What's On This Week
NAIDOC Week kicks off on Sunday 6 July — the city's galleries, Fed Square and libraries are stacked with free First Nations events all week. The AFL is mid-season crunch time with Richmond v Carlton under lights at the MCG on Saturday, plus Essendon v St Kilda at Marvel on Sunday. Layer in NGV Friday Nights glowing with Cartier jewels and the QVM Winter Night Market on Wednesday and you've got no excuse to stay home in the cold.
Plan this week with plansorted →Week at a glance
NGV Friday Nights: Cartier
Four hundred glittering Cartier treasures after dark, with live music, champagne and a rotating program — this is the Friday night Melbourne is made for.
Richmond v Carlton — MCG
Saturday night lights at the 'G with two Victorian clubs desperate for a win — classic mid-season tension.
NAIDOC Week at Fed Square
The 2026 theme is '50 Years of Deadly' — free flag raising, sound art along the Birrarung and community events at Fed Square from Sunday 6 July.
QVM Winter Night Market
Free entry, every Wednesday until August — lobster chowder bread bowls, mulled wine and live entertainment inside the sheds on Wednesday 8 July.
Victorian Opera: The Coronation of Poppea
Opening night Thursday at the Palais — Victorian Opera's baroque blockbuster is the kind of show Melbourne's arts crowd books weeks out.
Remo's, Richmond
New neighbourhood Italian with $8 tiramisu and affordable pasta bowls — perfect before or after the Sunday game at Marvel.
Lead Pick
Footy Saturday, Cartier Friday, sorted.
Start Friday at the NGV with champagne and 400 pieces of Cartier jewellery, then Saturday it's Richmond v Carlton under the MCG lights.
Kick the weekend off at NGV International on St Kilda Road for Friday Nights: Cartier (6–10pm, from $50) — live music from Waxflower, a crêpe station, Moët & Chandon, and late-night access to the Winter Masterpieces exhibition featuring jewels worn by Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly. Book ahead, it sells out. Saturday night, head to the MCG in Richmond for Richmond v Carlton at 7:35pm — a genuine rivalry match with both sides fighting to stay in touch with the top eight. Tickets via Ticketek; get there early for the atmosphere on Brunton Ave.
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Sort my week →Worth Knowing Before You Plan
School holidays are still on — expect crowds at the MCG, Marvel, QVM and family venues through until 13 July. AFL Kids Footy Month (Rounds 16–19) means cheaper family tickets at AFL games, so bring the kids to the Sunday Marvel match. NAIDOC Week runs 5–12 July: the big free NAIDOC in the City concert at Fed Square headlines Christine Anu on Friday 10 July — if you're planning the week, extend it.
What's On
Baroque opera from Victorian Opera opening at the iconic Palais — Monteverdi's tale of ambition, lust and power.
⚡ Book via Ticketmaster
St Kilda tram direct on route 16 from Swanston St — no need to drive.
Late-night access to 400 Cartier treasures with live music from Waxflower, champagne, a crêpe station and pop-up performances — the city's best Friday night right now.
⚡ Pre-book at ngv.vic.gov.au — limited door tickets
Waxflower curates the music residency through 10 July, switching to Melbourne International Jazz Festival from 17 July — both are excellent.
Over 400 varieties of sake alongside Japanese food and cultural performances — a seriously fun weekend festival in a stunning heritage building.
⚡ Book in advance — sessions sell out
Carlton Gardens right outside, worth arriving early to walk through before entering.
Free First Nations music, a KHT makers' market with 20+ stallholders, film screenings at ACMI, sound art along the Birrarung, and community events all week for '50 Years of Deadly'.
⚡ No bookings required for most events; some workshops need booking via City of Melbourne
The big free NAIDOC in the City concert headlines Fri 10 July — plan to extend the week.
Free entry to Melbourne's beloved Wednesday night institution — global street food, hot drinks, live music and silent disco inside the sheds.
⚡ No booking needed; arrive by 5pm to avoid queues and snag street parking
Bring cash as a backup — ATM lines get ugly later in the night.
Sport
Two Victorian clubs fighting for their top-eight lives under Saturday night lights at the 'G — don't miss it.
⚡ Tickets via Ticketek
A Sunday afternoon Victorian derby — Essendon desperately needs points while the Saints look to stay relevant in a chaotic mid-table.
⚡ Tickets via Ticketmaster; short walk from Southern Cross Station
Food & Deals
Brand new neighbourhood Italian in Richmond with $8 tiramisu and affordable pasta bowls — hit this before the Sunday AFL if you're heading to Marvel.
McConnell's first new Melbourne restaurant since Gimlet is a European Basque grill on Crossley Street — opening this winter and already Melbourne's most talked-about reservation.
Shannon Martinez has brought her beloved vegan deli to Degraves Street — the city's most convenient lunch stop for plant-based eaters just got a lot better.
Free entry, lobster chowder bread bowls, Berlin-style doner kebabs and mulled wine every Wednesday until 26 August — mid-week dinner sorted.
Free This Week
Free all week: flag raising, sound art installations along the Birrarung, First Peoples short film screenings at ACMI, and a KHT makers' market with 20+ stallholders — '50 Years of Deadly' is worth your time.
The annual march departs at noon from the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service on Nicholson Street, Fitzroy — all welcome to join this community-led NAIDOC Week tradition.
While Cartier costs, the permanent collection at NGV International — including the Great Hall ceiling and the Waterwall — is always free and never crowded on a Tuesday or Thursday.
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