Free events in Melbourne this weekend

Friday, October 23, 2026

• Visual arts

  until Feb 28

  Made to Move: Australian Jewellery 1960–2020: From the NGV Collection

  The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia · Melbourne CBD

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 15

  The National Gallery of Victoria Travelling Scholarship

  NGV International · Southbank

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 8

  Art of the Pacific: From the NGV Collection

  NGV International · Southbank

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 8

  Gian Manik: Fantasy Chamber

  Gian Manik

  Linden New Art · St Kilda

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 8

  Natascha Stellmach: THE LETTING GO (2012-2026)

  Natascha Stellmach

  Linden New Art · St Kilda

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 8

  Sarah CrowEST: one thing becomes another again

  Sarah CrowEST

  Linden New Art · St Kilda

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Feb 7

  Plant Life: The Nature of Design

  The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia · Melbourne CBD

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Oct 31

  Lean In

  Craft Victoria · Melbourne CBD

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 22

  NEW26

  Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) · Southbank

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 8

  Heidi Holmes: Kwik-Kwik-Kwik

  Heidi Holmes

  Linden New Art · St Kilda

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Nov 15

  Leo: Swan Bay Dreaming

  Linden New Art · St Kilda

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Music

  4 PM

  Free Wine Tasting with Passage Wines

  The Evelyn Hotel · Fitzroy

  • Music

  Free Tickets ↗

• Advertisement Think you know your music? Prove it.Quiz Infernal: free trivia quizzes on music, movies, history and dozens more categories.quizinfernal.com Play a quiz → (opens in a new tab)
• Music

  6 PM

  Adam Dewalt

  Wesley Anne · Northcote

  • Music

  Free

• Literature

  6 PM

  Austral 2026 launch

  Readings Hawthorn · Hawthorn

  • Literature

  Free

• Music

  6 PM

  Cantrips (DJ set) in The Retreat Beer Garden

  Cantrips

  The Retreat Hotel · Brunswick

  • Music
  • Nights out
  • Funk
  • Soul

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  6 PM

  Traditional Irish Music Session

  The Drunken Poet · West Melbourne

  • Music

  Free

• Music

  6:30 PM

  **FREE ENTRY** The Four Scoops (Front Bar)

  The Four Scoops

  Bar Open · Fitzroy

  • Music
  • Jazz
  • Rock
  • Rockabilly

  Free Tickets ↗

• Literature

  6:30 PM

  Lochard by B. T. O'Brien

  B. T. O'Brien

  Readings State Library · Melbourne CBD

  • Literature

  Free

• Music

  8:30 PM

  Gwyn Ashton

  The Drunken Poet · West Melbourne

  • Music

  Free

• Music

  9 PM

  A Tribute to DOLLY PARTON

  The Retreat Hotel · Brunswick

  • Music
  • Country

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  9 PM

  **FREE ENTRY** Smoking Vinyl (Front Bar)

  Smoking Vinyl

  Bar Open · Fitzroy

  • Music
  • Afrobeat
  • Funk
  • Jazz

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  11 PM

  pHinioUS

  The Retreat Hotel · Brunswick

  • Music
  • Nights out

  Free Tickets ↗

Saturday, October 24, 2026

• Music

  1 PM

  THORNBURY CRAWL | FREE ENTRY

  Shotkickers · Thornbury

  • Music

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  2 PM

  THE UNOS

  The Retreat Hotel · Brunswick

  • Music

  Free Tickets ↗

• Advertisement Got a website? See what’s wrong with it.Free checks for your site, your email and your domain, each one explained: speed, security, broken links, messages that land in spam.misswrench.com Try the tools → (opens in a new tab)
• Music

  3 PM

  Pat McKernan

  The Drunken Poet · West Melbourne

  • Music

  Free

• Music

  4:30 PM

  ROZ GIRVAN

  Brunswick Artists' Bar · Brunswick

  • Music

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  6 PM

  Chris Pappas

  Wesley Anne · Northcote

  • Music

  Free

• Music

  8 PM

  THE SIGNAL PATH: ELAKTRONIC 2

  Brunswick Artists' Bar · Brunswick

  • Music

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  9 PM

  Kid James

  The Drunken Poet · West Melbourne

  • Music

  Free

• Music

  11 PM

  Tandem Reserve

  The Retreat Hotel · Brunswick

  • Music
  • Nights out
  • Disco
  • House

  Free Tickets ↗

Sunday, October 25, 2026

• Literature

  10:30 AM

  Storytime at Kids

  Readings Kids · Carlton

  • Literature

  Free

• Literature

  11 AM

  All the Ways I See

  Readings Hawthorn · Hawthorn

  • Literature

  Free

• Music

  3 PM

  BLOWN CONES - playing two sets in the front bar for Michael Hager's birthday

  The Blown Cones

  The Tote Hotel · Collingwood

  • Music
  • Punk
  • Rock

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  4 PM

  Tall Dan & The True Stories

  The Drunken Poet · West Melbourne

  • Music

  Free

• Music

  4:30 PM

  MEDITERRANEAN COLLECTIVE PRESENTS: THE EVOLUTION OF BOUZOUKI

  Brunswick Artists' Bar · Brunswick

  • Music

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  5 PM

  Crispi

  The Retreat Hotel · Brunswick

  • Music
  • Nights out
  • Rock

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  6 PM

  Rosario De Marco

  Wesley Anne · Northcote

  • Music

  Free

• Music

  6:30 PM

  **FREE ENTRY** The Jude Quintet (Front Bar)

  The Jude Quintet

  Bar Open · Fitzroy

  • Music
  • Jazz

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  6:30 PM

  Old Time Jam Session w/ Double Dole String Band

  Double Dole String Band

  The Retreat Hotel · Brunswick

  • Music
  • Bluegrass
  • Country
  • Old-time

  Free Tickets ↗

• Music

  6:30 PM

  Stephen Kennedy

  The Drunken Poet · West Melbourne

  • Music

  Free

Everything on in Melbourne