Day with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne at Federation Square on 15 August.
• PetFest is a paw-some free pet celebration in St Kilda’s O’Donnell Gardens on 15 August
• CARDCON – Australia’s ultimate trading card experience – is on at MCEC on 15-16 August.
• The Sandown Showdown is on at Sandown Raceway on 15-16 August
• On 15 August, The Continental Sorrento will host the Winter Wine & Jazz Festival, bringing together 20 Mornington Peninsula wineries for an afternoon of tastings, live jazz and local food.
• Victoria University’s Footscray Park campus open day is on 16 August.
• The University of Melbourne’s open day is on 16 August.
• Monash University’s Parkville campus open day is on 16 August.
• Federation University’s Berwick Open Day is on 16 August.

What’s on in and around Melbourne 17-23 August 2026

• The Melbourne Home Show is on at MCEC on 21-23 August.
• The National 4X4 Outdoors Show is on at the Melbourne Showgrounds on 21-23 August.
• The Phillip Island Festival of Stories is on 21-23 August
• The Himali Teej Festival is on at the Epping Memorial Hall on 21 August.
• Frankston City is turning 60 — and is marking the milestone with a jam-packed weekend of events and activities on 21-23 August.
• Step into a world of the strange, magical and macabre at The Dark Alchemy Expo on 22 August. Explore more than 55 carefully curated artists, makers and creators, plus delicious food trucks, as Coburg Town Hall transforms into a celebration of dark art, witchcraft, folklore, oddities and the beautifully unconventional.
• The 2026 Melbourne Cheese Wine and Spirits Festival is on at Seaworks in Williamstown on 22 August.
• The Australian Whisky and Wine Festival is on 22 August.
• The New To You preloved clothing market is on at the Williamstown Town Hall on 23 August.
• Victoria University’s City Tower campus open day is on 23 August.
• Deakin University’s Burwood campus open day is on 23 August.
• The Cranbourne Psychic and Wellbeing Expo is on 23 August.
• The Northcote Festival is on 23 August.
• Preston Market’s popular Italian Day will return on Sunday 23 August.
• The Yarra River Running Festival is on at Westerfolds Park in Templestowe on 23 August
  

What’s on in and around Melbourne 24-31 August 2026

• Silvers Circus will be in Sunbury from 27 August to 13 September.
• The Affordable Art Fair returns to the Royal Exhibition Building for its sixth edition from 27-30 August.
• Collins Square’s Fathers Day Market is on 27 August.
• Welcome To Thornbury’s Chicken Nugget Festival is on 29 August.
• BoardCon 2026 is a one-day large board game convention on Saturday 29 August 2026 at Mulgrave Community Centre.
• The Prahran Square Record Fair is on 29 August.
• Take a magical nighttime journey through the culture and history of Thomastown at Walking Thomastown on 29 August.
• Torrens University’s Melbourne open day is on 29 August.
• Animaga returns to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 29-30 August, 2026, bringing a weekend full of anime, fandom, and pure excitement.
• Wyrd Realms is an all-ages fantasy roleplay celebration at Box Hill Town Hall on 29 August
• The Frankston and Peninsula Lapidary Club’s 2026 Gem Show is on on Mornington on 29-30 August.
• This year the Whittlesea Fire Brigade is celebrating 100 years of service to the community with a torchlight march on 29 August.
• The Hurstbridge Wattle Festival is on 30 August.
• The Witches Wardrobe Flea Market is on at Welcome To Thornbury on 30 August.
• Featuring hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, Card Fest brings together Australia’s top retail card stores, collectors, buyers and sellers under one roof for a full day of high-quality, premium product access and industry networking in Reservoir on 30 August.
• The Maling Road Auto Classico is returning to Canterbury on Sunday 30 August.
• The Brighton Beach Marathon is on 30 August.
• The Camberwell Sunday Market will celebrate its 50th birthday on 30 August. This special event will include live music, an live broadcast from community radio station 3PBS show, BlueJuice, as well as speakers and special guests.
  

What’s on in regional Victoria 1-31 August 2026

• The Bright Winter Festival is on until 1 August.
• The Islamic Society of Geelong is hosting a community festival in Corio on 1 August.
• Manor Made Market is a one-day makers market and arts festival staged in the grand sandstone setting of the historic Barwon Park Mansion in Winchelsea on 1 August.
•  On 1–2 August 2026, Shepparton hosts the 2026 DEKA Trifecta Weekend. A two-day, multi-format fitness event at the Museum of Vehicle Evolution (MOVE).
• The Australian Jousting Championship returns to Kryal Castle in Ballarat on  on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August.
• The Bendigo African Festival is on 1 August.
• Step into a world of colour, craftsmanship and nostalgia at the next Australian Pottery & Australiana Fair in Bendigo on 1 August.
• The Noojee and Neerim Truffle Festival until 2 August will celebrate West Gippsland’s French black truffles and the region’s growing reputation for cool-climate produce.
• Goldfields Gothic is a weekend of events in Maldon until 2 August themed around celebrating the dark side of the goldfields. Inspired by intriguing stories of the past.
• Eroni’s Circus is in Rutherglen until 2 August.
• Elmo’s Circus Dream is at Waurn Ponds until 2 August.
• Run Echuca Moama on 2 August  is a 21.1-kilometre, 10-kilometre and 5-kilometre run, walk or wheel (mobility aids only) event. The unique and beautiful course weaves its way across the old bridge and new bridge covering both states Victoria and New South Wales.
• Deakin University’s Warrnambool campus open day is on 2 August.
• The Benalla Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 2 August.
• The Geelong Psychic and Wellbeing Expo is on 2 August.
• The Sheepvention Rural Expo is on in Hamilton on 2-3 August
• The Mallee Machinery Field Days are on 5-6 August.
• Eroni’s Circus is in Numurkah from 7-9 August.
• The 2026 National Alpaca Show is on at the Bendigo Showgrounds on 7-9 August.
• La Trobe University’s Shepparton campus open day is on 9 August.
• Federation University’s Gippsland Open Day is on 9 August.
• The Shepparton Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 9 August.
• The Gippsland Wedding Expo is on at Lardner Park in Warragul on 9 August.
• There’s a pre-loved fashion market pop-up at the Bendigo Showgrounds on 9 August.
• La Trobe University’s Mildura campus open day is on 12 August.
• The Shepparton Outdoor Living & Caravan Expo is on 14-16 August.
• Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill lights up for a weekend of winter fun, fiery skies, and global connection at the International Lighthouse Weekend on 15-16 August
• The Swan Hill Cattle Show is on 15-16 August.
• Get ready for an unforgettable weekend of running and community spirit at the Campbell’s Shepparton Running Festival, happening on 15-16 August.
• The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph returns to Merbein on 15 August.
• The Ballarat Blues Festival is on 15-16 August.
• The Geelong Baby and Childrens Market is on 15 August.
• Deakin University’s Geelong Waterfront and Waurn Ponds campus open day is on 16 August.
• La Trobe University’s Albury-Wodonga campus open day is on 16 August.
• The Corio Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 16 August.
• The Mallee Almond Blossom Festival is on in Robinvale on 16 August
• The Australian Catholic University’s Ballarat campus open day is on 23 August.
• La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus open day is on 23 August.
• Federation University’s Mount Helen Open Day is on 23 August.
• The Hamilton Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 23 August.
• Mini Folks Market is returning to Minerdome Sports Club in Wendouree on Sunday 23 August.
• Winter Sounds is returning to Daylesford and surrounds from 27 to 30 August for a weekend of live music, heritage venues and country charm.
• The Gippsland Caravan Camping Liesure Roadshow is on at Lardner Park on 28-30 August 
• The Heathcote Film Festival is on 28-29 August.
• The Dunkeld Writers Festival is on 28-30 August.
• The Ballarat Spring Pre-loved Fashion Market is on 29 August.
• The Bendigo Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 30 August.
• The Yarra Valley Record Fair is on in Warburton on 30 August.