After a two-year hiatus, the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival is returning to its full glory at South Melbourne Market. Expect over six tonnes of mussels on the menu, as well as plenty of pop-up vendors, jazz and soul musicians and more. Celebrate the festival’s eighth birthday over Labour Day weekend, on March 11 and 12.
Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival
Head over to South Melbourne Market and celebrate seafood at this free community festival. Discover sensational seafood dishes from local restaurants and pop-up vendors, with mussels as the main attraction. Expect delicious offerings from places like Claypots Evening Star, Simply Spanish, Bambu, Claw & Tail, Mike’s Mussels and Gem Pier Seafood.
If you’re not there for the seafood, but for the good vibes, you don’t need to worry about going hungry. The whole Market will be open, so you can dine on treats like French pastries, porchetta rolls, cheese, gelato and more.
Across the two days, there will be a huge line-up of jazz and soul musicians performing on the main stage, including The Sugarfoot Ramblers, Margie Lou Dyer, Steve Sedergreen, The Shuffle Club, Hoodoo Mayhem, The Bluetom Assembly and The Swinging Cats Pyjamas.
“The Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival embodies everything South Melbourne Market represents,” said Jo Plummer, South Melbourne Market Committee Chair. “It’s a celebration of food, culture and community. Following the event’s cancellation in 2021 and 2022, we welcome everyone to come and spend the day in the sun with family and friends, feasting, dancing and enjoying the best in delicious seafood and live jazz.”
The festival will also recycle mussel shells as part of the market’s partnership with The Narture Conservancy. In the Shuck Don’t Chuck program, mussel, oyster and scallop shells are collected and cured, then used to rebuild lost reefs and ecosystems in Port Phillip Bay. Last year, over 90 cubic metres of shells were collected.
The festival will kick off each day at 11am, and run until 9pm.