Melbourne is Australia’s sporting capital and probably can also hold the crown to the events capital. There are an amazing selection of major events held in Melbourne each year, ranging from the weird to the wonderful. Melbourne was also host of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which give the city even more sporting facilities.
The Melbourne Cup
The race that stops the nation- and most of the world. The spring racing carnival’s biggest day is on the first Tuesday of November, when over 100,000 people turn out at Flemington Race Course to soak up the atmosphere of this fantastic day. Being a public holiday, the whole city stops for that 4 minutes to watch the famous horse race. Whether you are at the track, in a pub or club or just with friends, this why it’s called the race that stops a nation.
The Melbourne F1 Grand Prix
Motor enthusiasts flock to Melbourne’s Albert Park every March for the fastest three days of motorsport, The Formula 1 Grand Prix.
AFL Grand Final
The AFL season starts in March and continues to the Grand Final, which is usually held on the last Saturday in September, when Melbourne stops to watch the action from the MCG. There are 16 teams playing for the silver cup, with 9 of them from Melbourne. In Victoria, AFL football is played at the MCG, Dockland’s Telstra Dome, Optus Oval and Skilled Stadium Kardina Park in Geelong.
International Cricket
The Aussies play the world’s best in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. There is also one day action from the ‘G’ during January and early February. Over the last few years special games have been played indoors at Telstra Dome at the World’s largest indoor Cricket Stadium in front of 45000 people.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Everyone enjoys a bit of a laugh, and the Comedy Festival is full of them. Starting appropriately on April Fools’ Day, the festival takes in some of the world’s funniest people. There are a host of venues around the city and a huge variety of performers every year.
The Melbourne Show
The Melbourne Show is one of the longest running events in Australia. This is where the country comes to the city, Animals, Farm Machinery and of course the Rides and show bags all come together for 10 days of fun in September. The Melbourne Showgrounds in Ascot Vale is undergoing multi-million dollar renovations to make the show even bigger and better over the next few years.
