Melbourne Cup Day is Tuesday 3 November 2026, a public holiday across Victoria unless a regional council has arranged a different local holiday. If you're skipping the races, here's what's free and open, what's closed, and what's on the night before. Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 on each official page.
When Open daily 10am–6pm (closed New Year's Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day)
Where 328 Swanston St, Melbourne
Price Free entry
The domed La Trobe Reading Room is one of Melbourne's great free interiors, and the galleries are free too.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Open daily 10am–5pm (closed Christmas Day)
Where 180 St Kilda Rd, Southbank
Price Free entry; some special exhibitions are ticketed
The home of international art and design in Melbourne. The permanent collection is free to wander, rain or shine.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Open daily 10am–5pm (closed Christmas Day)
Where Federation Square, Melbourne
Price Free entry; some special exhibitions are ticketed
Australian art from First Nations work to now, right on Fed Square.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Open daily 10am–5pm (1–5pm Anzac Day; closed Christmas Day)
Where Federation Square, Melbourne
Price Free entry, with some ticketed events
Melbourne's museum of film, TV, videogames and art, with the interactive Story of the Moving Image. Great on a rainy day.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Open every day 10am–5pm (last entry 4:30pm), except Christmas Day and Good Friday
Where Birdwood Ave, Melbourne
Price Free entry (donations welcome)
Victoria's war memorial. Free guided tours run on the hour from 10am to 4pm (except 1pm).
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Daily 10am–6pm until Wed 4 Nov 2026 (including Cup Day)
Where Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne
Price Free, no booking
The city's musical busking centre, with a changing line-up of buskers each day.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Daily until Sun 8 Nov 2026 (closes), 10am–5pm
Where NGV International, Level 2, 180 St Kilda Rd, Southbank
Price Free entry
Last chance: barkcloth, fashion, photography and sculpture from across the Pacific. Closes 8 Nov.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Opened Fri 30 Oct 2026; daily (runs to 14 Jun 2027), 10am–5pm
Where The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Level 3, Fed Square
Price Free entry
Brand-new show of bold portrait photography by Melbourne-based South Sudanese artist Atong Atem.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Daily (runs to 7 Feb 2027), 10am–5pm
Where The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square
Price Free entry
Fungus leather, hemp fibreboard and more: design's relationship with plants. Pair it with Atong Atem upstairs.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
These are usually good free picks, but they're closed on Tue 3 Nov.
When Mon 2 Nov 2026 (Cup Eve), 12pm for about an hour
Where Primrose Potter Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank
Price Free, just turn up
Melbourne chamber musicians rehearse new programs in the open. Come and go any time during the session.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Mon 2 Nov 2026 (Cup Eve), 12pm–10pm
Where Queen Victoria Market, Queen St, Melbourne
Price Free entry with free online registration (Eventbrite); dumplings for purchase
Dozens of dumpling vendors on the night before the Cup Day public holiday.
When Whenever trams run
Where Central city and Docklands (Spring, Flinders and La Trobe Sts, plus around Queen Victoria Market)
Price Free. No myki needed if you stay inside the zone (trains and buses still need a ticket)
The easiest way to hop between the free things on this page.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
When Mon 1 Jun 2026 to 1 Jan 2027
Where Victorian public transport
Price Half-price fares; seniors travel free on weekends
Getting to free events outside the CBD costs less until New Year.
Checked Sat 31 Oct 2026 · Source
Yes. Tuesday 3 November 2026 is a public holiday across Victoria, unless a non-metropolitan council has arranged an alternate local holiday (Business Victoria, checked Sat 31 Oct 2026).
No. The market's site lists Tuesday as "Closed for the public holiday".
Yes. State Library Victoria opens 10am–6pm daily and only closes on New Year's Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The State Library, NGV, ACMI and the Shrine are free and open, and Bourke Street Mall Busking runs 10am–6pm. Children under 18 travel free on public transport with a Youth myki.
