Docklands is set to gain a dedicated Little India precinct, with the City of Melbourne confirming the plan as part of its 2026–27 Budget. The council has framed the precinct as a celebration of Melbourne's multicultural identity — "the next chapter in a multicultural success story".
The waterfront suburb is already the home of Holi Festival Melbourne, which each year draws tens of thousands of people for a day of music, dancing, food and the clouds of coloured powder that give the festival its name. It is the festival's director, Sunny Pathak, who is backing the push for a permanent precinct.
"Docklands feels like the natural home for something like Little India," Pathak said. "It already has a strong Indian community, Indian businesses and major cultural events like Holi, so the foundations are already there."
For Pathak, the appeal of the festival — and the case for the precinct — is as much about connection as celebration. "People walk in curious but always leave smiling," he said. "They come for the colours and the music, but they also leave with a better understanding of our culture and the people behind it."
Early ideas for the precinct include more outdoor dining facilities, public art, recreation spaces and family-friendly attractions. The council says the exact shape will be worked out through consultation with residents and Indian communities, so the precinct sits comfortably alongside the area's existing markets, festivals and waterfront culture.
The move also responds to a practical pressure: Docklands' population is growing quickly, and the council has pointed to a rising need for more community spaces and local amenities. A cultural precinct anchored by an established festival offers both a sense of place and somewhere for a fast-growing neighbourhood to gather.
With the funding locked into the 2026–27 Budget, attention now turns to consultation and design — the next step in turning one of the city's biggest cultural events into a permanent part of the Docklands streetscape.
