Experience the best of Melbourne’s culture, connections and life on the waterfront.

The 64th Melbourne Boat Show takes place at the NewQuay Docklands waterfront from October 15 to 18, 2026. It is Victoria’s biggest boating event and features displays along New Quay Promenade and Harbour Esplanade

From fishing boats to cruising yachts, ski boats to jetskis, the Melbourne Boat Show is an opportunity to discover the best in boating, watercraft, marine tech and fishing.

Dates: 15 -18 October 2026

Thu 12pm – 6pm
Fri & Sat 10am – 6pm
Sun 10am – 4pm

This September, the Docklands Waterfront Farmers’ Market brings fresh produce and family fun to the waterfront.

Market Highlights:

– 50+ market stalls featuring fresh Victorian produce, specialty products, baked goods, ready-to-eat meals and barista-made coffee.

– Hooked On Free Kids Fishing Clinics, plus a fishing simulator and family-friendly activities presented by the Victorian Fisheries Authority.

– Guided kayak adventures with Kayak Melbourne, departing at 10.30am and 1pm from the Community Boating Hub.

– Victoria Star Floating Restaurant at the Ferry Terminal (noon–3pm).

– Ship4Good Community Open Day with free entry, live music, food and refreshments (12.30pm–4pm) – Port Phillip Ferries Café open 10am–3pm.

Proudly supported by Docklands Chamber of Commerce, Victorian Fisheries Authority, Victorian Farmers’ Market Association, Development Victoria and City of Melbourne.

After nearly five years in the dark, the Melbourne Star has lit up the Docklands skyline once again, marking a symbolic milestone in the long-awaited return of one of Melbourne’s most recognisable landmarks.

The 120-metre observation wheel, which has been unlit since September 6, 2021, switched its lights back on at The District Docklands on July 30 in front of thousands of onlookers, offering the clearest public sign yet that the major attraction is edging closer to reopening to passengers in 2026.

While the wheel is not yet ready to carry passengers, the return of its lights has been widely welcomed in Docklands, where locals have spent recent weeks sharing photos and speculation in community forums as testing has taken place.

Docklands Primary School appears to be a significant step closer to securing a permanent second campus, with new state budget funding announced for the purchase of land for an expansion of the fast-growing school.

The funding was revealed on May 1 by City of Melbourne councillor and Labor candidate for Melbourne Davydd Griffiths, who said the Allan Government’s latest $1.6 billion education package included money to buy land for a second Docklands Primary School campus.

Docklands Primary only opened in 2021, but by early 2024 demand had already forced the government to establish a temporary second campus for Grade 5 and 6 students at The District Docklands retail precinct. That arrangement was always seen as a stopgap rather than a long-term solution.

While exact funding figures and the final location have not yet been confirmed, it is understood the second campus is strongly expected to be delivered on the site directly opposite the current school, at the south-eastern corner of Little Docklands Drive and Footscray Rd.

A new elevated cycling and pedestrian bridge over Footscray Road opened on April 15 to the delight of local cyclists.

The 220-metre bridge crosses Footscray Rd diagonally, linking Docklands to the Capital City Trail and the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail.

The overpass leads to the soon-to-be-completed 2.5-kilometre veloway connecting Footscray to Docklands.

Once completed, the veloway will provide a safe elevated route for cyclists from the city side of the Moonee Ponds Creek to the Footscray side of the Maribyrnong River, removing six road crossings.

The new paths will connect Docklands and Footscray to the outer western suburbs for cyclists, providing alternative transport options for residents across the inner city and the west.

Completed in 2022, Escala NewQuay in Docklands, Melbourne is a benchmark mixed-use project for Melbourne’s NewQuay. A multi-award-winning, 20-storey mixed-use development designed by Six Degrees Architects and developed by MAB. It earned Gold at both the 2023 Melbourne Design Awards (Mixed Use) and the 2024 Better Future Australian Design Awards (Mixed Use).

Central to Escala’s community life is a small square and laneway integrated into the ground plane. It’s a natural meeting point and social springboard that launches an authentic neighbourhood vibe. As well as a gathering place, the square is a prominent forecourt and activated public realm with specialty retail and commercial tenancies that complement the residential tower.