Arts and culture

The City of Melbourne plays a crucial role in the arts by funding and encouraging artists, promoting participation, and bringing art and people together. We produce various arts activities, festivals and events, manage venues, and support artists.

A woman looks inside a circular yellow curtain part of an artwork with a yellow sphere on top

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Funding and strategies

Creative Strategy 2018-28

We recognise the role creativity plays in expressing our identity, creating a sense of belonging and transforming our economy.

Creative Funding Framework

Our approach for enabling Melbourne to draw on the full potential of its extraordinary creative community.

Creative Programming Framework

Through our venue-based programs we offer dynamic and relevant creative programming, participation, and learning activities.

Public Art Framework

Guiding our future investment in public art for Melbourne.

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Arts experiences and programs

ArtPlay

Creative programs for children up to 13 years of age.

A teenager male breakdancing wearing a painter suit in a studio

Signal

A creative studio for young people aged 14 to 25.

Arts House

A year-round program of contemporary art and performance.

Melbourne Town Hall Grand Organ

The largest grand romantic organ in the southern hemisphere.

Federation Bells

A public immersive sound sculpture located in Birrarung Marr.

Public art

Creating encounters with the unexpected.

Art and Heritage Collection

An eclectic collection of cultural material with over 13,000 items.

City Gallery

Regular, free exhibitions on city life, past and present.

YIRRAMBOI

Melbourne's premier First Nations arts festival.

What's on in the city

Melbourne is well known as the events capital of Australia.

Busking and street entertainment

Busking is part of Melbourne's lively street culture.

Gallery exhibitions

Current exhibitions and spaces to exhibit your creative work.

Aboriginal Arts Grants

Opportunities for Aboriginal creatives to share their stories and talent through all art forms including performance art, dance, theatre, music, writing and visual art. Applications open 1 August.

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Upcoming events

Gotcha! Concrete prints from the McEwans celebrity pavement

Gotcha!

Concrete prints from the McEwans celebrity pavement.

An artist sitting on the floor holding up a puppet in front of a child

What's on at ArtPlay

Let your imagination out to play.

Babies to 13 years old

Young people playing in a band outdoors on a checked floor

What's on at Signal

Creative workshops, events and programs for young people.

14-25 year olds

A women covering one eye with her hand in a glove

Arts House Season 2

Rich with stories and perspectives both profound and resonant.

Top image: Eugenia Lim - The Australian Ugliness
Photo: Tom Ross

Venues and spaces for hire

An art studio with paintings and a dress on a mannequin

Creative Spaces

Heritage building with sign 'Metropolitan Market' above arched entranceway.

Meat Market

ArtPlay

ArtPlay

Signal

Signal

Home

our acknowledgement

The City of Melbourne respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land we govern, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin and pays respect to their Elders past and present.

We acknowledge and honour the unbroken spiritual, cultural and political connection they have maintained to this unique place for more than 2000 generations.

We accept the invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart and are committed to walking together to build a better future.