Things to do in Melbourne on January 26 in 2026

We’ve gathered together a list of some of the charities and organisations supporting Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and PoC voices around Australia. If you aren’t in a position to help financially, there are other ways you can show your support. January 26 is an opportune time to learn more about these organisations or get involved in their vital work. 

While Sydney gets all the beachy glory, Melbourne's bay beaches are a terrific place to spend some time outside, whether you're keen on swimming, wading, beachcombing or just relaxing on the sand. Most importantly, the forecast for Monday is looking hot, so hanging by the water is looking like one of the best things you can do.

This January 26, getting behind local Indigenous-owned businesses is an accessible means through which we can demonstrate allyship. Ranging from stunning sartorial designs to authentic artistry, here are some Indigenous-owned businesses around Victoria whose goods you can enjoy all the while championing the world’s oldest continuing culture. 

Plenty of restaurants will be open this public holiday, so eat like a king or queen while barely making a dent in your wallet. While the days of $6 pints and $10 burgers may be well and truly behind us (thanks, cozzie livs crisis), Melbourne still carries the mantle as a city brimming with tasty, cheap and multiculturally diverse eats – from authentic Mexican tacos to world-class Japanese ramen. 

Connect to Country through these four Indigenous-led tours that run in Melbourne and surrounding regions of the Kulin Nation. Visitors can gain a deeper understanding of Melbourne's past and better understand Wurundjeri culture – a culture that dates back hundreds of thousands of years.

Explore more: learn the basics of Boon Wurrung language from Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir.

Whether you're after a sing-along musical or an edge-of-your-seat theatrical thriller, make the most of an extra day off to catch a production at one of Melbourne's theatres. Showing now at the Regent Theatre is Anastasia or you can catch MJ the Musical at Her Majesty's. And back by popular demand is the MTC's My Brilliant Career – with returning star Kala Gare shining bright as Miles Franklin’s headstrong hero, Sybylla Melvyn. 

Since late 2023, the ground floor and foyer of the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia has become home to a dynamic and ever-changing exhibition space that displays masterpieces and never-before-shown works from the NGV’s First Nations collection. Translating to ‘many mobs’ in the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language, it showcases pieces from emerging and established artists from across Australia.

We love this beautiful city of ours, but sometimes it's nice to get out into nature for a stroll – or something more intense. And a public holiday is a great chance to do so. Dust off those hiking boots, pack that scroggin, fill your Camelbak and get ready to explore some of the most gorgeous hikes within an easy drive of Melbourne.

In a survey commissioned by the First Nations education platform SharingStories Foundation, four in five (80 per cent) Australians want more First Nations culture taught in schools. Sadly, only around 49 per cent of those surveyed said they'd been taught Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history in any significant or authentic way. To help remedy this problem, the foundation has put together five ways you can spend January 26 learning about Australian Indigenous history, and we've rounded them up.

If you want to get out of town over the long weekend, we feel you. Luckily, Melbourne is perfectly positioned for an excellent getaway. We've rounded up a bunch of weekend trips that are all a convenient drive from home. Are you after a wine weekend or a hiking holiday? There's always a beach-adjacent sojourn down the coast or a tour of some of the state's best national parks. Truly, Victoria is your oyster. 

Victoria is lucky enough to be peppered with magnificent waterfalls right across the state – and forget what TLC said, because they are definitely worth chasing. These cascading curtains of water all have a certain X-Factor that means we reckon they're worth a visit. Whether it be fast-flowing rivers, plunge pools you can swim in or being part of an awe-inspiring bush walk. BYO bathers and a picnic and you're in for a guaranteed good time.

Fashionistas won't want to miss Westwood | Kawakubo at the NGV, which offers a world-first chance to see the radical visions of these legendary designers side by side, while Diva provides a front-row seat to some of pop culture's most memorable looks. Over at the Immigration Museum you can explore the city’s eclectic food culture through thousands of dockets and migration stories at Order Up: A City Fed by Many Cultures or head to Melbourne Museum for Our Wondrous Planet, which celebrates the interconnected magic of life on Earth.