The EOI for major events from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029 is now closed. The EOI will open again May 2026 for events from 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2030.
How to apply
If you’re an event organiser or group planning events in our city, the Major Event Expressions of Interest (EOI) process allows you to apply for the use of City of Melbourne public open spaces.
The next Major Event EOI will open in May 2026 for events from 1 July 2027 to June 2030.
The EOI process is focused on capturing major events that meets one or more of the following conditions:
- Events with an attendance of 10,000 people or more.
- Events involving complex road closures (for example, multiple road closures or closing main roads with multiple detours).
- Events causing minor road closures but impacting public transport.
- Events with more than 20 items of infrastructure (e.g. marquees, portable toilets, inflatables, stages, food vans).
- Events with large infrastructure builds requiring cranes or multiple vehicles for set up and pack down.
View the list of public spaces in City of Melbourne below:
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. The application allows you to choose other locations within City of Melbourne.
Refer the interactive map External link for more details.
Birrarung Marr
- Birrarung Marr – Lower Terrace
- Birrarung Marr – Middle Terrace
- Birrarung Marr – Upper Terrace
- Birrarung Marr – Speakers Corner
Alexandra Gardens
- Alexandra Gardens – Lawn 5
- Alexandra Gardens – Palm Lawn
- Alexandra Gardens – Star Lawn
- Alexandra Gardens – Engineers Lawn
- Alexandra Gardens – Dorchester Lawn
Kings Domain
- Kings Domain – Lawn 2
- Kings Domain – Lawn 3
- Kings Domain – Lawn 4
- Kings Domain – Lawn 5
- Kings Domain – Lawn 6
- Kings Domain – Lawn 7/Gazebo
- Kings Domain – Lawn 8
- Kings Domain – Tom's Block
Treasury Gardens
- Treasury Gardens – Lawn 4
- Treasury Gardens – Lawn 5/JFK Memorial
- Treasury Gardens – Lawn 6
- Treasury Gardens – Lawn 7
Assessment criteria
All EOIs will consider five key criteria: sponsorship, suitability, community/cultural benefits, stimulus and engagement. It will also consider the demand for a location at a particular time of the year.
The full criteria is outlined in the Major event EOI form External link.
Key dates
The next Major Event EOI will open in May 2026 for events from 1 July 2027 to June 2030.
Frequently asked questions
No, you can however apply via the general event application permit if your event is within 12 months. If your major event is beyond 12 months and the EOI has closed please contact us via events@melbourne.vic.gov.au
Major events held before 1 July 2026 should apply via the City of Melbourne event permit application. Visit the event permit page for more information on notice period required for an event.
Public open space is publicly owned land such as parks, gardens, reserves, squares, footpaths and roadways that are managed by City of Melbourne.
No, only events held in public open space managed by the City of Melbourne can apply for this EOI.
View the event sites within City of Melbourne on the interactive map External link.
Examples include:
- Federation Square
- Royal Botanic Gardens
- Sidney Myer Music Bowl
- directly outside the State Library
- directly outside National Gallery of Victoria
- and many more.
If you are unsure, please contact the Event Operations team by emailing events@melbourne.vic.gov.au or call 03 9658 9658.
Any equipment that exceeds chairs, tables, two barbecues and four market umbrellas such as marquees, stages, generators, portable toilets and inflatables.
Providing an estimate on how much infrastructure you will bring to the site will help us understand the overall size of your event and determine if the chosen location is suitable.
Details about vehicle types and quantity will help us determine if the event space is suitable and has the appropriate access requirements, or if there is a suitable alternative location.
Providing an estimate on how many vehicles and the type of vehicles you need for your event will help us identify if the chosen location is suitable.
An assessment team will assess applications against the criteria and each criterion is weighted. The weighted scores for all criteria will be added together and a total score used to determine an applications ranking against the criteria so the more you can consider, the higher the score and likelihood of progressing your application. The assessment will also consider the demand for a location at a particular time of the year.
Eligibility for the EOI is determined by the event being able to meet one or more of the specified conditions as to what constitutes a major event.
For example, if you applied for funding and you do not meet any of the conditions that define a major event you are not eligible to apply for a Major Event EOI. You can, however, apply via the general event permit application if you meet the notice required for an event.
Contact us
To discuss any queries regarding the eligibility of your event, or the EOI application process, please contact us via email: events@melbourne.vic.gov.au.
