International Talk Like a Pirate Day is sailing into town on Saturday, 19 September, and it’s the perfect excuse to ditch the usual weekend plans and channel our inner Grace O’Malley and Black Sam Bellamy. Whether you’re looking for family-friendly activities or you’re a fully grown sea dog who thinks a good sea shanty is a perfectly reasonable Saturday night plan, there are plenty of ways to get into the pirate spirit. So grab your eyepatch, round up your crew and set course for these pirate-themed events in Melbourne.
Join the pirate mayhem at Doubloonapalooza Pirate Fest
If your idea of piracy involves pirate punk, sea shanties and a questionable number of pirate outfits, Doubloonapalooza in Carlton is looking at you. Offering a mixture of metal, punk, and rock performances, you’ll get to see acts like Captain Hellfire & The Wretched Brethren, Projectile Dysfunction, The Rum Runners, and the Melbourne Sea Shanty Society. Besides music, there are also pirate-themed games, many litres of rum, and a best-dressed competition to look forward to.
Watch Captain Hook chase Peter Pan at Ballet of Lights
Ballet of Lights brings the classic J. M. Barrie tale to one of the best concert and ballet venues in Melbourne. Held at the Capitol Theatre, you can expect glow-in-the-dark costumes, precise choreography and a magical Neverland atmosphere. Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell and, of course, Captain Hook provide more than enough inspo for your Talk Like a Pirate Day plans.
Board the Polly Woodside
If you’d like to keep the celebrations going for one more day, Pirate Day at Polly Woodside lets visitors channel their inner pirates aboard the tall ship. Kids can go treasure hunting, scrub the deck, swing on the rope, get washable tattoos, and participate in more pirate games, arts and craft. To get the full experience, it’s best to come dressed in your favourite pirate attire—eye patches and all.
Bring the little buccaneers to Pirate Storytime
For young Melbourne families, Talk Like a Pirate Day Stortime at Frankston Library is a gentler and more educational way to spend the day and celebrate the high seas. Aimed at childred aged 0-6, this free, one-hour session combines pirate stories, songs and more pirate fun. It is a little trek from Melbourne’s CBD but definitely worth the voyage.
Whether you’re rocking out to high-energy songs, boarding a tall ship or showing your little ones their first pirate stories, Melbourne has loads of options to choose from. So, ready to talk like a pirate? All that’s left is to recruit your crew, start your conversations with “ahoy” instead of “hello”, and you’re good to go.
