Festivals & Events in Victoria
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Victoria's festivals and eventsJanuary
- Australian Open. A Grand Slam tennis event in Melbourne.
- Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields. Masterminded by the world-renowned Italian organist Sergio de Pieri, the festival attracts leading local, national and international performers of organ, strings, woodwind and voice. It features music, wine and food in the 19th century venues of the Central Victorian Goldfields.
- Hanging Rock Races. This event at Hanging Rock Racecourse includes thoroughbred racing, wine, gourmet food and entertainment each New Year's Day.
January/February
- Midsumma Festival. Melbourne's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender festival continues for a month. The opening street party is followed by a programme of sporting, cultural, theatre and arts events and the festival ends with a carnival.
February
- Harvest Picnic at Hanging Rock. Held at Hanging Rock Reserve, Woodend, this is one of Victoria's largest food and beverage festivals.
March
- Australian Grand Prix. This Formula One event in Melbourne is the opening round of the FIA Formula One World Championship.
- Port Fairy Folk Festival. First held in 1976, this event is the premier roots culture and music festival in Australia. Major national and international guests share many stages with over 100 acts and more than 500 artists presenting folk, country, bluegrass, blues, jazz, rock, new roots and world music.
- Bendigo Easter Fair. First held in 1871, this festival offers a range of free entertainment for all ages at various venues around the city.
March/April
- Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. This festival concentrates on the celebration of food and wine by highlighting the calibre and diversity of Victoria's top restaurants, wineries and specialty food industries. Held in various venues, many outdoors, it includes the Hawker's Market, the World's Longest Lunch and specially priced lunches at Melbourne's top restaurants during Restaurant Week.
- Melbourne International Comedy Festival. More than 1000 comedians perform over 100 shows.
April
- Rip Curl Pro and Sun Smart Classic. A world championship tour event for surfers held along the Surfcoast and Great Ocean Road.
- Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. This event showcases Australia's horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, nursery and floristry industries and includes a Floral Competition, Wildflower Convention and Gardening and Floral Demonstration programmes.
- Man From Snowy River Bush Festival. A uniquely Australian bush festival at Corryong showgrounds featuring The Man from Snowy River Challenge, great horse action, bush poetry, arts and crafts, country music, family food feast and a street parade.
June
- National Celtic Festival. A of range concerts in Geelong featuring traditional and contemporary Celtic music and music workshops. It also features Celts in the Park, a programme depicting the uniqueness of Celtic culture in food, markets, games, displays and theatre.
- Winery Walkabout. Food and entertainment for all tastes and ages at the wineries and in the streets of Rutherglen.
July
- Ballarat Winter Festival. Events showcasing the region's food and wine as well as a programme featuring local and national artists are held in Ballarat's heritage venues.
August
- World Aerials. Features the opening two events of the Aerial World Cup at Falls Creek.
September/October
- Melbourne Fringe Festival. This is Melbourne's annual open access three-week programme of innovative and experimental arts. A showcase of new work in hundreds of individual events across the city.
October
- Melbourne Festival. This is one of the world's premier arts festivals, renowned for presenting the cream of Australian and international events. It encompasses all art forms and features hundreds of music, opera, dance, theatre and artistic performances in a host of venues, both indoors and on the streets of Melbourne.
- 500cc Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Held on on Phillip Island Racetrack, this includes three World Championship races.
- Maldon Folk Festival. Running since 1974, this festival of music is staged at 20 venues in and around the town of Maldon.
- Melbourne Oktoberfest. German, Austrian and Swiss-style food and beverages, music and entertainment. Held in the large festival halls and the main stage area of the Royal Agricultural Society Showgrounds.
October/November
- Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. A celebration of fashion, food and entertainment culminating in one of the world's most famous horse races, the Melbourne Cup.