About

Council proudly supports a dynamic range of festivals, events, activations and other place-based activities each year.

Council's responsibility

Maribyrnong City Council has many different roles and responsibilities in the planning and delivery of the City’s activation initiatives, including funding, mentoring, producing, permitting, regulating, marketing and providing access to space and resources.

Council recognises that in most instances local communities are best placed to produce the ideas and to plan, organise and deliver activities for their community. As such a core part of Council’s support model is through providing funding and in kind support through Council's Grants Program. Since establishing the inaugural Festival City Grants Program in 2010, Council has provided over $4 million in funding to community for festivals and events.

Council acknowledges that a lively mix of attractions will:

Contribute to the liveability of the City by activating public spaces in new and creative ways which promote distinct precinct identities and creates local pride
Enhance street life offerings and walkability to make the City feel safer and more connected
Create better first impressions of our City to attract new visitors and extend stays
Build community harmony and restore community connection
Develop understanding, appreciation and greater engagement with our diverse cultures
Drive continued economic growth and investment in the City’s commercial activity centres

Annual events

Regular features (amongst many others) on the current annual calendar include:

East Meets West Lunar New Year (January)
Quang Minh Tet (January/February)
BMX Fest (February)
Yarraville Festival (March)
West Footscray Festival of Colours (March)
Footscray West Writers Fest (March)
Tilde - Trans and Gender Diverse Film Festival (May)
Sleepless Festival (May)
Setting Sun Film Festival (May)
Blacksmiths Festival (May - Biennial)
Ethiopian New Year Festival (September)
Festival of Lights Diwali (October)
Carols in Yarraville Gardens (December)

In addition to these community-led activities, Council also partners with a range of major Melbourne events and some of our surrounding Western Region Councils to present:

Midsumma Westside as part of the Midsumma Festival (January)
Comedy Westside as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (April)
Open House Melbourne (July)
Fringe Westside as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival (October)
Jazz Westside as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (October)

Council's large-scale New Years' Eve Fireworks in Footscray Park is another key feature on a packed annual calendar in the City of Maribyrnong.

Festivals and Activation Framework 2022 - 2026

Council's Festivals and Activation Framework 2022 - 2026 explains why and how Council invests in a dynamic range of festivals, events, activations and other activities across the City of Maribyrnong. At the heart of the Framework is a commitment to a ‘place-based approach’ given the wide-ranging benefits it can bring to communities, the local economy and City identity. The strength of our City’s night time economy, and how we best capitalise on the trend of visitors dispersing to inner-city areas (other than Melbourne’s CBD), also informs much of the rationale of the Framework.

Read more and download the Framework

Live Music Action Plan 2026 - 2028

Council's Live Music Action Plan 2026-2028 looks to strengthen what is already here: a vibrant, DIY music culture rooted in place, community, and history and a positive expression of our diverse City.

Read more and download the Plan

Planning a Festival, Event or Activation in the City of Maribyrnong?

If you are planning on holding an event in the City of Maribyrnong, please visit the 'Hold an event' page on Council's main website, and also visit the 'Grants' page to see whether you may be eligible for a Grant.