Melbourne is a vibrant city of sports, entertainment & festivals. Here’s some ideas to keep you busy away from the track at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
- The 2024 Australian Grand Prix takes place from Thursday March 21 to Sunday March 24
- A limited number of Race Tickets remain available. Experience Packages are currently sold out
- For more information on what’s happening at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, including the full on-track schedule, check out our Trackside post
- Further ideas on the best districts of Melbourne and things to do in the city can be found in our Off-Track Activities post.
Head to the Williams Racing Fan Zone
From March 18 to March 24, Williams will be hosting their Fan Zone in Melbourne. The event will feature appearances from current Williams drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant and a chance to get up close to the team’s show cars – including the FW46. There’ll also be the opportunity to try your hand at racing on Esports simulator rigs and test your reflexes times with a Batak reaction time machine.
The Williams Racing Fan Zone will be open from 11:00-19:00 Monday to Friday, from 10:00-21:00 on Saturday March 23 and from 10:00-18:00 on Sunday March 24. The event takes place at The Atrium at Fed Square. Further details can be found on the Williams F1 website.
Spend an Evening with Sir Jackie Stewart
What better way to gear up for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix than spending the eve of the weekend in the company of Formula 1 legend Jackie Stewart. The three-time World Champion will host a special dinner at Albert Park on Thursday March 21, all in aid of raising awareness and funds for his Race Against Dementia charity.
Guests will be joined by Stewart and other Formula 1 personalities for the once-in-a-lifetime dinner. Enjoy dinner, fine wines, entertainment and a special auction, raising further funds. Tickets are available from $1,000 AUD. The event takes place from 18:30 at the Melbourne Suite of the Chicane Pavilion.
Head to the Ultimate Motorsport Dinner
On Friday March 22, a special dinner will be put on at the Palladium at Crown. Billed as the ‘Ultimate Motorsport Dinner’, this event will feature guest appearances from a range of Formula 1 personalities, including World Champions and Alan Jones and Damon Hill, plus former driver David Coulthard and Supercars legend Mark Winterbottom.
A two-course dinner and beverages – champagne, beer and wine – is included. Enquire about further details via Formula 1’s official ticket package partner, F1 Experiences.
Check out Special Events at Pullman & Mercure Melbourne Albert Park
Pullman & Mercure Melbourne Albert Park will host a number of special events from Thursday March 21 to Sunday March 24 in celebration of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix weekend. Racing simulators and race cars will be on display in the hotel lobby, Red Bull DJs will be taking to the decks at the hotel’s Lawn Bar and there’ll be coffee and wine masterclasses from Nespresso and Audrey Wilkinson.
Head to the hotel’s website for further information.
Visit Middle Park’s Grand Prix Street Party
Just a few minutes from the track, find four days full of food, entertainment and Formula 1 at Middle Park Hotel’s Grand Prix Street Party. Enjoy the races screened on mega screens, live music and DJ sets, F1 games and giveaways plus a pop-up bar, complete with a delicious menu.
Tables inside the venue come on a first come basis. Entry is free. The Heineken Marquee is open 10:00-23:00 daily from Thursday to Sunday, while the pub is open from 12:00 until midnight.
Attend an AFL match
Melbourne is often referred to as the ‘sporting capital’ of Australia (or even the world). The city is rightly famous for events such as the Melbourne Cup horse race and Australian Open tennis, not to mention the Australian Grand Prix.
The new season of Australia’s unique brand of football known as the AFL (Australian Football League) kicks off a few weeks before F1 arrives in Melbourne, and several matches will be taking place in Melbourne on race weekend.
St Kilda take on Collingwood under lights at Melbourne Cricket Ground at 19:30 on Thursday March 21 (more info), while another three matches take place in the city on Saturday and Sunday – those these clash with the on-track action at the Australian Grand Prix.
Go to the horse races
Horse racing is exceedingly popular in Australia, and particularly in Melbourne. If you fancy a flutter, there’s two race meetings happening on/before the Australian Grand Prix weekend worth considering:
- Sunday March 17: Yarra Valley Racing. Located in the heart of the beautiful Yarra Valley winegrowing region, around an hour from Melbourne via car or public transport, this country race meeting is a great day out. More info.
- Friday March 22: Autumn Night Racing at Cranbourne. About one hour from the centre of Melbourne via train or car. Gates open at 17:00. More info.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2024
Melbourne’s multicultural food scene provides a taste of some of the world’s major cuisines, including Italian, Greek Middle Eastern and myriad Asian countries. There’s always something happening in the city when it comes to food and drink, and this year’s race weekend coincides with the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2024 (March 15-24). This festival celebrates Melbourne’s diverse gastronomic scene and exceptional local wines. Choose from hundreds of events all over the city, including wine tastings, cooking classes and pop-up restaurants featuring visiting international chefs. The centerpiece of this year’s festival can be found at Federation Square (just opposite Flinders Street station, where free trams run to Albert Park).
Fed Square is usually is usually host to a number of fan activations over the Australian Grand Prix weekend, geared towards fans who have not got tickets for the event itself. Last year, the qualifying session and the Grand Prix were shown on big screens at The Edge and racing arcade games were set up for fans to try their hand at.
Who’s Performing During 2024 Australian Grand Prix Week?
Melbourne has a thriving live music scene and there are plenty of concerts taking place in the lead up to the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
Knotfest – the musical festival created by heavy metal band Slipknot – coincides with Australian Grand Prix week with performances from heavyweights of the rock music world taking place in Melbourne from March 21 to March 24. Big name performers include Halestorm, Lamb of God, Pantera and Disturbed.
On race weekend, British rising star Maisie Peters headlines Margaret Court Arena on Saturday March 23, while The Dead South are at Forum Melbourne on both Saturday and Sunday.
There are usually a selection of concerts trackside at Albert Park too – details for 2024 are yet to be announced.
What’s Happening at the Track?
Of course, the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park will be the heart of the action over the 2024 Australian Grand Prix weekend. In addition to the on-track F1 action, feeder series F2 and F3 will also be racing, with the popular Australian Supercars series and the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia also expected to make appearances.
All you need to know about watching the race trackside – including gate opening times, access points, on-track schedules, prohibited items and more – can be found on our updated Trackside page.
