- 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.
- Join Scienceworks for Little Kids’ Day In: Caring for Country on 4 August – a special day of fun and celebration for children aged 0-5 and their grown-ups.
- 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.
- The 2025 edition of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is happening from August 7 to 24, with more than 275 films, shorts, and immersive experiences lighting up cinemas across the city, regional Victoria, and online.
- Hawthorn’s much-loved Lido Cinemas is celebrating its 10th birthday with a nostalgic throwback: $5 tickets to all general sessions all week long. From 7–13 August, cinephiles can catch everything from recent releases to cult classics for just a fiver—on the big screen and in Dolby Atmos elegance.
- Silvers Circus is in Mildura from 7-17 August.
- The Wonthaggi Job and Careers Expo is on 7 August.
- The All For Kids Market in Ballarat is on 8 August
- The Circus Rio Carnival is in Morwell from 8-17 August
- The Australian Alpaca National Show is back to celebrate 35 years of alpaca excellence from 8-10 August at the Bendigo Showgrounds.
- Hundreds of illuminated drones will light up the night sky with a stunning display of colour, movement and creativity at a free drone show at Birrarung Marr on 8 August.
- You’re invited to Spice Fest! A celebration of bold flavours, fiery eats, and epic free Saturday night entertainment at Burwood Brickworks from 9-30 August.
- Step behind the scenes and explore science like never before – National Science Week is returning to Museums Victoria from 9-17 August.
- Experience the bold, the rare, the fortified and the unforgettable, as the wines of North East Victoria are poured within the walls of the historic and iconic Old Melbourne Gaol City Watch House at the inaugural North x North East Victorian Wine festival on 9 August.
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast Inverloch on 9 August
- There’s a Preloved Fashion Pop-Up Market at the Bendigo Exhibition Centre on 9 August.
- La Trobe University’s Shepparton campus Open Day is on 10 August.
- The Shepparton Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 10 August.
- Join in a night of food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail stalls & music at Street Feast San Remo on 10 August.
- The ACU Melbourne Campus Open Day is on 10 August.
- RMIT University’s Brunswick and City campuses will have their Open Days on 10 August
- Exchange your good quality pre-loved clothing items for the same amount of pre-loved items at the City of Monash’s Great Clothing Exchange in Glen Waverley on 10 August.
- The Vibe and Tribe Market is on in Kilsyth on 10 August.
- The Macleod Village Music on the Green and Winter Market is on 10 August.
- Until 10 August, experience REVERB – an immersive sound and light installation showcasing electro-ambient works paired with site-specific lighting design, resulting in a unique sensory playground that celebrates the quiet magic of Abbotsford Convent after dark.
- This winter, Melbourne’s award-winning immersive light experience – Lightscape – returns and transforms Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne into a mesmerising display of more than 20 brand-new illuminations until 10 August.
- Brett Whiteley Inside the Studio at the Shepparton Art Museum until 10 August is a fascinating insight into the studio practice of one of Australia’s most gifted and revered artists. Drawn from the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Brett Whiteley Studio, this exhibition presents a selection of Brett Whiteley’s works across various media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, collage and ceramics.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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: 4-10 August 2025
By Melbourning
