It wouldn't feel like March if the Moomba Festival wasn't taking over the Yarra River. Thankfully, Australia's largest free festival returns in 2025 for five days of fun, featuring everyone's favourite Birdman Rally alongside nightly fireworks, carnival rides and, of course, the headline-grabbing Moomba Parade. Presiding over this year's festival is local comedy troupe Sooshi Mango, who'll don the crown and follow in the footsteps of icons like Shane Warne, Molly Meldrum and Cathy Freeman. As part of their royal duties, members Carlo and Joe Salanitri and Andrew Manfre will take to the skies alongside other gravity-defying (or so they hope) competitors in the iconic Birdman Rally. Then, it's over to the Moomba Parade, where they'll join 1300 performers as colourful floats, dance troupes and community performance groups flow through the streets. For the 2025 edition, there are seven new floats to admire, including the 'Best Party Ever!' created in partnership with the Children's Cancer Foundation alongside a float designed by Alex Kerr, a Wurundjeri artist and cultural consultant, in collaboration with community members. The music program is another highlight, with Federation Square transforming into a pop playground for the festival. TikTok sensation Peach PRC takes over for an exclusive concert on March 9, showcasing her signature bubblegum-punk-pop. Meanwhile, Sydney-based singer-songwriter and producer Carla Wehbe and Adelaide-born indie-pop darling George Alice will also grace the stage. Throughout the rest of this sprawling event, all-age thrill-seekers will encounter 30 carnival rides and games, the Moomba Skate Park comes to life with national skateboarding and BMX competition finals, and more than 35 food trucks will serve up food and drinks from every corner of the globe. And that's only some of the highlights. Get down with the family to discover the rest of this legendary Labour Day weekend spectacle.
