The Best Free Things to Do in Melbourne This Summer
Swallow your disdain for crowds and curb your complaints about people who only go to exhibition openings for the complimentary drinks and get amongst these events, which you can attend gloriously cash-free.
Melbourne may be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but that doesn't mean folks don't put things on for free. Especially in summer, when the nights are long and balmy and ideal for after-work activities. If you know where to looks, you can find free gigs, free art, free yoga classes and more happening around the city. So swallow your disdain for crowds and curb your complaints about people who only go to exhibition openings for the complimentary drinks and get amongst these summer events, which you can attend gloriously cash-free.
Image: Sunset Sounds.
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Event
What's Your Story?
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 and Fri, 1 Mar 2019
Various Melbourne locations, Melbourne
Light installations have popped up around the city in a bid to change Melbourne's drinking culture.
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RetroStar Warehouse Sale
Sat, 23 Feb and Sun, 24 Feb 2019
RetroStar Vintage Clothing Warehouse, Brunswick
Pick up bargains aplenty with 20,000 vintage tees, denim, hats and bags all under $10.
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Chupa Chups Slurpee Giveaway
Sat, 23 Feb, 2019
7-Eleven Collins St, Melbourne
7-Eleven's slinging Chupa Chups-inspired Slurpees for zero dollars — if you're quick enough.
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Tanqueray Terrace
Tue, 19 Feb - Sun, 17 Mar 2019
Garden State Hotel, Melbourne
A lush garden oasis in the CBD slinging frozen G&Ts.
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Lavezzi Gelateria First Birthday
Sat, 23 Feb, 2019
Lavezzi Gelateria, Carlton
The Lygon Street store is handing out free scoops of gelato and sorbet to celebrate its birthday.
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South Yarra Flea Market
Sun, 24 Feb 2019, Sun, 24 Mar 2019 and Sun, 14 Apr 2019
Bosozoku, South Yarra
Score everything from books, antiques and bric-a-brac to vintage threads and must-have designer fashion at this new pop-up market.
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Vertic Alley
Fri, 8 Feb - Sun, 5 May 2019
Imperial Hotel, Melbourne
Sip potions, hang out in magic-themed booths and peruse spell books.
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The Food Truck Festival 2019
Wed, 20 Feb - Sun, 24 Feb 2019
Melba Park, Lilydale
Melba Park will be filled with food trucks for five nights.
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Star Wars Trivia
Mon, 18 Feb, 2019
The Mill House, Melbourne
The force is strong at this trivia contest.
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Wandering Jungle Disco Plant Sale
Wed, 6 Feb and Thu, 7 Feb 2019
The Mill Brewery, Collingwood
After-dark plant sales in a Collingwood bar — with drinks and DJs.
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Free Furphys
Sat, 2 Feb and Sun, 3 Feb 2019
Federation Square, Melbourne
Head down to Federation Square for a free brew.
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Free Nutella Breakfast
Tue, 5 Feb, 2019
Brunetti, Melbourne
Brunetti's Flinders Lane and Carlton stores are giving away free Nutella doughnuts, cannoli and croissants.
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Box Hill Chinese New Year Festival 2019
Sat, 2 Feb, 2019
Box Hill Central, Box Hill
Celebrate the new year with one of Melbourne's biggest Chinese communities.
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Pimm's + Plants
Sat, 9 Feb, 2019
Bad Love Club, Footscray
Footscray's Bad Love Club is hosting a one-day plant sale with booze and baked goods.
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Chinese New Year Night Market
Sat, 9 Feb, 2019
Batman Market, Coburg
Batman Market is throwing a CNY night market with dumplings, dancing and live music.
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Chinatown New Year Festival 2019
Sat, 2 Feb - Sun, 10 Feb 2019
Chinatown Melbourne, Melbourne
The nine-day festival features an outdoor cinema, pop-up hawker stalls, a lion parade and activities aplenty in the CBD.
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Lunar New Year at the NGV
Sat, 9 Feb, 2019
NGV International, Melbourne
Ring in the Chinese New Year with free workshops, gallery tours, music and food.
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Murder Mystery Pub Trivia
Thu, 7 Feb and Thu, 14 Mar 2019
The National Hotel, Richmond
Channel your inner Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple at this free sinister trivia night.
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Aperol Tennis Club
Fri, 4 Jan - Sun, 27 Jan 2019
The Boatbuilders Yard, South Wharf
Kick back in a deck chair with an Aperol spritz and watch the finals.
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Weirdoughs' Ice Cream Giveaway
Fri, 25 Jan, 2019
Weirdoughs, Melbourne
Beat the heat this Friday with a free scoop of vegan espresso martini (or eggplant and lavender) gelato.
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Share the Spirit (Balit Narrun) Festival 2019
Sat, 26 Jan, 2019
Treasury Gardens, East Melbourne
A free music festival in Treasury Gardens celebrating award-winning and up-and-coming Indigenous Australian artists.
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Movies Under the Stars
Thu, 7 Feb - Sat, 9 Feb 2019
Point Park, Docklands
Head down to the Docklands for three nights of free films by the river this summer.
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Rooftop Yoga
Sat, 19 Jan 2019, Sat, 2 Feb 2019 and Sat, 2 Mar 2019
Rooftop Bar, Melbourne
Do a Saturday morning yoga class at Rooftop Bar.
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Huge Indoor Plant Warehouse Sale: Rare Plant Party
Sat, 19 Jan - Sun, 20 Jan 2019
The Jungle Collective, Abbotsford
Fill your home with new green babies from this warehouse sale.
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Vitra 100 Miniatures
Fri, 21 Dec 2018 - Fri, 25 Jan 2019
Living Edge Melbourne Showroom, Richmond
A curious German exhibition of classical chair designs is heading to Melbourne — and they're all fun-sized.
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Sunset Sounds 2019
Sun, 6 Jan 2019, Sun, 13 Jan 2019 and Sun, 20 Jan 2019
Various parks in Prahran and Malvern
A series of free outdoors gigs held in parks across Melbourne. BYO picnic.
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Ken Unsworth: Truly, Madly
Fri, 14 Sep 2018 - Tue, 19 Feb 2019
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne
The 87-year-old sculptor's first major Melbourne exhibition.
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Event
Designing Women
Fri, 28 Sep 2018 - Sun, 24 Mar 2019
NGV International, Melbourne
The NGV brings together its diverse range of female-designed works into a free dedicated exhibition.
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Event
The MSO's 2019 Sidney Myer Free Concerts
Fri, 8 Feb 2019, Sat, 16 Feb 2019 and Wed, 20 Feb 2019
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
A Melbourne summertime tradition.
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Polly Borland: Polyverse
Fri, 28 Sep 2018 - Sun, 3 Feb 2019
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne
See 60 works from one of Australia's most celebrated photographers — including portraits of Nick Cave and the Queen.
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Event
Rigg Design Prize 2018
Fri, 12 Oct 2018 - Sun, 24 Feb 2019
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne
Ten intricately designed rooms arrive at the NGV for Australia's leading interior design competition.
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Muir Architecture and Openwork: Doubleground
Thu, 22 Nov 2018 - Sun, 24 Mar 2019
Grollo Equiset Garden, NGV International, Melbourne
As the 2018 NGV Architecture Commission, this sleek bamboo garden, maze and deck will sit in the gallery's Grollo Equiset Garden.
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St Kilda Festival 2019
Sun, 10 Feb, 2019
St. Kilda, St Kilda
A free multi-stage music festival by the beach.
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The Garden of Forking Paths
Wed, 7 Nov 2018 - Sun, 17 Feb 2019
Buxton Contemporary, Southbank
See two artists' worlds collide at this compelling exhibition.
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Breathe. Sweat. Stretch. Free
Sat, 17 Nov 2018 - Wed, 27 Mar 2019
Grollo Equiset Garden, NGV International, Melbourne
The NGV, in collaboration with Lululemon, is hosting free fitness and yoga classes in its garden this summer.
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MPavilion 2018
Mon, 8 Oct 2018 - Sun, 3 Feb 2019
MPavilion, Melbourne
This year's amphitheatre-like temporary structure has two timber floating roofs and grass-covered grandstands and will host over 400 free events over summer.
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Event
Julian Opie
Fri, 9 Nov 2018 - Sun, 17 Feb 2019
NGV International, Melbourne
Towering skyscrapers, virtual carp and a urinating statue are all part of the NGV's latest (free) exhibition.
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Christian Marclay: The Clock
Wed, 23 Jan - Sun, 10 Mar 2019
ACMI, Melbourne
ACMI's new award-winning installation is a mesmerising collage of time — that runs for 24 hours.
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Auburn Hendrick's Gin Garden
Mon, 26 Nov 2018 - Thu, 28 Feb 2019
Auburn Hotel, Hawthorn East
Settle into this inner city summer oasis for seafood feasts and gin cocktails galore.
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William Wegman: Being Human
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 - Sun, 17 Mar 2019
NGV International, Melbourne
The first major Australian exhibition of the famed American photographer and his many dog muses.
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Stomping Ground La Boca
Tue, 4 Dec 2018 - Sun, 24 Feb 2019
Arts Centre Melbourne Forecourt, Melbourne
An Argentinian-inspired beer garden has popped up at the Arts Centre Melbourne for summer.
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Picasso: The Vollard Suite
Sat, 23 Feb - Sun, 28 Apr 2019
Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat Central
Dive deeper into the Spanish artist's output when this travelling exhibition comes to the Ballarat Art Gallery.
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The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
Sat, 24 Nov 2018 - Sun, 28 Apr 2019
GOMA, South Brisbane
GOMA's three-yearly survey of Asia Pacific art returns.
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Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures
Fri, 10 Aug 2018 - Sun, 10 Feb 2019
National Film And Sound Archive, Acton
The National Film and Sound Archive's exhibition celebrating the too-brief career of local boy Heath Ledger.