Queen Victoria Winter Night Market 2019

Overview

One of the beacons of light on Melbourne's event calendar in a fairly glum cold weather stretch is the Queen Victoria Market's Winter Night Market. And now it's set to return — and it's bigger and gutsier than ever before. Kicking off on Wednesday, June 5 the market pulls together a global array of eats, a plethora of live entertainment and lots of snow.

As always, this year's market promises to not only brighten up your winter Wednesday nights, but to fill your hungry stomachs. The 30-strong lineup of food stalls will send punters trekking across the world, eating the likes of traditional Italian loaded flatbread, churro bowls with oozy hazelnut sauce and vanilla ice-cream and That's Amore's legendary pastas, which are tossed in a parmesan wheel before landing on your plate. The full food lineup is yet to drop, but we'll let you know when it does.

Of course, there'll be mulled wine and steaming hot cider to warm your belly and hands as you browse over 50 design and specialty stalls. Top all that off with a dollop of live music, roving entertainment and a silent disco, and you've got one hell of a cosy winter situation.

This year, for the first time ever, the Winter Night Market also features a series of Christmas in July-themed nights. For five weeks, every Wednesday from July 3–31, the space will transform into a winter wonderland with a large snow machine, Christmas decorations, a mini forest of trees, carollers and lots of ugly sweaters — wear your best one and you'll win prizes.

Among the other festive inclusions, you'll be able to watch live ice-sculpting, drink Brick Lane's Christmas pudding-style take on its Red Hoppy Ale (with nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, barberry, bergamot and vanilla), and sip Mork's beloved campfire hot chocolates. Fancy an eggnog, but without the booze? Newcomer Melbourne Cocoa is whipping up a non-alcoholic version, paired with bite-sized Christmas puddings that come covered in 70-percent dark chocolate.

The Winter Night Market will run from 5–10pm each Wednesday, from June 5 until August 28. Christmas in July-themed markets will run from July 3–31.

Updated July 14.