Six Alternative Things to Do on Christmas Day in Melbourne
Contrary to popular belief, the city keeps on turning on Christmas Day — if you're not otherwise engaged, go see a movie, grab a free beer, have a bowl of noodles or picnic in a park.
If you're not attending a Christmas lunch to devour five different kinds of roast meats, Christmas Day can be a little up in the air. No, your regular coffee place might not be open, the usual brunch likely won't be happening (sorry), and you can't even head into Woolies for some milk and a few beers.
But don't panic: some things are still on, public transport is running, and 7-Eleven will remain open for emergency packets of chips and gum. And, as a gift from us to you, we've put together a few activities you can enjoy if you're in town with nothing to do, don't celebrate Christmas or are otherwise uninterested in the big day.
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Hakata Gensuke
Inhale a Bowl of Noodles
Although they don't have a day dedicated to their greatness, the humble bowl of noodles is available all-year round and makes a very viable Christmas Day dining option — especially because Hakata Gensuke's QV outpost will be open for noodle-slurping purposes on December 25.
In fact, while the rest of the city can be a bit dead on Christmas Day, Chinatown is always lively and bustling, with plenty of options for a feed.
If noodles or dumplings aren't your vibe, Hotel Sorrento and Afloat in the city are just some of the other spots that'll be open and serving up the goods on Christmas Day.
See a Movie
Seeing a film is never a bad idea — just think of the price of the movie ticket, large popcorn and choc top as a Christmas gift from you to you. And with a number of cinemas around Melbourne open on Christmas Day (such as Cinema Nova, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Balwyn, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Penny Lane, Lido in Hawthorn and more), you can avoid the Boxing Day release mayhem.
This year's brand-new viewing options include 2024 Palme d'Or winner Anora, the Jesse Eisenberg-starring and -directed A Real Pain, the Mumbai-set All We Imagine as Light and unconventional Robbie Williams biopic Better Man. Yes, there's something for all movie-loving tastes, whether you're keen on likely Oscar contenders or literal singing monkeys.
Soak in the Hot Springs
If you have absolutely no commitments on Christmas Day, you can get out of the city and escape to the Mornington Peninsula to the Peninsula Hot Springs retreat, which is open all day.
You could spend your time soaking in one of many hot spring pools, visiting the ice cave or heading to the underground sauna. In fact, between the wellness therapies, spa treatments, holistic experiences, dining venues and many varied geothermal bathing options, there's more than enough on offer here to warrant an overnight stay—which you can do, thanks to the onsite glamping and eco-lodges. And if you're over Gippsland way, you can also drop by the Metung Hot Springs for a day of relaxing.
Grab a Free Beer
Every year since opening, the owner of Molly Rose Brewery — Nic Sandery — has opened up the Collingwood bar for half an hour on Christmas Day to give away free pots of beer. Yes, it is a very brief window of time, but a great little tradition for so many locals.
This year, Nic will be pouring free pots from 11–11.30am. Want to follow this up with some food nearby? You can drop by Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya — scoring some of Melbourne's best Japanese eats on Christmas Day in Melbourne.
Visit Victoria
Have a Picnic
They can take away our ability to go to the supermarket or get pizza, but they'll never take our freedom to languish in public parks.
While you may find it tricky to buy edible supplies on Christmas Day, you can certainly picnic to your heart's content because most parks are open all the time, including the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Organise your food situation on Christmas Eve, then pack a picnic rug and a bottle of champagne and — weather permitting — have yourself a dreamy day in the gardens, or at one of the city's lovely picnic spots.
Hang Out with the Animals
The Melbourne Zoo's Christmas-friendly opening hours are the excuse you were looking for to visit your friends of the furry (or scaly) kind. For close-ups with the most adorable baby elephants, meerkats, crocodiles, frogs and all sorts of weird reptilians, the zoo is sure to please and delight.
Or, if you've been meaning to check out Sea Life Melbourne, this might be a good time to do so — the aquarium is open on Christmas Day, too, from 9am–6pm (last entry at 4pm). Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary will also be open.
Top image: Peninsula Hot Springs courtesy of Visit Victoria.
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