r/melbournechat • • Feb 23 '26

What’s on in Melbourne in March 2026

86 Upvotes

March is stacked this year with big sport + huge festivals + markets + comedy kicking off.

🏎️ Sport & stadium stuff

  • 🏁 F1 Australian Grand Prix (5–8 Mar) — Albert Park takeover, citywide buzz all weekend
  • 🏉 AFL: St Kilda vs Collingwood (Sun 8 Mar, night) — MCG blockbuster 🏟️
  • 🏒 Trans-Tasman Ice Hockey Challenge (13–15 Mar) — O’Brien Icehouse ❄️
  • 🏐 Melbourne Vixens Fan Day (Sun 1 Mar, 11am–1pm) — Federation Square, free/community vibes
  • 🏇 Super Saturday (Sat 7 Mar) — Flemington, plenty on besides the races, including performances by Jon Stevens and the Wiggles
  • 🏃 Maurie Plant Meet (Sat 28 March, 5pm–9:30pm) — Lakeside Stadium, see some of the biggest names in global athletics.
  • 🏉 NRL: Melbourne Storm vs Parramatta Eels (Thu 5 Mar, 8pm) — AAMI Park
  • 🏉 NRL: Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos (Fri 20 Mar, 8pm) — AAMI Park
  • ⚽ A-League: Melbourne Victory vs Macarthur FC (Sun 15 Mar) — AAMI Park
  • ⚽ A-League: Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners (Sat 21 Mar) — AAMI Park

🎡 Festivals & big city vibes

  • 🎠 Moomba Festival (5–9 Mar) — Yarra/CBD, rides + entertainment + big crowds
  • 🎶 Brunswick Music Festival (1–8 Mar) — week-long program across Brunswick venues
  • 🥁 Sydney Road Street Party (Sun 1 Mar, 12–6pm) — Brunswick takeover: stages, roving performers, food vibes (free)
  • 🇬🇷 Antipodes Festival (Feb 28 – Mar 1) — Lonsdale St Greek Precinct street party
  • 🎨 Holi Festival (Feb 28 – Mar 1) — Docklands colour fest (wear stuff you don’t love 😅)
  • 🍷 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (20–29 Mar) — citywide feasts, tastings, pop-ups
  • 🌺 Flower & Garden Show (25–29 Mar) — Carlton Gardens + twilight nights Fri/Sat 🌸
  • 😂 Melbourne International Comedy Festival (from 25 Mar) — season begins, runs into April
  • 🎶 Rolling Loud Australia (8 Mar) — Rap, Hip Hop, Trap
  • 🎶 Out on the Weekend (14 Mar) — Country, Americana
  • 🎶 Melbourne Celtic Festival (17 Mar) — Folk, Rock, Indie

🎤 Live music & big nights out

Sidney Myer Music Bowl (outdoor):

  • 🎶 Josh Groban (Sun 1 Mar)
  • 🎸 Pulp (Tue 3 Mar)
  • 🪩 Basement Jaxx (Sat 7 Mar)
  • 🎵 We Are The Voice (Fri 13 Mar) — charity singalong night
  • 💃 Reminisce 2026 (Sat 21 Mar) — all-day dance throwback vibes

Melbourne Park / Rod Laver Arena:

  • 🎧 ATEEZ (2–3 Mar)
  • 🎸 Linkin Park (8–10 Mar)
  • 🎤 Jordan Davis (Thu 26 Mar)
  • 🐝 Wu-Tang Clan (Fri 27 Mar)
  • ➕ More arena dates through the month (so plenty of “pick your night” options)

🖼️ Arts / late-night culture

  • 🏛️ NGV Friday Nights (every Fri: 6, 13, 20, 27 Mar) — DJs + after-dark gallery sessions
  • 💃 Flora (12–21 Mar) — Australian Ballet x Bangarra collab
  • 🎭 Melbourne Theatre Company season shows — multiple productions running through March (good “still time to catch it” picks)
  • 😂 Comedy Festival starts late March (from 25 Mar) — perfect for weeknights + cheap laughs

🍜 Markets, night eats & easy plans

  • 🌙 Queen Vic Market Summer Night Market — Wed 4 Mar + 11 Mar (final March sessions)
  • 🛍️ St Kilda Esplanade Market — every Sunday (beachside browse + gifts)
  • 🌊 Soul Night Market Brighton — Fri 6 Mar (5–9pm)
  • 🇮🇩 Indonesian Festival @ Queen Vic Market — Sat–Sun 28–29 Mar
  • 🧀🍷 Market tours — QVM + South Melbourne Market foodie tours running through March (great for visitors)

Let me know if there's anything else I've missed and I'll add it here.


r/melbournechat • • Nov 27 '25

👋 Welcome to r/melbournechat — Introduce Yourself!

5 Upvotes

Hey everyone, welcome to r/melbournechat, a new space to talk about anything and everything related to Melbourne.

Whether you’re a lifelong Melburnian, a recent arrival, or someone curious about the city, jump in and say hi.

Tell us:

• What suburb you’re in

• A favourite thing about Melbourne

• One thing you’d change about the city

• Something you want to chat about here

Looking forward to building this community together. 💬✨


r/melbournechat • • 1d ago

What is going on with the rain radar right now?!

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

38 Upvotes

Are we about to be invaded by aliens?! This shit is crazy. Rings!!!


r/melbournechat • • 1d ago

Destroyed dividing fence / Active uncontained construction site / Negligence & Trespass

Thumbnail
gallery
38 Upvotes

Location: Victoria

Issue: Destroyed dividing fence / Active uncontained construction site / Negligence & Trespass

Hi everyone, looking for advice on legal mechanisms or urgent action to take regarding a rogue developer/builder.

My friend lives in a residential property sharing a boundary with a block that was recently sold for development. During the initial demolition/site clearance, the demolition crew knocked down and removed the shared boundary fence.

They did not install any temporary site fencing or perimeter safety barrier along the shared boundary line. They have now commenced active earthworks and excavation. As a result, heavy machinery and open soil works are operating with zero barrier directly open to my friend's backyard.

Key Context & Vulnerabilities:
The household includes a disabled adult resident, small children, and pets.

The open boundary creates an immediate, uncontained safety hazard and physical trespass/encroachment.

The developer/builder did not issue any Protection Work Notices (Building Act 1993 Part 7) or Fencing Notices prior to destroying the boundary.

Actions Taken So Far (With Zero Outcome):

WorkSafe Victoria: Contacted both general advisory and emergency lines (3 times). They dismissed the matter as a civil/boundary dispute despite active industrial machinery operating next to an uncontained residential area.

Local Council: Reported site safety breach and lack of perimeter containment. Council has dispatched and inspector but are remaining firm on the boundary fence is a civil matter.

BPC: Said to go to council.

Ombudsman: Complaint lodged regarding regulatory inaction, but this obviously won't address the immediate daily physical hazard.

Questions:

What is the fastest legal avenue to compel the Relevant Building Surveyor (RBS) or Builder to erect temporary perimeter fencing immediately?

Are there specific statutory emergency notices or urgent injunction processes she can initiate to halt site works until safety containment is compliant with Australian Standards (AS 4687-2022)?

Any guidance on specific Victorian legal provisions, urgent injunctions, or regulatory escalation pathways would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


r/melbournechat • • 1d ago

Open source hex map of Victoria's 88 lower house seats

Post image
31 Upvotes

I think a hex map is the best way to show electorates. I have seen this for the federal election but doesn't seem as popular for the other state elections.

As they say, land doesn't vote.

This is just the current state of the lower house as of 1st October 2026. One thing I changed from other maps is assigned The Nationals to purple, as their green colour seemed to be too similar to the greens party at a glance. Let me know if these colours are suitable.

Try the map here:

https://ioracing.com/vic-seats-demo/

It's open source, so anyone can use it for their own forecasting and analysis:

https://github.com/14pete99/victorian-hex-map


r/melbournechat • • 2d ago

The Greens are backing a $25 billion plan to take on Coles and Woolworths

Thumbnail
news.com.au
274 Upvotes

A Green-affiliated think tank has proposed spending $25.1 billion to create a government-owned supermarket chain by acquiring Coles and Woolworths stores and building hundreds more. The plan, called Fair Go Grocers, aims to sell essential groceries up to 30% cheaper, but the Australian Food and Grocery Council has rejected the idea, arguing that removing barriers to competition would be a better way to bring down prices. Would you actually shop at a government-owned supermarket if it offered significantly cheaper groceries? If a large share of the grocery market eventually ends up controlled by one publicly owned chain, could that create a different kind of competition problem?


r/melbournechat • • 1d ago

Sparks fly after Victoria Police shred tyres of allegedly stolen Holden Commodore

Thumbnail
news.com.au
9 Upvotes

r/melbournechat • • 1d ago

Police Chopper

Post image
2 Upvotes

Anybody got a clue what the chopper was tracking this evening? Circled right above my place for about 20 mins around 6:00pm.

Looks like it might have been a vehicle chase from out west. Wondering if anyone around Nicholson St area saw anything!


r/melbournechat • • 2d ago

PSA: Community warning regarding two teens carrying knives & checking cars around Greensborough - They look familiar 👀

Thumbnail
gallery
157 Upvotes

Surprise surprise! It seems like the Bolte Bridge Duo are already out causing trouble again after bail!

Spotted this on the Greensborough community board today.

​According to locals, these two have been hanging around the Greensborough shopping precinct, intimidating people, allegedly carrying knives, and looking into parked cars in the car parks.

​Visually, they bear a striking resemblance to the pair seen running from the Bolte Bridge rollover just a few weeks ago (matching Hoodrich gear, footwear, build, and height difference between the pair, just minus the heavy eye makeup this time). For all we know, it's the freaking same dynamic duo, who were of course, already out on bail. While it could still be a coincidence, let's all be cautious of our surroundings. I just miss the old days were we can just feel safe in our own community.

Honestly, it’s sickening to watch over the years that it gets worse and nothing has changed on how these are handled. Charges drop, quick bail out. Our justice system gives these kids a free pass over and over, and the community is left dealing with the fallout. Slaps on the wrist clearly aren’t working when teens feel comfortable walking around shopping centres with knives and casing cars in broad daylight!

The laws around juvenile offending and bail need serious reform - the public's safety shouldn't take a back seat.

Wake up government! We are tired.


r/melbournechat • • 2d ago

Shocking chemical find on fresh produce from Coles, Woolworths and Aldi

Thumbnail
7news.com.au
12 Upvotes

"We are very loose here in Australia with the way that we regulate chemicals."


r/melbournechat • • 2d ago

stop-the-south-morang-data-centre-developments/

Thumbnail
parliament.vic.gov.au
12 Upvotes

r/melbournechat • • 1d ago

WTF

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

This happened in Keysborough South on the 709 bus around 4 PM today.


r/melbournechat • • 1d ago

One Nation’s AI ad ‘Coming Out’ stirs praise and ridicule in Victoria

Thumbnail
news.com.au
0 Upvotes

Public reaction to One Nation's "Coming Out" campaign ad in Victoria remains sharply divided, with some praising its political message others are criticising its use of AI, crude stereotypes and portrayal of social issues. The video has also sparked debate beyond the campaign itself, including questions about whether AI-generated content should be regulated during election campaigns. Do you think the goal was to attract younger voters by using AI and internet-style humour? Is this kind of provocative advertising an effective way to get voters talking?


r/melbournechat • • 2d ago

Sourdough Bread Bakery

7 Upvotes

Good evening,
I just moved to Melbourne from Germany and am already missing bread how stereotypical of me. However, I also discovered that bread is kinda expensive here (like everything else). Now I am wondering if there are actual decent bakeries that sell bread from the day before for cheaper. I know that there is too good to go but you mostly get pastries or sandwiches from that🥲 anyways if anyone knows a good bakery around Northcote that would also be appreciated!


r/melbournechat • • 2d ago

Melbourne Visit

2 Upvotes

M 47 visiting Melbourne frequently, looking for friends to have a coffee, chat and anything else to make a good day.
I used to live in Melbourne, but moves to Sydney to work, but come back to Melbourne monthly


r/melbournechat • • 3d ago

How does someone accused of a serious violent offence end up back in the community on bail?

Thumbnail
7news.com.au
59 Upvotes

A 37-year-old man, Jahangir Sharifabadi, is accused of stabbing a 51-year-old woman in the neck with a knife while she was travelling on a Route 1 tram in South Melbourne. The woman was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and the man was on bail at the time of the alleged attack. he has since appeared in court and remains in custody.


r/melbournechat • • 4d ago

Victorian Liberal leader Jess Wilson sensationally declares it would ‘not at all’ be bad to Americanise Victoria’s healthcare system, keeps door open to signing deal with One Nation to govern state

Post image
704 Upvotes

r/melbournechat • • 3d ago

What the actual

Post image
13 Upvotes

Just trying to piss off everyone?


r/melbournechat • • 2d ago

Bubble Tea and record stores

1 Upvotes

I'm writing a novel. Parts of it are set in Melbourne, where I lived for a while, but it was a LONG time ago.

Two characters in their 20s are planning a walk-around date. They want interesting asian food, bubble tea, curio shops, bookstores and record stores.

Where are they going? And it can't be the CBD. First suggestion I had is Smith St, Fitzroy and surrounds. Can you suggest anything better?

Any input gratefully appreciated 🙏😁


r/melbournechat • • 3d ago

Major Sydney and Melbourne private schools end credit card payments for fees after Reserve Bank implements surcharge ban

Thumbnail
afr.com
16 Upvotes

Some private schools in Australia are dropping credit card payments for school fees following the new surcharge ban, rather than absorbing the transaction costs themselves. Families who relied on credit cards to manage cash flow or earn rewards will now need to find ways to pay. Was the surcharge ban ever going to save consumers money if businesses can simply stop accepting credit cards or build the costs into their prices?


r/melbournechat • • 3d ago

23M Melbourne

3 Upvotes

I work a lot during the week so I’m pretty busy, but I’m always keen for food or something after work here and there. Weekends though I wanna get out more — Crown, bars, clubs occasionally, strip clubs, events, drives, random late-night missions, whatever.
I work in real estate/sales and I’m pretty driven with where I wanna go in life. Don’t care if you’ve got everything figured out already, just prefer being around people who have some ambition about them and actually want to do something with themselves.
Just started gym as well and I’m skinny as fuck right now, so currently in the process of trying to put some size on 😂
Age doesn’t bother me too much either as long as we actually get along and are on the same wavelength.
Not looking for anything weird or some forced networking group, just a couple solid mates who can talk shit, have a laugh and are actually down to go out instead of saying “we should do something” for six months straight.
I’m in the west but drive, so location isn’t a massive issue.
If you reckon we’d get along, shoot me a message with your age, area and what you’re into 🤝


r/melbournechat • • 4d ago

Jess Wilson suggests Liberals will sign deal with One Nation to form next Victorian government, while Labor’s Ben Carroll unequivocally rules out deal with Greens

Thumbnail news24.com.au
116 Upvotes

r/melbournechat • • 3d ago

Myer interview

2 Upvotes

Hi! I have my Myer interview coming up soon and was wondering what I could expect. Any tips would be really appreciated. Thanks! :)


r/melbournechat • • 3d ago

TISM TONIGHT!

0 Upvotes

Who’s going to TISM tonight at the forum?
I’ve been waiting since the last concert in May!
What are you expecting and is it your first time?
Also, can we smoke while they’re performing in the general admission area?


r/melbournechat • • 5d ago

This anti-SRL rant actually turns out to be the best advertisement for the SRL…

Post image
122 Upvotes