Huge crowds to visit Melbourne CBD for bumper winter weekend
With blockbuster sporting events and a major CBD festival, more than 750,000 people are set to descend on Melbourne for our biggest-ever winter weekend. Here’s what to expect.
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Major events are set to draw record winter crowds to Melbourne over four mammoth winter days of sport, art and culture.
The Boomers v USA basketball games, White Night Reimagined and Round 23 AFL blockbusters at the MCG have all been scheduled between August 22-25.
Between them, the events are expected to bring at least 750,000 people into the city from the Thursday night to Sunday afternoon.
More than 500,000 people are expected to travel into the city for White Night Reimagined, which has been transformed from one 24-hour event to a three-day festival running from Thursday, August 22, to Saturday, August 24.
About 100,000 fans are set to watch the Boomers take on the US in two pre-World Cup exhibition games at Marvel Stadium over Thursday, August 22, and Friday, August 23.
The Collingwood v Essendon clash at the MCG on Friday, August 23, and Richmond’s home game against Brisbane on Sunday, August 25, are tipped to draw about 150,000 fans.
And that doesn’t count local, interstate and international visitors travelling into the city to see shows including Come From Away, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Supersense Festival at Hamer Hall and the Terracotta Warriors and Cai Guo-Qiang exhibiton at NGV International.
White Night Reimagined will take place from 7pm-midnight on Thursday, August 22, and Friday, August 23, and 7am-2am on Saturday, August 24.
One of the three White Night Reimagined precincts is at Birrarung Marr, next to the MCG — so it’s anticipated that many among the crowd will stop by to take in the festival’s illuminated performances and projections before or after Friday night’s match.
Others are likely to converge on nearby Treasury Gardens — which will be turned into White Night’s “Sensory Realm” for the three days.
The third White Night precinct, the Spiritual Realm, will centre around the Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building.
The National Gallery of Victoria, State Library, Melbourne Museum and Arts Centre Melbourne will also run special programs and events, and extended opening hours, as part of White Night Reimagined.
And a number of restaurants, bars and live performance venues in the CBD and surrounds will also remain open later to cater to White Night crowds.
Extra public transport services will be put on to help shift people into, out of and around the city over the four days, with full details yet to be announced.
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Tourism, Sports and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said with White Night, the Boomers v Team USA games and final AFL round happening simultaneously, Melbourne would “truly come alive” for the weekend.
“This is why Melbourne is the best city in the world – everything that makes us the sporting, cultural, food and wine and events capital of Australia will be on show,” he said.
“It’s what we do best and it’s why more and more tourists are flocking to Melbourne.”
The Victorian Government, Visit Victoria and event partners, were closely collaborating with emergency services, Public Transport Victoria, host venues and other authorities on public transport, appropriate security measures and support services.
“Those attending are of course encouraged to plan ahead, considering the best way to arrive and the processes for venue entry where relevant.”
White Night Reimagined artistic director David Atkins his team had collaborated with artists from across Melbourne, Australia and the world to curate the 2019 program.
“We can’t wait to share it with the thousands of visitors set to attend,” he said.
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