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What’s On This Weekend in Melbourne: Our Melbourne Editor’s Top Picks
Looking for things to do in Melbourne this weekend? I've got you covered.
Melbourne’s best things to do this weekend, 7 and 8 November, include KIC and New Balance’s free running clubhouse at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Coffee Weekend at Queen Victoria Market, a country-estate escape to Duneira in Mount Macedon and Atong Atem’s extraordinary photography at NGV Australia. There’s plenty to occupy your Saturday and Sunday, from rare filter coffees and potential new running friends to grand gardens and an afternoon spent contemplating art.
Of course, Melbourne has a remarkable talent for making a two-day weekend feel wildly insufficient. One knock-off drink becomes dinner, dinner becomes a nightcap, and suddenly it’s Sunday evening, your bank account is looking nervous and the laundry hasn’t seen you since Wednesday.
Forty-eight hours. A city with other ideas. Here’s where we’d spend ours.
KIC x New Balance Run Together Clubhouse
Running clubs have become Melbourne’s favourite way to make friends before breakfast, and this one has thought of a rather clever icebreaker. KIC founders Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw are teaming up with New Balance for a one-morning takeover of The Terrace at the Royal Botanic Gardens, bringing 250 runners together for a 3km or 5km community run. Road-test the new New Balance Ellipse trainers, refuel with coffee and KIC’s new hydration drinks, then collect a custom keychain and hunt down someone with a matching charm. There are prizes involved, although a new running companion might be the better reward. All abilities are welcome, including those whose preferred pace involves a good conversation.
Where: The Terrace, Royal Botanic Gardens, South Yarra
When: Saturday 7 November 2026, 8am to 10.30am
Cost: Free
Best For: Outdoor activities, Wellness seekers, Weekend plans, Social Runners, Sneaker Enthusiasts
Need To Know: Registration essential; strictly limited to 250 places.
Melbourne Coffee Weekend
Melbourne’s coffee obsession is going international. On 7 and 8 November, Melbourne Coffee Weekend takes over Queen Victoria Market, assembling more than 40 specialty roasters from Australia and abroad for two days devoted to the art of filter coffee. There are more than 100 varieties to discover, alongside brewing workshops, competitions and plenty of opportunities to talk beans with the people who know them best. Your ticket includes nine coffee tastings and a limited-edition ceramic cup to take home. The caffeine intake is entirely your responsibility.
When: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, 8am–4pm
Where: Queen Victoria Market, C & D Sheds, Melbourne
Price: $45 plus booking fee
Best For: Coffee devotees, curious drinkers and anyone looking to expand their morning repertoire
Need to Know: Book a morning (8am–12pm) or afternoon (12pm–4pm) session. Children under 12 enter free with a paying adult. Tickets here.
The Mount Macedon Estate Worth Visiting After the Bluebells
A grand Italianate mansion, 38 acres of heritage gardens and afternoon tea in the old stables. Mount Macedon, you’re making it difficult to stay in Melbourne this weekend. The annual Bluebell Festival may be over, but Duneira Estate is still welcoming visitors to its 1870s country retreat. Follow the magnificent Dutch Elm Avenue through gardens of towering trees, rhododendrons and century-old plantings, then make your way to the Stables Tearooms for something sweet.
For those with an appetite for history, guided tours venture inside the mansion, where the late Stuart Stoneman assembled a remarkable collection of art, Persian rugs, books and antiques. It’s an intriguing glimpse into the private world of one of Mount Macedon’s grandest old houses, and a lovely excuse to make a day of the Macedon Ranges.
Where: Duneira Estate, Mount Macedon
When: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026, 10am–4pm; open Tuesday to Sunday
Cost: $15 garden entry; $25 guided house tour including garden entry; children under 16 free
Best For: Outdoor activities, Art lovers, Cultural experiences, Weekend plans, Families
Need To Know: Guided house tours run at 11am and 1.30pm. The Stables Tearooms are open 10am–4pm. Garden entry is payable on arrival; advance booking is recommended for house tours.
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Passages by Atong Atem (Image Credit: NGV)
Passage: The Art of Atong Atem
Colour-drenched portraits, elaborate costumes and powerful stories of identity take centre stage in Passage: The Art of Atong Atem. The Melbourne-based South Sudanese artist’s first major Australian solo exhibition brings together more than 65 works spanning a decade of photography, with Atem transforming herself through textiles, body paint and symbolic objects. Drawing on Dinka Bor culture, family archives, African studio photography and science fiction, her extraordinary self-portraits explore ancestry, belonging and the stories we inherit. An essential addition to your spring gallery diary, and admission is free.
Where: NGV Australia, Federation Square
When: Now until Monday 14 June 2027, daily, 10am to 5pm
Cost: Free
Best For: Art lovers, Cultural experiences, Free events, Locals
Need To Know: Entry is walk-in.
Four very different reasons to leave the house, and not a bad one among them. Our advice? Leave a little room in the diary for the plans nobody thought to make. Melbourne’s usually very good at those. Or, perhaps you’re heading out of town? We’ve got you covered there, too! Check out our guide to the best travel destinations in Victoria, or discover the most romantic stays.
