Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Melbourne, start your engines. F1: The Exhibition has zoomed into town, marking its first-ever appearance in the Asia-Pacific region. After sell-out runs in Madrid, London and Amsterdam, the globally acclaimed show has made a pit stop at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, transforming it into an adrenaline-fuelled hub for motorsport fans. Part museum, part immersive experience, the exhibition will trace Formula 1’s past, present and future through six expansive galleries, with a seventh new section devoted to Australia’s own racing legends. Expect everything from championship-winning cars and rare memorabilia to video interviews and archive footage that captures the sport’s greatest rivalries and most spectacular victories. Visitors begin their journey in 'Once Upon a Time in Formula 1', charting seven-plus decades of drama before stepping inside 'Design Lab', a behind-the-scenes look at the factories of Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren. 'Drivers and Duels' pays tribute to legends like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, while 'Revolution by Design' explores how engineering innovation and human daring have continually pushed the limits. The exhibition’s emotional heart, 'Survival', displays the remains of Romain Grosjean’s scorched Haas car from his 2020 Bahrain crash, a stark reminder of the sport's danger. Visitors then arrive at 'The Pit Wall', a cinematic wrap-up that relives Formula 1’s most unforgettable moments. Melbourne’s edition adds...

Fresh from a record-breaking New York season that turned the Park Avenue Armory into a 30,000-square-foot fantasy universe, this joy-fuelled, art-meets-play exhibition has arrived in Melbourne.Popping up at the MCEC at Melbourne’s South Wharf, Balloon Story is a fully immersive journey through time and imagination, where every room is built at cinematic scale using hundreds of thousands of biodegradable balloons. You’ll wander from prehistoric jungles and dinosaur-filled landscapes to ancient civilisations, underwater worlds and cosmic cities, all sculpted entirely from air and colour. For the Australian season, expect all-new local content too, with balloon-built tributes to some of our most iconic buildings, places and stories. Hailed overseas as “the most joyful exhibition of the year”, Balloon Story is designed to delight. It’s hugely photogenic and clearly engineered by people who take balloons very, very seriously (we’re talking an international team of creative directors, balloon engineers and immersive design pros). Keen? The team suggests that visitors allow around 60 to 90 minutes to explore the whole experience – though don’t be surprised if the kids hang around for longer trying to get the perfect shot. With no age restrictions and free entry for kids under three, it’s an easy win for families and friends tasked with looking after the little ones for a day.The exhibition is open from 9am to 8pm, Monday through Sunday, with adult tickets from  $44.90, and kids...

For the 19th time, the Melbourne Art Fair is returning as a major fixture on the calendars of arty folks around the country. The fair describes itself as a progressive event showcasing boundary-pushing contemporary art, with a focus on underrepresented artists and women-led curation.   More than 100 interdisciplinary artists will come together at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), across four busy days from February 19-22. In 2026, the fair will feature works from more than 50 leading galleries and Indigenous-owned art centres.  Alongside more conventional artworks, you’ll also find large-scale installations and sculptures, video and a conversations series designed to get you thinking. A snapshot of this year’s participating galleries includes Ames Yavuz, Nasha Gallery, Neon Parc, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Tolarno Galleries and many more.  It will also see the debut of FUTUREOBJEKT – a 600-square-metre salon devoted to collectible design that will cement Melbourne’s position as a creative hub.   Tickets to the Melbourne Art Fair are now on sale. General admission is $32 and VIP all-access passes are $160. For more information on the line-up and to purchase tickets, visit the website here. Love art? Check out the best art exhibitions happening in Melbourne this month.