What’s on over the King’s Birthday long weekend in Melbourne and Victoria 2025

King’s Birthday activities and events in Melbourne and Victoria 2025

Mini breaks and day trips

Go on a day trip

Looking for a mini break or adventure? Why not take a day to explore beyond the city? 

Indulge in the state’s thermal hot springs and baths, follow the Victorian silo trail, or visit one of Victoria's cool and quirky towns for food, wine and relaxation. 

Head away for the weekend

A long weekend is the perfect time to visit the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Goldfields region or Great Ocean Road. Throw on your favourite jacket, scarf and boots and warm up with hikes and hot chocolates. If you have kids in tow, head to Ballarat or Kryal Castle, or Torquay for beach walks and the Wildlife Park. 

RACV Resorts around Victoria offer the ultimate base for a convenient and cosy weekend away this long weekend, or at any time of year.

Winter wonders

Mornington Winter Music Festival

6-9 June 2025

Who said festival fun only happens in the CBD? Head on down to the RACV Cape Schanck Resort and have a fabulous time at the Mornington Winter Music Festival.

Street corners, bars, and restaurants will come alive during the King's Birthday long weekend. The festival features a mix of traditional and modern jazz, blues, soul, R&B, and other genres. Whether you come for a night or stay for the weekend, there's something for everyone.

The festival will be running all over Mornington, so explore all the area has to offer.

The Winter Village at Federation Square

Until 22 June 2025

Begin the day by exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens and end it at Fed Square, which has transformed into a French alpine village with mountain chalets, fondue and mulled wine. There will be 18 private wooden chalets, accommodating six to eight guests, dotted throughout Fed Square. Each chalet will have its own fire pit, which friends or family can sit around and prepare their own fondue. Bookings online.

There's also IceBar Melbourne at Fed Square for ice-cold drinks and the cool vibes. Snow gear is provided, but long pants and closed shoes are recommended. Each session lasts for 45 minutes, which is about all you need in 10°C.

Go to the snow

Winter season

The King's Birthday long weekend marks the official start of the Victorian snow season, and it might be the perfect time to hit the snow and slopes. Tobogganing will be available every day at Mount Baw Baw from 7 June 2025. 

Check out our comprehensive guide on the Victorian ski season, including where to go, stay, and how to prepare. 

Ice skating for the whole family

Year round

If you're ready to embrace winter, head to one of Melbourne's ice skating venues, hire some skates and have a fun time with family or friends. You'll find O'Brien Icehouse in Docklands, Olympic Ice Skating Centre in Oakleigh South, and Ice HQ in Reservoir. 

It's recommended you dress in layers, with long thick socks to protect your feet. You will warm up when you're skating, but feel the chill if you stop for a rest or a bite to eat. 

Movies, tours and adventures

Go to the movies

Year round

While movies are a quick fix for entertainment year round, there’s nothing a heart-warming tale and fresh popcorn to beat the winter blues.

Over the King’s Birthday long weekend, consider taking the family to Lilo and Stitch or A Minecraft Movie, or be inspired byThe Salt Path. RACV Members save on movie tickets.

Go whale watching

Winter season

Winter is the best time to spot magnificent whales as they pass on their annual migration.

On a Wilsons Prom Whale Cruise you have the chance to see humpback and southern right whales, dolphins and sea birds, while taking in the stunning coastal scenery including remote sandy beaches, rolling forests, coves, isolated rocky islands, and towering cliffs.

Sovereign Hill

Year round

What was life like after gold was discovered in Ballarat in 1851? Rug up and find out at Sovereign Hill. The Ballarat attraction boasts fun for the whole family, from horse-drawn carriage rides to pantomimes, candle making, and panning for gold, and you can even try your hand at writing with ink and a quill. 

Mini Golf

Year round

With both indoor and outdoor courses open around Victoria, mini golf is a weather-friendly pastime that's fun for the whole family. Glow Golf in the Docklands features courses lit up with UV, while Yarrambat's Goanna Golf is decked out in an Australia animal theme.

For a combination of family fun and challenging courses for adults, Yarra Bend Golf offers courses for a range of ability levels.  

RACV Members save on family-friendly mini golf courses around Victoria including Boneo Discovery Park and Grampians Adventure Golf.

Puffing Billy

Winter season

All aboard! As one of the country's oldest heritage steam railways, choose from one of four Puffing Billy routes through the Dandenong Ranges for scenic views of lakes, forests, and the area's local shops and eateries.

Play catch up

Year round

With an extra day up your sleeve, why not take the time to go to that place or attraction you’ve been meaning to visit?

Check out some hot springs, have a fun night out at a themed restaurant, go on a spooky night tour, head to see the famous Melbourne street art everyone is talking about, or grab your family and friends and have a challenging night out at an escape room.

For a fun family outing, try Dreamskape at Docklands, an augmented-reality entertainment hub, offering more than 100 games and 50 experiences.

Musicals

The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale

Until 22 June 2025, Comedy Theatre

LOTR fans rejoice: this timeless tale by J.R.R Tolkien has been reworked into a theatrical production. The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale and is on at the Comedy Theatre. Experience the masterpiece trilogy in a brand-new way, enhanced by stunning theatrics and captivating music that will enchant lifelong fans and new generations alike.

The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale tells the story of the One Ring, a powerful object forged by the dark lord Sauron, with the power to shatter the world. A young hobbit named Frodo Baggins must destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged, accompanied by an eclectic fellowship of humans, hobbits, elves and dwarves.

Beetlejuice The Musical

Until 31 August 2025, Regent Theatre

Funny, irreverent and reckless, Beetlejuice The Musical is an eight-time Tony Award-nominated hit that will play for a limited season in Melbourne.

Starring Australian Eddie Perfect, Beetlejuice The Musical is based on Tim Burton's cherished film. It tells the tale of an eccentric teenager Lydia Deetz, whose life takes a dramatic turn when she encounters a newly deceased couple and a stripe-loving demon.

It's a great outing for families with older teenagers. However, it's not recommended for children under the age of 14 years.

Festivals

RISING

4-15 June, various venues around Melbourne

RISING, Melbourne’s winter festival of new art, music and performance, features 65 events over two  weekends, including the King's Birthday long weekend.

Among the free, family-friendly events, there's Intangible #form, a light show and art installation by Shohei Fujimoto at The Capitol in Swanston Street. It's a mesmerising "pulsing ocean of lasers", with each cycle running for about 15 minutes. From 4 to 15 June 2025, the Hamer Hall facade will be transformed with visions of trees and waterways intertwined with song in the Yorta Yorta language, as  Moorina Bonini shares the relational and deep connection she and her family have to river country on Yorta Yorta lands along the Dhungala (Murray) River and to the Birrarung River. 

The arevo journey planner app can help you find the best way to travel between RISING events dotted around the city.

Family friendly exhibitions

Joy

Until 29 August, Immigration Museum

Joy transforms the Immigration Museum with an emotive adventure, blending creativity, colour, and storytelling. Seven new installations by eight Victorian-based creatives showcase the power and meaning of joy, capturing moments from childhood to celebrations of belonging. Discover what joy means to others and share your own on our 'Share Your Joy' wall.

Entry is free for children 16 years and under.

French Impressionism

Until 5 October 2025, NGV International

French Impressionism, developed by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the National Gallery of Victoria, charts the trajectory of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in late nineteenth-century France. It highlights avant-garde artists who rejected artistic conventions. Featuring more than 100 paintings from MFA Boston's collection, the exhibition includes works by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Édouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Paul Signac, and Alfred Sisley. Enhance your experience with an audio guide, which you purchase online or on-site.

This is a ticketed event.

Cats & Dogs

Until 20 July, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square

Cats & Dogs explores humanity's bond with these animals through more than 250 works of art and design. Drawn from the NGV Collection, the exhibition spans all periods and media, showcasing how cats and dogs have been a rich source of visual imagery from ancient history to today.

It's a ticketed event, but free for children under 5 years of age.

LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition

Until 26 January, 2026, Melbourne Museum

LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition has made its galaxy-first debut at Melbourne Museum. This world-first event unites two beloved brands, led by LEGO® Certified Professional Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught. Step into a world of epic battles, gargantuan spaceships and stunning landscapes from a galaxy far, far away. It took eight million LEGO® bricks and  more than 25,000 hours to complete. Open 9am to 5pm daily, with extended hours (5-7pm) Thursday 5 June to Monday 9 June 2025.

This is a ticketed event.

Free activities to do this King's Birthday long weekend

If you're looking for some fun activities without the price tag, Victoria is full of places to explore and uncover. Why not try: 

Go caving

Victoria is full of underground caves ripe for exploring. The Britannia Creek Caves, just 30 minutes from the RACV Healesville Country Club & Resort, feature an underground river network, while the Buchan Caves in East Gippsland feature limestone Fairy Caves ready to be discovered. 

Visit a volcano

Did you know that Victoria is home to hundreds of volcanoes? From the Great Ocean Road to Hanging Rock, many of these volcanoes are accessible to visit, from guided tours to hikes and even the chance to camp in a volcanic crater. 

Explore a new hike or trail

Looking to explore the great outdoors? Whether you're looking for a dog-friendly trail, one of the newer hikes and nature trails in the regions or a great winter hike, immersing yourself in nature in regional Victoria is great way to keep fit. 

Tour a free museum or art gallery

As Australia's cultural capital, the Melbourne is unmatched when it comes to galleries, exhibitions, museums and artistic experiences.

Children, concession card holders, students and members can gain free admission into the Scienceworks museum, while the NGV, Koorie Heritage Trust, Australian Music Vault and ACMI in Melbourne's CBD have ongoing free exhibits year-round. 

Try a new recipe

While you may need to buy the ingredients if you don't have them already, trying out a new recipe is a great cost-savvy way to try something you haven't had before in the comfort of your home.

Over winter, why not try a fun mini pancake cereal or chocolate cake with the kids, or for a delicious winter warmer, a budget-friendly sweet potato and red kidney bean hot pot or spaghetti with Mediterranean roasted vegetables.