What is Melbourne Culture: 37 Things to Do in Melbourne, Australia

The question what is Melbourne culture didn’t occur to me until I touched down in Melbourne on my Working Holiday Visa and realised that all the things to do in Melbourne highlights the authenticity of Australia’s cultural capital.

The culture of Melbourne is something I’ve learned over 7 months of living in this bustling city. Of course, the culture is ingrained in the locals but as an outsider moving here I have been shocked, surprised but overtime become part of the culture here.

Melbourne is a multicultural, inspirational, free, world-culinary hub full of late-risers, coffee, sport and diverse in its people, food, activities and architecture. There are always things to do in Melbourne and something new happens everyday.

Contents

How to Get to Melbourne

• Melbourne has two international airports: Avalon Airport and Melbourne Airport (aka Tullamarine Airport).
• A great way to get to to Melbourne, however, is via a great Aussie road trip be that coming from WA, Sydney to Melbourne, from Adelaide or via the Great Ocean Road.
• Getting around Melbourne is easy as the CBD has lots going on which is walkable and you can also use the train or the great tram system to get to other suburbs.

What is Melbourne Australia Culture?

Melbourne culture is riding the tram to unique suburbs to find the coolest rooftop bar before going to 24-hour parties in Revs and knocking on at The Breakfast Club (see the list of Melbourne things to do). In doing so, you learn that every night of the week is a party and Saturdays aren’t all that because of the thriving hospitality community here. Working in hospitality (hospo) is respected in Melbourne: the lifestyle is popular, the pay is good, hospo workers get discounts everywhere and it’s in general the most fun way to experience Melbourne at night.

The culture of Melbourne is taking an umbrella to the beach because you know there’s four seasons in one day and the weather changes in a heartbeat. It’s ordering a coffee that sounds pretentious to out-of-towners and testing Myki cards that you’ve found on the street. You know you’ve adapted to Melbourne life when you walk down Acland street, completing unfazed by crackheads screaming in your face…

After living as a backpacker in Melbourne for a while, you’ll become either a Coles or a Woolies shopper and instead of classic McDonalds after a night out, you’ll opt for Ramen at 2am. Read on 37 points of things to do for Melbournes culture!

More on the Culture of Melbourne…

In Melbourne, you have an insight to Aussie culture near me, not quite as stereotypical as up North, but you do notice flickers of ‘Straya that you slowly become accustomed to. Horses should be the national anthem and it’s sang on karaoke like Wonderwall is played at any UK wedding party. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is abbreviated. Case in point: ‘After too many CC’s and dry in the Arvo, I need a Parmi or a Macca’s.’*

Being a foreigner though, there’s still some things you never truly adopt or understand in the culture in Melbourne. Sure, you get used to hearing ‘How ya going?’ but you still don’t really know whether it’s a question or a greeting. And you can’t quite fathom how RSA rules are strictly enforced yet kids and pregnant women always order a Lemon, Lime, Bitters. The latter being 45% alcoholic.

*’After drinking a lot of Canadian Club (Whiskey) and Dry Gingers in the afternoon, I need a parmigiarna or a McDonalds.’

The Best Things to Do in Melbourne

1. Drink Famous Melbourne Coffee

Coffee is no joke in Melbourne’s culture. The locals take their brews very seriously. If you’re here to work and want to get a job as a Barista, you need to take a course and even then places are wary about hiring you without training you themselves.

Wherever you choose to try the local stuff, it’s bound to be delicious (even the 7/11 coffee are good and they’re just $1). Don’t do yourself a disservice though, and head to the CBD (Central Business District) at one of the hundreds of cafes.

An important lesson to learn when living in Melbourne is to accept that it’s the best coffee in the world and Melburnians will not hear otherwise. There is nothing more obvious that you’re a visitor than when you ask ‘can I have a coffee?’. The barista/wait-person will want to roll their eyes at you and ask what kind of coffee in one big sigh. Learn the differences between 3/4 skinny flat white and a long macchiato.

2. Visit Unique Suburbs

The culture of a city is only lightly touched upon in the centre as it’s the surrounding neighbourhoods where you delve deep into the make-up. Melbourne wouldn’t be Melbourne without its unique suburbs.

My favourite suburb is St Kilda where I lived and spent most of my time outside work. I also lived in South Yarra which is home to the popular Chapel street.

There’s suburbs like Richmond, Port Melbourne, Abbotsford, Brunswick, Collingwood and more! You can head North of the Yarra River to explore things to do in Fitzroy and places to see in Carlton for urban bars and parks. Spend time in each to get a feel because there’s something for everyone in Melbourne.

3. Walk the Length of the Yarra River

The Yarra River separates the North and South Melbourne suburbs and has so much to do within its vicinity. Whether it’s exploring Crown casino, shopping at DFO, taking a helicopter flight, a river booze cruise, rowing or finding some of the best eateries in Southbank.

4. Spend an Afternoon in a Local Brewery for Culture Melbourne

Bars around Melbourne take pride in the local Victoria beers/ciders they provide to punters. Popular ones for you to try are Furphy, Mountain Goat, Victoria Bitter, Little Creatues and Carlton Draught. You can visit some of the breweries too for a tour and tasters!

My best brewery experience was in Abbortsford’s Bodriggy Brewing Company.

5. Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes

For the iconic shots of people in front of the Aussie flag, Brighton is the place to find them. Take an afternoon marvelling at the bathing boxes’ paintings, watch para-gliders and kite-flyers and enjoy an ice-cream on Brighton Beach.

This attraction is serious real estate in Oz. Read about the record box that sold for $285,000.

6. Eat Cuisine Around The World

Beautifully diverse is Melbourne city and there’s no better way to celebrate it than through the wonderful array of food! You can literally go ’round the world through Melbourne food and have fun at the quirky Melbourne restaurants. Local culture is adopting cuisine from world neighbours!

Get your Greek on in Oakleigh, Italian specialities in Carlton, hit up Chinatown for the obvious, Ramen Houses on Little Bourke Street, Vietnamese Pho in South Melbourne (what is Pho?), Middle Eastern food in Brunswick or expensive and book-months-in-advance Attica in Ripponlea. I re-lived my favourite foods from South East Asia in Melbourne through Massaman Curry, Khao Soi and Banh Mi!

Read a Sydney Road eating guide here which is a popular eating street.

If you want some Aussie dishes, look out for an Aussie Burger which contains egg and beetroot, any pub selling Parmigiarnas and meat pies like the ones from New Zealand!.

Check out this Foodie Culture tour with Viator!

7. Fairground Fun at Luna Park

Luna Park is a theme park in St Kilda overlooking the beach. You can’t miss its distinct facial entrance and overarching rollercoaster tracks. You can get the 16, 3a and 96 straight to the entrance of Luna Park and unlimited rides costs $51 per person.

8. Explore Markets of Melbourne

There’s an abundance of great markets to explore around Melbourne for everything you can think of to experience Melbourne’s culture Victoria. A few of my favourites are:

• Queen Victoria Market for street food
• Prahan Market for fresh produce
• South Melbourne Market for coffee
• St Kilda Foreshore Market on Sundays for souvenirs
• Arts Centre Melbourne Market on Sundays (see more below)
• Camberwall Sunday Market
• Queen Victoria Book Market (Saturday and Sunday)
• The Rose Street Artists Market in Fitzroy (Sat and Sun)

Read Next: Exploring Asian Food Market in Melbourne

9. Neighbours Film Set Tour

‘Become good friends..’ Australia has two famous soap operas in the UK, Home and Away and Neighbours. Melbourne is the home of the latter and you can take a full set tour when in the neighbourhood. Go to their website here.

10. Stroll the Royal Botanical Gardens – Things to Do in Melbourne

Just a few stops from the CBD, the Royal Botanical Gardens is a large and free park perfect for strolls and picnics. And of course, lots of pretty plants admire.

11. Visit Other Parks of Melbourne Culture Victoria

Melbourne parks are everywhere and in every neighbourhood. You can enjoy Fitzroy Gardens, St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Fawkner Park and with a huge lake, Albert Lake.

12. Drink on the River at Arbory Afloat

Arbory Bar is located at the back of iconic Flinders Street Station so after you snap the famous shot of the building, head to the longest bar in Melbourne. During summer, they have Arbory Afloat where you can enjoy a pink gin while floating on the Yarra River. Watch those expensive prices though!

13. Catch an AFL Game

Melbourne is the sports capital of Australia, without a doubt, and locals claim it as the sports capital of the world. Australian Football League is a religion round these parts and on Grand Finale day, every soul will be glued to the game. Other times of the year, you can get cheaper tickets to watch the games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

14. Tour the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground)

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is a huge stadium in the centre of Melbourne that holds the AFL games and cricket games. You can grab yourself a tour of the Mecca that is the MCG.

15. Find Pop-Ups/Festivals Around the City

There’s always free things to do Melbourne and pop-ups and festivals are everywhere. In my first week in Melbourne, I viewed pop-ups relating to Melbourne Fashion Week, White Night celebrations at Federation Square and the Mid-Autumn Festival on Crown Walk.

As Melbourne is such a multi-cultural city, there are always ethnic festivals such as Polish, Italian and Australian. You can find a list here.

16. Shopping at DFO

There are a few DFO Shopping Centres dotted around Melbourne, the most accessible being on South Wharf. Here you’ll find all the high street retailers at massively-reduced prices as well as a huge food court.

17. View the City Skyline at Night

Look at the city from the river at night and you’ll feel like you’re in Gotham City.

You can even check out Batman Park! A founder of Melbourne was named John Batman and so the park is named after him but I love how when you stand in Batman Park at night, all you see is Gotham!

Compare to: My First Thoughts on Melbourne

18. Eureka Sky Deck

Conventionally, you can see a 360 degree view of Melbourne at the Eureka Sky Deck which stands at almost 1000 ft. Melbourne’s Eureka Skydeck costs $22.

19. Shrine of Remembrance

Found in South Yarra, the Shrine of Remembrance is a free place to go in Melbourne to remember those lost during the wars. Just before the centre shuts, around 4.30pm, you can watch the flags lower and pay your respects. Alternatively, you can walk around the grounds and read the remembrance writings.

20. Moonlight Movies Under The Stars

Would you like to watch a classic film on cosy sofas in the park while bats are flying overhead? Ye, thought so. Head to Moonlight Movies for the line-up and get your tickets. I bought a pass to watch Home Alone and had the most atmospheric cinema experience with free ice cream. This is, hands down, the best thing to do in Melbourne in Summer at night.

21. Melbourne Exhibition Centre

Opposite the Crown Casino is the MCEC where you can attend events, exhibitions and concerts. The architecture of the three buildings making up this centre is impressive alone. Find out what’s on here for cultural things to do in Melbourne.

22. Melbourne Museums

With any Melbourne travel guide, there’s going to feature the museums!

• Melbourne Museum is a great place to start. Located in Carlton Gardens, get your learning on in this staple centre of any major city!
• Or try the Immigration Museum to learn about the make-up of Melbourne through its diverse peoples.
• Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre to learn about Australia’s indigenous people.
• Melbourne Gaol is the old jail you can explore the lives of infamous men and women who did time here.
• National Gallery of Victoria is a fantastic art centre full of exhibitions and guided-tours.

23. Immigration Bridge

A free activity in Melbourne is doing a self-guided tour of the Immigration Bridge. You can find out all about immigration in Australia. I loved finding the small plaque about Welsh people. Find your country located over the Yarra River.

Read Next: How to Move to Melbourne, Australia On a WHV

24. Arts Centre

Fancy seeing Melbourne’s Symphony Orchestra? How about top class musicals? The Arts Centre has something every day and night to view and you can’t miss the building that resembles the Eiffel Tower. Head here on a Sunday for the local market along the walkway of St Kilda Road.

25. Crown Casino – What to do in Melbourne Australia

No windows and no clocks just 24/7 gambling is the Crown Casino! The entire Crown facilities is huge including pubs, restaurants, cinema, arcade and shopping centre. The Crown is a must-do in Melbourne just for the sheer size of the place.

26. Street Art

Iconic streets for street art in Melbourne are AC/DC Lane, Hosier Lane and . The artwork is astounding here. In February 2020, there was a controversial debate about painters in Hosier Lane spray-painting over the artwork. Was it graffiti or further expressions of art? Read all about it here.

Read Next: Melbourne Street Art Guide

27. Chinatown

Every great city has a Chinatown and you don’t want to skip Melbourne’s. One of my favourite eating experiences was having a Hot Pot here where you grab a bowl, add whatever ingredients you want, pick a broth, weigh it, pay and enjoy!

28. St Kilda Beach Day Trip

Ah, Melbourne by the sea! When I say a part of my heart was in Melbourne, I’m talking about St Kilda. Even Paul Kelly said he’d trade all of Sydney Harbour just for St Kilda Promenade.

St Kilda is backpacker central but the closest beach to Melbourne. Not the idyllic sands you imagine Australia to be, but worth a dip nonetheless.

Read Next: The Perfect St Kilda Day Trip

29. Rent Roller Blades / Skateboard

While you’re in St Kilda, go to the end of the beach and find a little pink van called Rollerbae and rent funky skates to embrace the skating culture you’ll see (and dodge) everywhere in Melbourne.

Viator Melbourne Australia – See Melbourne by boat, car or hot air balloon!

30. Outdoor Swimming Pool in Fitzroy

On a hot day (Melbourne gets well over 40 degrees in summer), if you don’t want sand everywhere but need a swim, head to Fitzroy’s outdoor pool.

Address: 160 Alexandra Parade, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia

31. Eat a Burger in a Converted Old Train

Want the best burger in Melbourne? There’s lots of great burgers, but for the best burger experience in Melbourne, Easey’s is one of a kind.

Found in Collingwood, this joint has three converted trains on the rooftop of the building selling burgers and beers! I loved this placed for its deliciously messy burger and the eccentric decoration from the old train driver seat to the Melbourne train route on tables.

32. Brunch Culture (including Bottomless Brunch)

Brunch is a big deal in Melbourne cultural ways. It’s embedded in Melbourne culture and everyone you see around 11am are probably going for Brunch. I brunched a lot while in Melbourne, my favourite being Eggs Benedict! A branch of brunch in Melbourne is bottomless drinks on the weekend! You choose a brunch dish and unlimited drinks for 1-2 hours and it’s a popular trend.

Read Next: Bottomless Brunch in Richmond, Melbourne

33. Experience Melbourne’s Nightlife

Melbourne bar scene is pumping both day and night from afternoon bottomless brunch to clubs starting at 7am on a Monday morning. Going to a rooftop bar is a popular thing to do in Melbourne and watch the skyline of the city over a Margarita.

You can choose a neighbourhood to your liking for a party or spend the night down Chapel Street or in the heart of the CBD at places like Storeyville, Guernica and Joint Bar.

See Time Out’s list here.

34. Revolver Upstairs aka Revs

Found on infamous Chapel Street is Revolver Upstairs, a club widely-known as Revs. This dark, anything-goes place isn’t for the faint-hearted or light-clubber. Their trademark is the iconic cage and they have DJ’s from over the globe who often do sets in Revs for the sheer fun of it. At the start of 2020, Fatboy Slim played a set at Revs to raise funds for the Bushfire relief and Victoria’s wildlife!

35. The Breakfast Club

While Revs is a timeless, all-weekend party it does come to an end at 9am Monday morning.

But the Melbourne party never ends and every Monday, One Six One is where you ‘kick on’, opening at 9am but get there earlier for the queue and ensure you get on that rooftop for the all day party and free watermelon.

36. Day Trips Outside of Melbourne

There’s so many places outside of Melbourne for a day trip. You can visit the Grampians, Yarra Wine Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island Geelong, Sorento and Dandenong Ranges to name a few. Renting a car is so easy in Melbourne through Car Next Door and you can get anywhere yourself. You can also take public transport but it’s not as straightforward and takes much longer than driving.

Alternatively, you could take a guided tour so everything is planned for you. See Get Your Guide below.

37. Get to the Great Ocean Road

Of course, the best day trip outside of Melbourne is the Great Ocean Road. I went to the GOR on a 2 day road trip and wrote the ultimate guide for you to follow.

Read my Great Ocean Road Itinerary here.

Melbourne is an ideal location for family holidays in Australia because it’s a friendly city with lots of day trips on offer around Victoria and much of the above can be enjoyed with children.

Visiting Melbourne usually comes second to Sydney on a RTW trip but Melbourne has a coolness that can’t be matched. I truly believe Melbourne is a city to live (it was voted the most liveable city in). Melbourne culture is something that comes with time, and not a tick box city. This list of things to do in Melbourne gives you ideas of how to embrace the culture of Melbourne. Enjoy your Melbourne moment.

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