Melburnians will be encouraged to show their love for the city during this year's Moomba Festival, with floral love heart displays popping up across the city.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp today provided additional details on the Moomba 2.0 festival program, with events taking place at Alexandra Gardens, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and across the city from Friday 5 to Monday 8 March 2021.
The Moomba Carnival at Alexandra Gardens will feature smaller rides for the kids, and thrilling rides for teenagers and adults as well as food trucks and live performances. There will be hot dogs, fairy floss and some healthy options too.
The Riverslide Skate Park in the Carnival precinct will host the Australian Skateboard League National Final where you can watch experienced skaters, scooters and BMX riders compete across the weekend.
Basketball lovers can enjoy the NBL 3x3 Hustle, register for a Community Hustle game, or catch the pros in an NBL Legends Game on Star Lawn, also in the Alexandra Gardens Carnival precinct.
Entry to all activity in Alexandra Gardens is free, but session times must be pre-booked via the Moomba website.
Along with the carnival at Alexandra Gardens, a 'Love Melbourne, Love Moomba' theme will be displayed at some of Melbourne's most iconic locations.
Significant buildings will be lit up in red to encourage everyone to show their love for Melbourne, while large floral love heart displays will pop up at Melbourne Town Hall, Bourke Street Mall, the State Library of Victoria and more locations.
The festival will also show its love for Melbourne with a light installation of a gigantic beating heart placed before the city's skyline along the banks of the Yarra on the Upper Terrace of Birrarung Marr.
Other activity around town during Moomba Long Weekend includes a busking competition in the city where the winner will receive a 'golden ticket' to Melbourne's best events.
There will be pop-up music performances and street art installations around the city.
In partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne, the City of Melbourne will be bringing live music and entertainment to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage across the Moomba Long Weekend. Featured artists include The Cat Empire along with Kids at the Bowl with Jimmy Giggle, Justine Clarke, Dan Sultan and Pevan & Sarah.
The City of Melbourne thanks its valued Moomba partners for their support, including the Victorian Government, Transport Accident Commission, Nine News, oOh!media, Ticketek and Wallaby Water.
Moomba 2.0 will be a COVID-safe event, with ticketing and COVID-safe marshals across all sites.
To book a session at Alexandra Gardens and for full program details, visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/moomba.
Quotes attributable to Lord Mayor Sally Capp:
"Moomba 2.0 will be different this year but we are encouraging all Melburnians to come into the city and discover everything that is on offer during the long weekend," the Lord Mayor said.
"Some traditions never die and we are excited to reveal our 2021 Moomba Monarchs very soon. There will be food trucks, rides for the kids and live performances happening across the city.
"The floral heart displays will help to capture the community spirit that's at the heart of the Moomba Festival.
"We are committed to doing whatever we can to support the economic and cultural revitalisation of Marvellous Melbourne."
Quotes attributable to Councillor Roshena Campbell:
"Events will continue to play an important role in our economic recovery and we want everyone to have a fun-filled long weekend and for our businesses to get a boost in their trade," Cr Campbell said.
"Moomba 2.0 this year is more than a family friendly festival, it's about providing confidence to so many local businesses that rely on major events. We want to renew Melburnians' love affair with Melbourne.
"Every festival-goer is a potential customer and we are encouraging every Melburnian to come back into the city to rediscover the magic of Moomba and to support our amazing and unique local businesses."
