Antipodes Festival 2025 in Melbourne

Melbourne, home to a great Greek community, hosts the Antipodes Festival every February. This festival introduces Greece's rich heritage and cuisine and is the largest festival of Greek culture outside Greece, unifying the entire Greek community in the south of Australia. Boasting hundreds of vendor booths, more than 200 performers, and spanning across the entire Greek Quarter, Antipodes Festival gives you a glimpse into a vibrant culture of Greece in the heart of Melbourne.

Festival Program & Events

Food stalls with delicious treats, beer, and wine are located along the street. Numerous venues host music concerts and performances by dancers. Among the most popular are the "Zorba 'Till You Drop" dance contest, "Kaimaki King"—a competition among the cafes' chefs, and "Loukoumadomania"—the sweet-tooth competition. A diverse entertainment program is prepared for children including drawing, modeling, as well as a lot of attractions.

At the Antipodes Festival, you have a chance to witness various cooking demonstrations, carnival rides, fair games, dances, and live performances. Leading musicians with Greek heritage perform at the festival on three stages, entertaining the crowds with groovy music, which boasts a variety of genres. Some of the musicians who performed at the event include Melina Aslanidou and other renowned Greek musicians. Melbourne-based dance ensembles and groups from all over the region come to the festival to showcase traditional Greek dances.

Food Selection

Once you enter the festival grounds, you'll be greeted by fragrant aromas coming from more than 80 vendor stalls and booths. From tomato fritters to everyone's favorite comfort food, gyros, visitors have a chance to treat their taste buds to the best of Greek cuisine. If you're craving something sweet, grab some Koulouria, a traditional pastry with a hint of vanilla, which is usually eaten around Easter.

Schedule & Hours

The festivities normally span from 10 am until 11 pm on the first day and from 10 am until 10 pm on the second day. The event is completely free, so you only need to budget for vendor purchases and any attractions on-site, such as carnival rides and games.

Lonsdale Street

The Antipodes Festival has been regularly held at Lonsdale Street, which is known as the heart of the historic Greek Quarter in Melbourne. The festivities span across Swanston Street, Jones Lane, and Russel Street and take place between Little Lonsdale Street and Little Bourke Street. During the event, Lonsdale Street is pedestrian-only, which means that public transport, which usually travels down the street, follows a different route.