The City of Melbourne Christmas Festival will enliven Melbourne throughout December with a joyful, jolly, and COVID-safe line-up of entertainment and events for all ages.
The month-long festival will see the return of the iconic Christmas Projections, including a very special Thank You to our city’s front-line workers at State Library Victoria.
The mesmerising 16-metre LED Christmas tree in Christmas Square (Federation Square) will also be lighting up its branches on 27 November.
Santa’s Big Workshop will also be popping up in Christmas Square, where kids can still get their photos taken with Santa albeit practicing social distancing.
Brand new activities such as the Piazza di Natale at Carlton’s Argyle Square also join the festival program this year, as well as a series of Christmas Collective business grant initiative events.
What’s on in the City of Melbourne this Christmas
Shop the City, Various Retailers around Melbourne, 27 November to 30 November
Shop the City returns for four days of fashion and festivity from Friday 27 November to Monday 30 November.
The ultimate antidote to months of online shopping, enjoy exclusive offers, live entertainment and giveaways.
Try the city on for size, with over 200 exclusive offers available from Black Friday until Cyber Monday. There’s no better time to get a head start on your Christmas shopping or do a wardrobe refresh.
Visit the Shop the City website to view the full details and plan your weekend shopping adventure.
Christmas Projections, 27 November to 25 December
Melbourne’s famous Christmas projections return. Stroll Swanston Street to see animations at State Library Victoria and gorgeous static displays light up Melbourne Town Hall and Princes Bridge. The projections at State Library Victoria feature a thank you tribute to some of Melbourne’s COVID-19 heroes. It will have you feeling all the emotions. Visit all three sites for the ultimate Melbourne Christmas experience.
Piazza di Natale, Argyle Square, Carlton, 27th November to 25th December
Reunite with family and friends for festive experience like no other in Lygon Street, Carlton. Pick up provisions for a picnic from Lygon Street’s delicious delis or restaurants and head to Argyle Square for Piazza di Natale. Transformed into a twinkling Christmas wonderland in the heart of Lygon Street, there’s entertainment and atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy. Gelato for all is a must. What better place to have a festive catch up
on a balmy Melbourne evening?
Santa’s Big Workshop at Christmas Square, Federation Square, 28th November to 24th December
Come and see Santa as he tinkers away in his Melbourne workshop, making toys and presents for the big day. Santa is a very busy man at this time of the year, surrounded by workshop tools and machinery, so he can’t invite children to sit down and have a chat. But don’t fret! The jolly elves are ready and waiting to introduce you to the man in red. Santa will happily give a friendly wave and even pose for a photo, from a COVID-safe distance.
Santa will be in his Workshop 10am to 12pm, then 1pm to 3pm every day of the Festival. On Thursdays and Fridays, he’s also hard at work 4pm to 7pm.
Magical Christmas Quest, 27th November to 25th December
Join in the Christmas Quest and rediscover the city you love in a brand-new way – and have some festive fun while you’re at it. Each Friday this December, five new clues will send you on a jolly quest as you
navigate through Melbourne’s laneways, arcades and CBD streets to find the answers. To enter, decipher all five clues, and you’ll go in the draw to win weekly prizes of $250 vouchers to spend in the city, as well as the ultimate Melbourne Prize pack for the whole family. Start your adventure with these clues.
Deck the Streets, 10th December to 24th December
Street art gets into the festive spirit as Blender Studios’ resident artists spread seasonal cheer up, down and all-around Melbourne’s world-renowned street art hub, Ho Ho Hosier Lane. Artists include Heesco,
Makatron, George Rose, Lyn, Luke Presto, DOYLE, LUCYLCY and the blender crew.
Visit from 12pm on Thursday 3 and 10 December to catch the artists in action as they deck the streets with dynamic interpretations of Christmas. Your Instagram will get a work out with photo opportunities aplenty amongst the street-style Yuletide scenes. Artists will also be spraying in Carlton, North Melbourne and Kensington.
More information on the City of Melbourne Christmas Festival 2020 program can be found at https://christmas.melbourne.vic.gov.au/events/
