Wondering when to visit Melbourne in 2023? Well, every day is a good day in Melbourne (except the notoriously unpredictable weather) but hey, this city has so much to offer, and if you are keen on witnessing a specific show, festival, or season you love; that would be perfect.
Here’s us listing down a few of the best festivals, shows, exhibitions, and fun events in 2023 9apart from the usual Easter and Christmas fun events) which will make your life easier to plan your trip to Melbourne.
Australian Open: January
The phenomenal Australian Open Tennis Championships is among the four Grand Slam tournaments. Takes place every year in mid-January since 1905. Competitions are held at Rod Raver Arena, known to be one of the best tennis arenas in the world, as well as Hisense Arena and Margaret Court Arena. Tickets for the Australian Open are sold on the internet and in the city center on Federation Square and go on sale a few months before the start of the tournament.
Midsumma Festival: February
Since 1988, this festival has been a global celebration to show the public the versatile life and the interests of the LGBT community. Bringing people together for art and culture irrespective of their gender and other stereotypes.
The festival includes numerous performances in streets, theatres, cabarets, talks, visual arts, film parties, and community events. The event’s inauguration takes place at the CBD park with over 100,000 people as a carnival, followed by a pride march.
Chinese New Year: February
Chinatown in Melbourne has existed for over 160 years. The streets of the Chinese lanes are decorated with Chinese lanterns, and some special events take place; open cinemas, Chinese street food festivals, cultural martial arts, dance lessons, etc.
Chinese dragon parade is the most famous, a 100-meter Chinese dragon in docklands where about 70,000 crowds gather to watch this parade that consists of dancing lions, drummer, floating lanterns, fire jugglers, etc. there is also a number of activities taking place the Queensbridge square Southbank and Federation square. Also, every night you can see the incredible light show at the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel and 888 Collins Street.
Moomba Festival: March
The Moomba festival is one of the oldest festivals in Australia attended by over one million people. It is also the largest free community festival in the country celebrated during the Labour Day weekend (Friday – Monday) festival’s name originated from the Aboriginal culture, this festival celebrates the diverse ethnic, cultural, and local communities. The main attraction is the Moomba parade on St. Kilda Road, where over 2,000 musicians, dancers, and actors take part in it. Coronation of the monarchs of Moomba, fireworks, carnivals in the Alexandra Gardens, and other locations in the city center illuminates the whole area.
Water skiing competitions at the Yarra River, Birdman rally and the day free film screening, concerts, and street food fiestas are a few of the many fun things to look forward to.
Grape Harvest in Yarra Valley: March
Just an hour’s drive to east of Melbourne, Yarra Valley, is one of the best scenic areas where the best Australian wines are produced. There are over 70 wineries that produce world-class wines, which are open to the public. A vineyard tour combined with a scenic luncheon is a great escape. Harvest season begins in Autumn, March is an ideal month for your vineyard tours and wine-tasting sessions. There is also a grape grazing festival that takes place in the area.
Australian Grand Prix: April
The world-famous Australian Grand Prix is a whole new experience you shouldn’t miss. Get a glimpse of the first Formula One race of the year speeding to 200mph in a flash! The temporary tracks are located at the Albert Park CBD, the race distance is 58 laps (307.574km)
Rainbow Serpent Festival: April
The most colorful. An electronic music festival filled with art, performance, and spiritual relaxation is the ideal celebration. This four-day festival is attended by over 15,000 people from all around the world. Underground techno vibes to house music combined with super colorful festive décor to face and body to paintings create such a unique ambiance. It is also considered to be the best outdoor festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Whale watching in Victoria: May- Early October
Whales migrate from Antarctica during May to early October. Whales choose to give birth and raise their calves just off the Victoria coast. During the season these giant marine mammals can be seen in Warrnambool, the best place to spot these giants. because they like to be close to the shore. There is a free observation deck near Logans Beach Road.
A few of the best you can spot during your tour are; humpback whales, southern right whales, orcas, and blue whales. Whales can be spotted at sea all along Victoria’s coast, including the Great Ocean Road, around Phillip Island, and down to Gippsland’s south coast. The best whale-watching areas are located in Portland. Warrnambool, and Phillip Island.
Aurora Australis or Southern Lights: May – September
Only a few regions in the world can boast to spot the southern lights or aurora australis. The south shore of Australia is one of the few places to watch the polar lights. But the chances are lower than in the northern hemisphere. However, there are several great aurora-watching places within a span of a two-hour drive from Melbourne.
The best time to capture this is May to September. One of the key factors for Aurora’s visibility is the clear, dark sky. Thus, chasing the aurora in winter, when nights are longer, promises a higher probability of seeing the mysterious light performance. For longer, darker nights.
Whatever season you pick, make sure to check the local aurora forecast and be patient
A few of the areas you can catch this are;
- Mornington Peninsula
- Phillip Island
Point Lonsdale - Anglesea
- Aireys Inlet
bring a camera capable of taking long exposures and a tripod. Low expectations and patience are the keys to an aurora-chasing night.
Skiing: June – September
The state of Victoria boasts the largest number of Ski resorts in Australia, like Mount Hotham, Mount Buller, and Falls Creek scattered across the Australian Alps. These resorts have a multitude of slopes for beginners to experts.
Rhododendron Blooming in Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden: June – December
The park of 20 hectares was founded in 1961. the Garden boasts 15,000 rhododendrons, 12,000 azaleas, 3,000 camellias, 250,000 daffodils, and other beautiful flowers and plants grow. This spectacular garden consists of a large decorative lake, sensory gardens, deep ferns, and small gardens. The ideal place to get wander and stroll around.
Surfing off Victoria coast: September – May
The coast of southeastern Victoria has always been among the best surfing spots, with excellent conditions for this sport. An hour or two away from the city there are many excellent places with great surf points. Point Leo is suitable for beginners and pros. The picturesque area of Mornington Peninsula, the beaches of Portsea, and Sorrento-Ocean are a few of the best places for your surfing games.
Tesselaar Tulip Festival: September – October
The Tesselaar Tulip Festival, the largest flower festival of the continent, honors the awakening of nature from winter in Australia, they launched the festival of tulips in 1954.
This festival is popular among all ages with rich entertainment shows on all weekends. For example, there are Turkish weekends: consisting of Turkish music, watching dance shows, and, of course, tasting Turkish cuisine. Then, The Irish Weekend features Celtic music, food, and drinks. The mood of the event is created by jazz, which plays here all day long. Such a great vibe to be at.
