- There’s a charity Twilight Christmas Concert, being held at the Arthurs Seat Eagle summit on the evening of 19 December.
- Celebrate Christmas at the National Wool Museum in Geelong on Thursday 19 December with free entry and an exclusive preview of the much-loved Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60, from the Natural History Museum London.
- Find the perfect Christmas gift for family and friends, buy traditional Scandinavian Christmas decorations, handicrafts, food, lollies and much more at the Swedish Church’s indoor Christmas market in Toorak until 19 December.
- The Portarlington Community Carols are on 20 December
- The Euroa Carols by Candlelight event is on 20 December
- Visit ECOSS in Wesburn in the Yarra Valley for the Artisan Ag Food Extravaganza Twilight Market coming up on Friday 20 December 2024.
- Garden lovers can enjoy a tour of the Government House gardens on 20 December.
- Dress up in your best ugly sweater for Christmas at the Caribbean Rollerama on 20 December.
- Head along to the San Remo foreshore, bring along a chair or blanket and join in as San Remo celebrates Christmas with Carols, food and of course a visit from Santa on 20 December
- Bring along your dogs to Festive Fri-Yay on Friday 20 December in West Footscray and be ready to dance with Le Soul, a local dynamic live house and soul powerhouse who will be bringing all the energy and good vibes.
- Join Belgrave Outdoor Pool for a festive Christmas Celebration on Friday 20 December.
- Swan Hill Town Hall Christmas Wonderland 2024 runs until 20 December.
- fortyfivedownstairs in Flinders Lane is once again hosting its community-sourced, small works exhibition, Small until 21 December. All the submitted artworks are no larger than 20 x 20cm.
- There’s a two-day record fair at the Queen Victoria Market on 21-22 December.
- The Altona Meadows Carols in the Park is taking place on 21 December.
- CherryHill Orchards is holding its first-ever Christmas Market, a magical celebration of the holiday season set against the stunning backdrop of its Coldstream Orchards on 21-22 December.
- Celebrate 45 years of PBS radio at The Quadraphonic Club, Brunswick on Saturday 21 December, 2024 from 5pm to 12am. Catch 45 minute sets from 21 PBS DJs spinning 45s across two rooms.
- The Belgrave Christmas Carols and Twilight Market is on 21 December.
- Croydon Main Street is transforming into a festive wonderland to celebrate the season on 21 December.
- The Warrandyte Riverside Christmas Market is on 21 December
- The Woodend Christmas Carols are on Saturday 21 December
- The Avoca Christmas Street Party is on 21 December
- The Christmas Spectacular Market is on at the Ballarat City Oval on 21 December
- The Christmas Trackside Market is on at the Kilmore Racecourse on 21 December
- Enjoy a special evening experience at Geelong’s magical Carousel. Ride the horses, participate in craft and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere until 21 December.
- The Milawa Carols in the Park event is on 22 December
- Shepparton Carols by Candlelight 50th anniversary event is on Sunday 22 December at the Queens Gardens
- Join the Rotary Club of Bendigo for its community Christmas carols evening in Rosalind Park on 22 December
- The annual Anglesea Carols on the Green event is on 22 December.
- Australia’s biggest curated thrift market, Fashion Thrift Society is coming to the Melbourne Showgrounds on the 22 December.
- Carols by the Creek is the annual Christmas carols event held at Bob Burgess Reserve, behind the shops on the Princes Highway in the heart of Beaconsfield on 22 December.
- The Williamstown Carols in the Park event is on 22 December.
- The Eynesbury Christmas Market is on Sunday 22 December.
- The Kilsyth Vibe and Tribe Market is on Sunday 22 December featuring an array of offerings including tarot readers, psychic mediums, spiritual tools, beautiful crystals, and one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces.
- Grab the popcorn and enjoy a series of festive films at the stunning Capitol Theatre, with a mix of family favourites and cult classics until 22 December.
- The TMNT: Heroes in a Half Shell Exhibition is an immersive experience that boasts five individual galleries that take visitors on a journey through the rich history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It’s on at District Docklands until Sunday 22 December.
- Experience the magic of the holiday season at Santa’s Festival at the District Docklands, where joy and wonder come to life for the whole family until 22 December.
- The Nth Pole a family friendly experience to enjoy this December, with Stadium Square at Marvel Stadium transformed into a magical holiday event featuring Melbourne’s only Christmas themed 360° cinema, a giant 9-metre Christmas tree of Marvel Heroes, 18 AFL club-themed Christmas trees, Santa photography with AFL club colours and more until 23 December.
- The Malvern East Christmas Festival will feature roving performers, Santa and friends, huge giveaways, activities and workshops until 24 December.
- The Bridge Mall in Ballarat will come alive with holiday cheer through a 12 Days of Christmas celebration, featuring themed activities and performances until 24 December.
- Arthurs Seat Eagle provides a unique setting for visitors to enjoy festive activities, events, and visits from Santa with a program of Christmas events until 24 December.
- Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland is set to captivate the hearts of visitors once again, offering an enchanting 3 hour experience like no other when it takes over Caulfield Racecourse until 24 December.
- Enjoy festive thrills on the banks of the Birrarung at the Christmas Carnival until 24 December.
- Christmas comes to life in the city with the iconic 17.5 metre tree at Federation Square from until 25 December. Experience the spectacular light and sound shows, have a swing on a giant light-up bell and soak up the festive atmosphere before discovering everything the city has to offer at Christmas – part of the City of Melbourne’s 2024 Christmas Festival.
- The Crown Christmas River Show is on until 25 December at Southbank Promenade outside Crown featuring water fountains, lasers, light projections and a festive soundtrack. Shows will run every 15 minutes each night part of the City of Melbourne’s 2024 Christmas Festival.
- Take a whirl on the illuminated swings or watch the Christmas tree light up as you play on the see-saw at a festive pop-up at Queensbridge Square until 25 December.
- Don’t miss the chance to skate alongside Santa himself at the O’Brien Icehouse in Docklands until 26 December.
- Until 27 December, Holiday Bricktacular will be on at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Chadstone with holiday-themed workshops, thrilling rides, a cozy soft play area, and hot chocolates alongside a holiday-inspired 4D movie.
- To mark the bicentenary of the death of Lord Byron, Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum has premiered The Spirit of Byron: Philhellenism and the Greek War of Independence, an original exhibition exploring Greece’s fight for freedom and Lord Byron’s legacy through a curated selection of works on paper from The Robertson Collection. Showing daily until January 2025.
- The Geelong Floating Christmas Tree Sound and Light Shows are staged nightly from 8.30pm until 7 January.
- The 69th Myer Christmas Windows and Christmas at the Crocoseum activation featuring the Irwin family are at 314–336 Bourke St Melbourne until Saturday 7 January 2025.
- Step back in time and experience the magic of a traditional 1880s Christmas at Como House in South Yarra. Wander through the beautifully decorated rooms, each brimming with festive charm, and immerse yourself in the Christmas preparations of a grand 1880s household until 8 January
- Gather your team for a two-hour adventure of pitch-black challenges and vibrant sensory workshops that push the limits of your five senses at SENSAS in South Yarra until 30 January.
- The Koorie Art Show at Koorie Heritage Trust runs til 23 February andi s dedicated to showcasing the work of Koorie and Victorian-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through a statewide call for entries.
- The Museum Of Desire is Melbourne’s new must-visit experience! Discover 20+ attractions celebrating all things desire, love and pleasure. Daring, fun, and a little bit cheeky — it’s totally your type. Until 28 February in Collingwood.
- See the magic of Christmas and fairy tales brought to life in 3.3 million lights over 1000 dazzling light installations and displays, with theme park rides, Santa, and a spectacular drone lights show at Adventure Park Geelong’s Annual Christmas Festival of Lights until 25 January.
- The world’s largest galaxy collection of Star Wars fan items awaits at The District Docklands! Immerse yourself in the saga’s universe at The Fans Strike Back with an amazing setup and hundreds of official items including photos, posters, costumes, figures, and models, until 25 January.
- A new installation at Scienceworks called “Message in A Bottle” runs until 27 January 2025 featuring messages from Victorian primary students inside 320 recycled bottles that highlight the importance of recycling. and learn more about the process of recycling containers returned through Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme.
- The St Kilda Affordable Art Show runs until 1 February and not only provides a forum for new and emerging artists but it allows the public to invest in some diverse affordable art.
- Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar makes its way to the Art Gallery of Ballarat until 2 February 2025. In this Australian exclusive, experience 40 guitars on loan from the National Guitar Museum (USA), alongside more than 100 spectacular works of art.
- CLAW MONEY WORLD – a world-exclusive exhibition charting the career of trailblazing artist Claudia Gold is on at the Warrnambool Art Gallery until 6 March.
- Enter Antopia at Melbourne Museum where you shrink down to the size of ants to experience a day in the life of an ant colony. Discover a complex and fascinating superorganism in this immersive, interactive experience that digitally reinterprets a world of secrets we cannot see. It runs until 10 March 2025.
- The NGV’s blockbuster Yayoi Kusama exhibition runs until 21 April and includes many works never-before-seen by local audiences and is the largest ever exhibition of the artist’s work in Australia.
- Immerse yourself in the future worlds of screen culture. The Future & Other Fictions showcases the people and artworks imagining bright and bold futures through film, videogames, contemporary art and more at ACMI until 27 April.
- Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition is a new immersive exhibition that relives the spectacular history of the Notre-Dame de Paris in an augmented takeover of the Long Room at the Immigration Museum until 27 April.
- Hanging Rock Winery’s Art in the Vines Sculpture Exhibition is an opportunity wander a trail of discovery, glass-in-hand, through an extraordinary exhibition of contemporary outdoor sculpture, until 30 April 2025.
- From cattle dogs to lap dogs, divine felines to the black cats of superstition a new exhibition coming to the National Gallery of Victoria called Cats & Dogs, will explore humanity’s deep connection to the beloved companion animals through more than 250 works of art and design. Its on display from until 20 July 2025 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square.
What’s on in Melbourne and regional Victoria this week: 16-22 December 2024
By Melbourning
