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Melbourne / This week

What's on
9–15 July

Worth leaving the house for.

Winter is properly in full swing and Melbourne's cultural calendar refuses to slow down — this week you've got AFL Friday night lights at Marvel, The Neighbourhood back in town for the first time in five years, and the Bastille Day French Festival taking over Queen Vic Market on the weekend. School holidays wrap up Monday 13 July, so if you've been dodging the crowds all week, now's the time.

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Updated 8 July 2026 · Next update 15 July · Archived edition

If you only remember three things

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Big night out

The Neighbourhood at Margaret Court Arena

Five years away and now they're back — two nights at Margaret Court Arena from alt-pop's most distinctive outfit.

Winter classic

Lightscape, Royal Botanic Gardens

The award-winning illuminated trail through the Botanic Gardens is in its final weeks — book your Wednesday or weekend slot now.

Sport

Collingwood v North Melbourne

Friday night footy at Marvel Stadium: the Pies on a three-game winning streak hosting a Roos side desperate for points.

If Saturday were mine…

I'd do this.

Bastille Day French Festival at Queen Vic

The Bastille Day French Festival takes over Queen Victoria Market's Sheds C & D on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 July, 9am–4pm, free entry. Browse local French-Australian producers, eat your weight in raclette and shop specialty imports, all under the market's historic roof in the CBD. No bookings needed, just show up hungry — and get there before noon if you want elbow room. Pair it with a stroll down the nearby laneways after.

Flaky croissants, melting raclette and French wine in the iconic market sheds — c'est parfait for a winter Saturday.

Before you leave home

The stuff you'll be annoyed nobody told you.

  • School holidays end Monday 13 July — expect venues, Lightscape and the Botanic Gardens to be at peak busyness through Sunday 12 July, then much calmer from Monday.
  • If you're planning Lightscape, Thursday is your sweet spot this week: off-peak pricing ($36 adult) and lighter crowds than the weekend.
  • Also worth noting: the Royal Botanic Gardens is now closing at 3pm Wednesday–Sunday during the Lightscape season, so don't plan a daytime visit expecting full hours.

The week, properly

The good stuff, with a reason.

Friends at a rooftop table with the city lights behind

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If you want a proper night out

  • The NeighbourhoodFri 10 & Sat 11 July · Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Park · Doors 8pm · From ~$85The LA alt-pop band return after five years away with a fresh sound across two sold-out-ish nights at Melbourne Park.Friday night also clashes with the Collingwood game at nearby Marvel Stadium — leave extra time getting in.
  • NGV Friday Nights: CartierSat 11 July · NGV International, St Kilda Road · 6pm–10pm · $41 concession / $50 adultNearly 400 extraordinary Cartier jewels after dark, plus live jazz from Cannonball feat. Chantal Mitvalsky, Melbourne Opera diamond diva performances and a French Conversation Club pop-up.Combine with dinner at the Arts Precinct beforehand; trams on St Kilda Road drop you right out front.
  • LightscapeThu 9 – Mon 13 July (and Sat–Sun 14–15) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Birdwood Ave, South Yarra · Sessions from 5:15pm, every 15 mins until 11pm · From $36 adult (off-peak Wed/Thu) to $46 (peak Fri/Sat)Glowing pathways, a 30-metre Winter Cathedral, 150-candle Fire Garden spiral and new international installations through the Gardens — mulled wine and hot chocolate on the trail.Take the new ANZAC Station on the Metro Tunnel for the easiest access. Last school holiday week, so Thu/Fri will be busy — weekday off-peak rate is the sweet spot.
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  • QVM Winter Night MarketThu 9 July & Wed 15 July · Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne CBD · 5pm–10pm · Free entryFree-entry Wednesday night institution with 50-plus global street food stalls, open fires, live entertainment, hot jam doughnuts and mulled wine every week until late August.Arrive as close to 5pm as possible to beat the queues and find street parking.
  • Bastille Day French FestivalSat 11 & Sun 12 July · Queen Victoria Market, Sheds C & D, Melbourne CBD · 9am–4pm · Free entryThe best Bastille Day event in Melbourne: French-Australian producers, raclette, flaky croissants and specialist wine in QVM's iconic market sheds.Pair it with the Saturday 1:15pm St Kilda v Port Adelaide game at Marvel Stadium — both are walkable from the CBD.
  • SIX the MusicalFrom Tue 14 July · Arts Centre Melbourne · Various session times · From $69Henry VIII's six wives reborn as a pop-concert powerhouse — the global smash hit returns to Melbourne at Arts Centre after a sold-out run.Opens Tuesday 14 July — the perfect end-of-week treat to look forward to booking now.
A crowd walking towards the MCG on game day

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Game on

  • Collingwood v North MelbourneFri 10 July · Marvel Stadium, Docklands · 7:40pm AEST · From ~$35 general admissionPies on a three-game winning streak and heavy favourites at home — but the Roos showed fight last week and this rivalry always finds a way to bite.Tickets at ticketmaster.com.au — North Melbourne members get GA access with membership
  • St Kilda v Port AdelaideSat 11 July · Marvel Stadium, Docklands · 1:15pm AEST · From ~$35 general admissionA mid-ladder battle with finals implications for both sides — afternoon footy at Marvel is hard to beat on a cold winter day.Tickets at ticketmaster.com.au
  • Geelong v CarltonSat 11 July · MCG, Richmond · 7:35pm AEST · From ~$35 general admissionSaturday night under the MCG lights between two clubs chasing top-four spots — one of the biggest games of the round.Tickets at ticketek.com.au
Candlelit pasta in a cosy bistro

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If you're eating out

  • Remo's, RichmondNew openingThe Little Collins Street cult favourite has landed in Richmond with its $8 tiramisu and Roman-style pasta bowls under $20 — a legit cheap eat that's already drawing lines.
  • Tombo Den Vinyl Nights (Fridays until 24 July)DealChris Lucas's izakaya on Windsor's Chapel Street is spinning vinyl every Friday with Johnnie Walker Black Ruby cocktails from $15 — book a spot upstairs before the weekend queue forms.
  • QVM Winter Truffle SeasonMarketQueen Vic Market traders are showcasing peak truffle season right now — fresh truffles, truffled toasties, artisan cheese and handmade pasta, any day you visit the market.
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  • Broadsheet Dine Out – Coming Next WeekDealMelbourne's best food festival kicks off 20 July with 50 events across the city — ticketed collabs and walk-in specials from your favourite chefs. Book your spots this week before they sell out.
A family strolling through the Royal Botanic Gardens

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If you're spending nothing

  • Bastille Day French Festival at QVMFreeWander through a wintry French town square at Queen Vic Market this Saturday and Sunday, with free entry and French-Australian producers pouring and selling all day.
  • NGV International Permanent CollectionFreeGeneral admission to NGV International is always free — the permanent collection spans millennia and is genuinely one of the best free things you can do in the city any day of the week.

A short free list this week. Ask me and I will dig up the parks, walks and rooms near you that never make a list.

Where I'd eat this week

Book something good.

Remo's, Richmond. The Little Collins Street cult favourite has landed in Richmond with its $8 tiramisu and Roman-style pasta bowls under $20 — a legit cheap eat that's already drawing lines.

See picks

Do future you a favour

Book this now.

The Neighbourhood · Fri 10 & Sat 11 July · Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Park. Check ticketmaster.com.au for remaining tickets

See what to book

None of that your thing?

Tell me what you're in the mood for and I'll give you something better.

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