Light Up Melbourne Festival 2020 — POSTPONED

Overview

UPDATE: MARCH 12, 2020 — Due to community health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the organisers of Light Up Melbourne Festival 2020 have decided to postpone the event until later in the year. We'll let you know when new dates are announced. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.

A hefty dose of colour is coming to the Yarra this month, when an autumn light festival and market transforms the space for four nights. In a nod to the lantern festivals of Asia, Light Up Melbourne will descend on Birrarung Marr's Upper and Lower Terrace for a second year from March 19–22, seeing it come alive with huge custom-built lanterns and a multicultural array of market stalls.

Eleven striking light installations will be installed by the river, including the hero creation: a 27-metre-long work dubbed Eternal Dragon. Expect, also, to see illuminated cranes and a glowing Panda Village.

In between the lanterns, you can expect a jam-packed lineup of cultural performances, main stage entertainment and even a mini amusement park. And, of course, there'll be plenty of great eats to help set the mood, with a solid selection of market and food stalls, including a Little Sichuan zone dedicated to the Chinese region's gutsy fare. Expect it to be like a smaller version of the Night Noodle Markets.