- Published:
- Wednesday 19 November 2025 at 9:00 am
Thousands of visitors will converge on the city when the Melbourne Fashion Festival celebrates its 30th year in 2026, backed by the Allan Labor Government.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos welcomed the 2026 programme, which will be unveiled tomorrow by the Melbourne Fashion Festival – bringing together fashion, creativity and community for 15 days of live events.
Held from 14 to 28 February across Melbourne, the Festival includes a world-class Premium Runway Series showcasing leading Australian designers alongside exciting local and emerging talent the second week (23-28 February) at Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building.
The festival is rounded out with a city-wide celebration of fashion, shopping events, styling and beauty workshops, industry seminars with leading fashion voices, networking events, fashion installations and exhibitions.
Beginning in 1996, the Festival is now Australia’s largest consumer fashion event, showcasing creative talent and celebrating Australian and Victorian fashion and retail sectors. tou
The Melbourne Fashion Festival takes place alongside a blockbuster calendar of major events, including the 2025 NGV summer exhibition Westwood | Kawakubo, Australian Open, Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and NRL State of Origin.
Tickets are on sale from 9am AEDT 20 November, via mff.com.au.
Quote attributable to Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
“We are backing the Melbourne Fashion Festival alongside a bumper major events calendar that will bring thousands of visitors into the city, supporting local businesses and jobs.”
Quote attributable to Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements
“Fashion-lovers from near and far are expected to come to Australia’s creative and fashion capital, bringing more visitors into the city and supporting the city’s hotels, bars and restaurants.”
Quote attributable to Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO Caroline Ralphsmith
“The strength, scale and momentum of Melbourne Fashion Festival today is grounded in a remarkable 30-year legacy shaped by the valuable contributions of an iconic collection of Australia’s designers, creatives, industry leaders and partners. As Australia’s only true consumer major fashion event, we create a world-class fashion destination that is accessible to all, allowing us to deliver real value, development opportunities and visibility to designers at all levels, securing the Festival’s influence on the Australian fashion industry well into the future.”