The best things to do in Melbourne this weekend (October 24–25)

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival returns from 16–25 October with 10 days of ticketed and numerous free jazz concerts across venues like Hamer Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The program includes keynote talks, street parades, film screenings, family events and many free outdoor performances around the city.

Newly opened café Rogue Rabbit is giving away free Fancy Foam drinks this Saturday, 24 October, from 9am to 12pm. Choose from three playful creations, including a vanilla-orange cold brew, an Earl Grey iced tea with matcha foam, or an iced latte topped with bronut-infused foam. Head to Northcote’s newest neighbourhood hangout and enjoy a little Saturday treat on the house.

If you’ve ever wanted to wander through a dreamscape made of shimmering bubbles and glowing colours, here’s your moment: Bubble Planet is drifting into Melbourne. This immersive, multi-sensory experience invites you to explore 10 playful, interactive environments designed to awaken your senses and bring out your inner child. Find it at the Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre in Brunswick. Get your tickets here.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s MSO+ presents Convent Sounds, a relaxed daytime concert on the heritage lawn at Abbotsford Convent featuring an 11-piece brass ensemble performing Baroque favourites, Prokofiev and film scores. Gates open at 3pm with music from 3:30pm to 5pm on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

If you’re keen to add a little runway glamour to your weekend, Melbourne Fashion Week is set to transform the city with glamourous runways, fashion capsules, talks and more cool events. It will run from Monday, October 19 to Sunday, October 25.

East Brunswick Village is hosting its first Pet Market on Sunday, October 25, featuring over 40 local stalls, pet portraits, a pet obstacle course, fundraising raffle and a special Pet Blessing led by Father Isuru Weliwatte. The market runs from 10:00 to 15:00 with free entry and on-site vet and rescue stalls.

The biennial Castlemaine & District Festival of Gardens is back for its 18th edition, opening 19 private gardens around Castlemaine, Victoria. The self-guided festival runs from 2026-10-24 to 2026-11-03, with entry priced at $5 per adult and free for children.

The Diggers Club is hosting a month-long Celebration of Peonies at Cloudehill in the Dandenong Ranges, showcasing over 120 peony varieties, specialist growers, tours, workshops and a garden shop and nursery from 30 September to 4 November 2026.

Fijian Flying Circus — presented by Fiji Airways and created by Fijian dance company VOU — makes its Australian premiere at Melbourne Showgrounds from 17 October to 22 November. The big-top production blends world-class circus artistry with Fijian stories, live singing and traditional music for a family-friendly spectacle.

Check out Arca Arcade: Round One — a playable art exhibition by Māori designer Preston McNeil — on at Carlisle Street Arts Space in St Kilda from 6 August to 31 October 2026. The show turns handcrafted arcade cabinets into interactive artworks, with free entry and a public program of workshops and a tournament.

Game4Padel has opened a 5,636m² indoor padel club at 437 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne, featuring nine panoramic courts (including two accessible courts), a show court with spectator stands, coaching and leagues. The venue also includes a Bang Bang café and bar, lounge, coworking space and pro shop, with opening hours 7:00–23:00 daily.

Tackle this 7-kilometre clifftop trail linking San Remo and Kilcunda, with panoramic ocean views, secluded beaches, grasslands and abundant wildlife; it typically takes about two hours one-way (around four+ hours return).

Three Horses is a sherry‑led bar on Little Lonsdale Street in Melbourne CBD, and it debuted at No. 84 in the World’s 50 Best Bars 2026. The larger follow‑up to Caretaker’s Cottage focuses on sherry-forward cocktails (flat $27 in winter) and light snacks under $10.

Add ENCORE! to your list: it opens at the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA) inside Hamer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne from 16 September 2026 to 9 May 2027, showcasing 50 objects spanning roughly 170 years of Australian performing-arts history — from Kylie Minogue’s gold hot pants to costumes and rare archival pieces.

The Witches Garden is a four-acre, Monet-inspired garden in Mitta Valley featuring plants used for herbal remedies and witchcraft, a medieval witch’s cottage, a maze, sculptures and a nursery. It’s open on weekends with admission and midweek visits available by appointment.

Oktoberfest in the Gardens is coming back to Melbourne for its sixteenth year. Get ready to party like a Bavarian with colossal beer halls, German food stalls, thrill rides, entertainment and lots, lots more. This exciting festival will take over Catani Gardens in St Kilda on Saturday October 17, from 1pm to 9pm.

Every great night out should begin with as little stress as possible. No more worrying about where to park or coordinating public transport to make it to your Candlelight concert and home again. Thanks to Candlelight’s partnership with Uber, you can relax and make the most of your journey instead, with discounted Uber rides to and from the concert.

From the moment you leave your front door, your night can already be underway. Book your Candlelight concert today. You’ll receive an email with your Uber discount code 24 hours before the concert!

The Central Block of Little Desert National Park reopened on 15 September 2026, restoring access to key 4WD routes, campsites and nature spots after the January 2025 bushfire; visitors are advised to use a proper 4WD and bring supplies for a remote trip.

After a decade at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre, Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) will relocate to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 2027, expanding capacity from around 1,400 participants to over 5,000 and offering adjudications, workshops, masterclasses and industry events for young performers and educators.

Funlab is opening Playback96 at Chadstone on Thursday, 27th August — an immersive 90s‑themed social games venue featuring nine interactive nostalgic challenges, retro set design, themed cocktails and party and corporate packages.

Swap the city for sea air, tackle the free, well-marked 8.3–8.5km coastal loop on Phillip Island. Expect pink granite cliffs, sweeping Bass Strait views, wildlife encounters and historic quarry ruins — and in spring, it’s at its best thanks to nesting shearwaters.

The Frog Club—a new brasserie from James McBride and Marc Gurman—has opened at 163 Chapel Street, Windsor, dishing up wood-grilled steaks, lavish seafood, old-school cocktails and late-night energy. It’s open seven days a week from 5pm, serving its full menu until midnight.

Itera — the all-day gluten-free bakery and café from Kudo Bakery founders Felix Goodwin and Elena Nguyen — opens on Saturday 12 September 2026 at 4A Ballarat Street, Brunswick. The 26-seat venue serves a seasonal menu, baked goods using two sourdough starters (including sakadane), signature canelés and Single O coffee.

Tucked into a Melbourne laneway, this tiny 32-seat theatre serves up close-up magic, mind-reading and cabaret from FISM world champion Sam Angelico and Raconteur Productions. Main performances run most Saturdays and Sundays, with an extra Saturday matinee.

Melbourne’s Oh My Gelato! just won the inaugural Australian Gelato Cup at Fine Food Australia with ‘The Melbourne Marvel’ — a pistachio, espresso variegato and dark chocolate-coated honeycomb creation. Winners May Quah and Apple Robles will represent Australia at the Sherbeth International Artisan Gelato Festival in Italy this November.

Afloat — Melbourne’s beloved floating bar and restaurant on the Yarra River — reopens to the public from Thursday 27 August as ‘Yamas Greece’, featuring Greek‑inspired décor, seasonal cocktails, a selection of native Greek wines and a new menu of Mediterranean dishes.

Sachi is a contemporary Japanese seafood restaurant on Queen Street, Melbourne, opened in late 2025 and led by Executive Chef Jin and team. The menu focuses on dry-aged fish, an accessible nigiri counter (11-course $78.50, 15-course $128.50), sake and Japanese-inspired cocktails.

Head to Flair, a crimson-lit cabaret cocktail bar open at 125 Smith Street, Fitzroy, on Friday 21 August 2026. Expect live burlesque, circus and cabaret alongside a $15 menu of drinks and shareable dishes. The venue features a custom-built stage, upstairs balcony, hidden beer garden and late-night DJs from 9pm.

Spend your Saturday enjoying an unforgettable night of live Candlelight at The Athenaeum Theatre! Take a look to see which Candlelight show you should attend over the weekend.

If you’re keen to add a new sweet stop to your weekend itinerary, a MasterChef pastry prodigy is bringing everyday, story-driven pastries to Melbourne’s east. MasterChef alum Jess “Lemon” Liemantara has opened her first solo bakery, Jess Lemon, in Nunawading, offering Asian-inspired pastries, macarons, crookies and chiffon cakes in a small, home-like venue.

Read more about Jess Lemon.

Need a spot to melt the week away? A new Scandinavian-inspired Navia Bathhouse opens in Prahran on August 15, offering Finnish saunas, mineral hot pools, steam rooms, multiple cold plunges, infrared sauna sessions and red light therapy. The venue also houses Fika Café and will be open daily from 06:00 to 22:00.

Next Hotel Melbourne is leaning into the art of the stay-in with its new Luxe Night Away package, created in partnership with Botanicals by Luxe. Settle into a five-star room with sparkling wine, a personalised skincare edit chosen via a skin-type quiz, and breakfast for two the next morning.

It’s a low-effort luxury escape made for a girls’ night, solo reset or anyone in need of a very good excuse to switch off. Packages start from $379 per room, available Friday and Saturday nights until 31 December 2026.

Wanna try out something new this weekend dining? Try Côte Basque—the new Basque-inspired restaurant from Andrew McConnell and Jo McGann—opens at 25 Crossley St on Friday, August 7. The venue offers wood-fired grill cooking, European wines and classic cocktails, running daily from noon till late.

Step back in time at the newly reopened Clover Cottage Estate, now serving fine dining and casual meals amid restored period gardens.

A historic three-hectare garden estate in Berwick has reopened after nearly ten years, offering a restored restaurant and brasserie with daily service and bookings available. The homestead is being restored for accommodation, with plans to open in 2027.

The William Ricketts Sanctuary has reopened—explore 92 ceramic sculptures tucked into a peaceful Dandenong glade. If you’re after an easy nature-and-culture outing this weekend, William Ricketts Sanctuary on Mount Dandenong is back open after storm repairs, offering visitors a ferny outdoor gallery of 92 ceramic sculptures. Entry is free and the site is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00 (last entry 15:30).

Pop inside State Library Victoria and see Australia’s largest rare book exhibition, World of the Book. Back for its 21st year, this exhibition at State Library Victoria features over 400 rare and historically significant items. This exhibition is also the Library’s largest ever tribute to women writers, with works from Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, the Brontë sisters and more. It’s free to attend.

Journey 450 years ago to the legendary Inca citadel. Developed with leading archaeological experts, this virtual reality experience, you’ll explore Machu Picchu and see the agricultural terraces, the Temple of the Sun and more, surrounded by the majestic Andes. Find it at 206 Bourke St. Get your tickets here. 

This virtual reality adventure was created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Stand on the edge of black holes, see a supernova, explore an exoplanet and much more. Smithsonian Starstruck is now showing at 206 Bourke Street in Melbourne.

See original statues, mosaics, frescos and more at the Melbourne-exclusive exhibition, Rome: Empire, Power, People. Learn all about the spectacle, rise, rule and legacy of this powerful civilisation at Melbourne Museum. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the extended program, like a Brunetti Classico pop-up or art classes.

In this immersive, space-filled game, you and your Crew must complete tasks around a Moon base while the Impostors blend in, pretending to work while secretly eliminating the Crew. This is your chance to take part in real-life immersive gameplay that offers a thrilling experience of deception, strategy and teamwork. Get your tickets here.

Artists, scientists and collaborators from around the world will explore how we adapt to a world burdened by ecological collapse, technological accelartion and social upheaval in the EMERGENCE[Y] exhibition at Melbourne Science Gallery. It’s on display from June 6 to December 5. See more here.