Victorian Teachers Strike and March on Parliament After Rejecting the Government's Pay Offer
More than half of the 50,677 AEU members who voted rejected the state's 28.3% pay and conditions offer. Teachers, principals and support staff walk off the job for 24 hours and march from Bourke Street Mall to Parliament.
Inside Lyrebird Falls, the Kallista Venue Where Melbourne Couples Marry in a Tree-Fern Gully
Fifty minutes from the CBD in the Dandenong Ranges, a one-wedding-a-day venue with a stained-glass chapel, a lit garden gazebo and a 4.8-star rating across 305 Google reviews.
Victoria's School Phone Ban Heads for Every School, Sweeping In Smartwatches and Earbuds
The Education and Training Reform Amendment Bill has passed the Legislative Assembly and is now before the Council. From 28 January 2027 it would extend the government-school phone ban to non-government schools — and add wearables and personal audio devices.
Shannon Martinez's New Tomorrow Food Group Takes Smith & Deli Wholesale and Interstate
The Smith & Daughters chef has teamed up with impact investor Kelly Jarrett to form Tomorrow Food Group, opening a 22-seat Smith & Deli on Degraves Street and launching a wholesale arm, Made by Smith, with Brisbane next.
Melbourne Rents Hit a Record $600 a Week, but Growth Has Stalled to Its Weakest in Years
Domain's June quarter report puts Melbourne's median asking rent at a record $600 a week for both houses and units — barely moving — while SQM Research has the city's vacancy rate steady at 1.6%, among the loosest in the country.
FISHER to Close the 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival With an Off the Rails Party at Flemington
The Victoria Racing Club has confirmed the DJ will headline The Elms Live Stage on TAB Champions Stakes Day, 7 November, with the Flemington rails opening after the last race — included in General Admission from $65.
Now or Never Returns With an Overnight Sleep Concert Beneath the Royal Exhibition Building Dome
The City of Melbourne's art and technology festival runs from 19 to 30 August with more than 150 events and around 250 artists, themed 'A Whole New World' — plus free light works along the Birrarung.
Melbourne Victory Sign Wales International Tom Lockyer, Who Captained Luton in the Premier League
The 31-year-old defender — a 16-cap Welsh international who led Luton Town into the Premier League — joins Giovanni Savarese's side for the 2026/27 A-League season, capping a comeback from a mid-match cardiac arrest.
Victoria Moves to Legislate a Right to Work From Home Two Days a Week, Starting September
The Allan Government's Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill, now before Parliament, would give Victorian workers who can reasonably do their job remotely the right to two days at home a week — due to take effect from 1 September.
Adidas 'Halo' Flagship and Australia-First Miniso Friends Lead Melbourne Central's Retail Refresh
Melbourne Central has unveiled a fresh 2026 retail lineup headlined by a two-level, 1,205-square-metre Adidas flagship and the country's first Miniso Friends store, part of a wider overhaul of its tenant mix.
28,000 Runners Filled Melbourne's Closed Streets for Run Melbourne
ASICS Run Melbourne, the city's largest winter running event, returns this Sunday with a half marathon, 10K and 5.5K across closed CBD streets — and more than 200 charities riding on runners' fundraising.
Victoria Reopens Music Works Grants, Offering Musicians Up to $40,000
The Victorian Government's Music Works program is back for 2026, with grants from $5,000 to $40,000 for artists and music workers — and a dedicated First Peoples stream — before applications close on 5 August.
How the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Is Helping Melbourne Recognise What You Can't See
A discreet green sunflower lanyard lets Melburnians signal a non-visible disability and ask for a little more patience — and the City of Melbourne's Rosemarie Walshaw says everyone benefits when the city is more accessible.
Sticky Institute, Melbourne's Underground Zine Shop, Returns to Campbell Arcade After Five Years
The beloved not-for-profit zine store is back beneath Flinders Street in Campbell Arcade — in double the space — after five nomadic years displaced by Metro Tunnel works.
Melbourne Home Values Fall 1% in June as Australia Records Its Steepest Monthly Drop Since 2022
Cotality's Home Value Index shows Melbourne dwelling values down 1.0% for the month and 2.6% over the quarter, to a median of $808,486, as higher rates, cost-of-living pressure and budget tax changes weigh on buyers.
Melbourne Named the World's Third Most Liveable City in the 2026 Global Liveability Index
The city climbed one place to third in the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual ranking of 173 cities, behind only Copenhagen and Vienna.
Lightscape Returns to the Royal Botanic Gardens With a Winter Trail of Illuminated Art
Melbourne's after-dark light festival is back at the Royal Botanic Gardens until 2 August, with brand-new glowing installations from Australian and international artists — and mulled wine along the trail.
Melbourne Airport's Third Runway to Add $6 Billion a Year to the Economy as Construction Begins
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King has approved Melbourne Airport's 3,000-metre third runway, which the airport says will support 51,000 export-industry jobs and open in 2031 — with main construction starting this year.
NFL Comes to the MCG: Rams and 49ers to Play Australia's First NFL Regular-Season Game
The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will meet at the MCG on Friday 11 September 2026 — the first NFL regular-season game ever held in Australia, and the newest fixture on Victoria's major-events calendar.
Nearly 400 Cartier Jewels Go on Show at the NGV for Melbourne Winter Masterpieces 2026
The largest Cartier display ever seen in Australia — tiaras, the famous Tank watch and pieces once worn by Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor — has opened at NGV International, running until 4 October 2026.
City of Melbourne Launches Food Relief Program as Nearly Half of Residents Struggle to Afford Food
A new City of Melbourne program will redirect surplus produce from Queen Victoria Market — up to 800 tonnes a year — to community food relief providers, as cost-of-living pressure pushes fresh food out of reach for many Melburnians.
Docklands to Get a Little India Precinct Under Melbourne's 2026–27 Budget
The City of Melbourne has backed a dedicated Little India precinct for Docklands — home of the Holi Festival — with outdoor dining, public art and recreation spaces to be shaped by community consultation.
Melbourne Auction Clearance Rate Falls to 49%, Down From 72% a Year Ago
Just 49 per cent of Melbourne homes sold at auction over the week to 4 July, down sharply from 72 per cent a year earlier, as a buyer-favourable market keeps clearance rates well below seller's-market levels.
Andrew McConnell to Open Cote Basque, His First New Melbourne Restaurant Since Gimlet
The Gimlet restaurateur will open Cote Basque, a European grill inspired by the Basque coast, at 25 Crossley Street this winter — one of nine anticipated Melbourne restaurant openings this season.
Melbourne's West Gets a Children's Koori Court as $274m Wyndham Law Courts Expands
The Children's Koori Court and Marram-Ngala Ganbu, a culturally-informed hearing day for Aboriginal families, open this month at Werribee's new $274 million court precinct — Victoria's largest outside the CBD.
Open House Melbourne 2026 Throws Open 180 Buildings, From Ballet Costume Rooms to a Freeway Control Centre
Melbourne's architecture festival returns on 25 and 26 July with more than 180 tours and talks themed "Generous City", and organisers expect more than 70,000 people to explore spaces across the city and suburbs.
Half-Price Fares Cut Melbourne Public Transport to $5.70 a Day Until the End of 2026
Trains, trams and buses across Victoria are half-price every day from 1 June until the end of 2026, capping a full daily fare at $5.70 and saving the average commuter more than $850.
Christine Anu and Daughter ZIPPORAH to Headline Free NAIDOC in the City Concert at Fed Square
ARIA winner Christine Anu will share the Fed Square stage with her daughter ZIPPORAH at the free NAIDOC in the City concert on Friday 10 July, as NAIDOC Week 2026 marks 50 Years of Deadly.