- Grounded is Australia’s only annual, roaming food and farming festival, held in a different farm location every year, so each festival is a unique, unmissable event celebrating local expertise and culture with an inspiring line up of speakers. It’s on at Deans Marsh from 22-23 April.
- Silvers Circus will be in Colac from 23-26 April.
- The Stratford Shakespeare Festival returns from 23 April to 10 May.
- The 2026 Sorrento Writers Festival is on 23-26 April.
- Set to captivate curious audiences with its panoramic celebration of new and provocative films that dare to venture beyond the cinematic norm, Fantastic Film Festival Australia returns from 23 April – 15 May at Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn, Thornbury Picture House and Brunswick Picture House.
- From the Gold Rush era to the Satellite City, the City of Melton has a rich history that’s ripe for rediscovery. Explore the best of its stories at the Heritage Festival from 24 April to 9 May with exciting lineup of free activities, workshops, and more.
- The 2026 Melbourne International Lute Festival will be held at Heide in Bulleen from 24-26 April.
- Werribee’s Wyndham Park will light up again this autumn as the LIT festival returns from 24 April to 3 May with a new program of large-scale installations, projections and interactive works spread across the space.
- The Bright Autumn Festival from 24 April – 3 May is a ten day celebration of the wonderful autumn colours and autumn produce of the valleys of Victoria’s Alpine High Country.
- The Running Warehouse Ballarat Marathon features two days of running for all ages and abilities on 25 and 26 April.
- Gather at dawn to honour the service and sacrifice of generations of Australians—and all those affected by war at the Shrine of Remembrance on Anzac Day, 25 April.
- The annual Run the Tan showcase charity event is on 26 April.
- The Hobby Hangout XL trading card show is on at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton on 26 April.
- The Vintage and Modern Toy Fair is on at the Malvern Town Hall on 26 April.
- Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year, is a time for new beginnings, unity, and cultural pride. You can join in celebrations at Fed Square on 26 April.
- Eroni’s Circus will be at Wheelers Hill until 26 April.
- Elmo’s Circus Dream will be at Bayswater until 26 April.
- More than 400 tonnes of sand will shape The Enchanted Realm at the 2026 Australian Sand Sculpting Championships at McComb Reserve in Frankston until Sunday 26 April, and will feature 18 large scale sculptures built and completed before opening day, meaning visitors can experience the full display from the moment gates open.
- London’s Victoria and Albert Museum’s acclaimed exhibition DIVA makes its Australian debut at the new Australian Museum of Performing Arts until 26 April 2026. It is spectacular showcase of more than 250 objects, including 60 show stopping costumes, jewellery, photography, art and music and explores explores the evolution of the term “diva” — from 19th-century opera stars to today’s global pop icons.
- The ever-popular Skyline Ferris Wheel makes its return in St Kilda until 26 April. Take in the breath-taking views of the St Kilda foreshore and pier with unparalleled views!
- The Rushworth Holistic and Psychic Expo is on 26 April.
- The Malmsbury Village Fayre is on 26 April.
- The 2026 Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival is on until 30 April.
- Visit Hanging Rock Winery to experience the Art in the Vines Sculpture Exhibition until 30 April 2026 and wander a trail of discovery, glass-in-hand, through this extraordinary exhibition of contemporary outdoor sculpture.
- Running until May 2026 at the Shrine of Remembrance, the Her Story exhibition shines a light on the experiences of female Victorian veterans. Created by photographer Carla Edwards, the exhibition combines portraits and interviews that explore the lives of women who served across generations.
- The National Gallery of Victoria will be transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour, creativity and movement with Let’s Party! Fashion for Kids: Designed by Danielle Brustman, a free interactive exhibition opening at NGV International from until 3 May 2026.
- Running every Wednesday until 6 May, the free Hawker 88 Night Market takes over the Queen Victoria Market’s open-air sheds from 5pm to 10pm, turning the space into a busy hawker-style setup. Each week brings a different cultural focus, starting with a Pan-Asian Night and wrapping up with a Yin and Yang Finale.
- The world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, now in its sixty-first year and on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, is at the National Wool Museum in Geelong until 17 May, featuring some of the most exceptional nature photography taken today from across the globe.
- A new exhibition at WAMA in the Grampians is inviting visitors to look down, slow down and rethink what’s happening beneath their feet. Entanglements with Fungi: Life, Death and Renewal opens at the National Centre for Environmental Art until 1 June, drawing together multidisciplinary artists to explore the strange and vital world of the fungal kingdom.
- Bubble Planet: An Immersive Experience runs until 29 June – transforming the Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre in Brunswick into a playful universe filled with light, colour and giant bubbles, inviting visitors to explore more than 10 imaginative rooms designed to spark curiosity and creativity.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
What’s on in Melbourne and regional Victoria this week: 20-26 April 2026
By Melbourning
Wynham's LIT Festival
