The Best Race Week Events at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix

Melbourne is a vibrant city of sports, entertainment & festivals. Here’s some ideas to keep you busy away from the track at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.

Official Travel Packages / F1 Experiences / Melbourne Hotels / Australian GP Facebook group

• The 2026 Australian Grand Prix takes place from Thursday March 5 to Sunday March 8
• For more information on what’s happening at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, 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
• This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links

Melbourne is renowned as the sporting capital of the world, with the Australian Grand Prix being one of the leading sporting events hosted in the city each year. Recent editions of the Australian Grand Prix have set records for the city’s best-attended sporting event of all time, and it’s reasonable to expect another record in 2026. Recent editions of the Australian Grand Prix have set records for the city’s best-attended sporting event of all time, and it’s reasonable to expect another record in 2026. New grandstands and hospitality spaces have been added at Albert Park for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, and the majority of tickets sold out in record time. From other sporting events, to fan festivals and top entertainment, here are some of the off-track events for Formula 1 fans attending the 2026 Australian Grand Prix!

Free F1 Fan Festival

Once again, the free three-day F1 Fan Festival returns to coincide with Melbourne’s race weekend. Open from 10am to 10pm daily at Federation Square, the festival runs from Friday March 6 to Sunday March 8. If you missed out on tickets for the race but are in the city anyway, this is the place to watch the Australian Grand Prix!

In addition to live streams of all the on-track action, you can get up close to a 2026 show car, try your hand at driving on racing simulators and enjoy a range of food and beverage options. Find further information on the official Australian Grand Prix website.

Visit the F1 Exhibition in Melbourne

Melbourne is the latest stop on the F1 Exhibition’s world tour. Hosted at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in South Wharf, this is the exhibition’s debut in the Asia-Pacific region. The F1 Exhibition takes visitors through the sport’s rich history, with historic championship-winning cars on display and exclusive artefacts, driver helmets and video interviews. Exclusive for Melbourne is a celebration of Australia’s contribution to the sport. The exhibition opened in December 2025 and runs until April 19, 2026. Tickets are priced from $49.90 for adults and $24.90 for kids. Find further information on the official website.

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 on the same weekend that Formula 1 arrives in Melbourne this year, and there are also matches taking place the weekend after the Australian Grand Prix for those fans staying around in the city a bit longer. Learn more here.

Ultimate Motorsport Dinner: March 5, 2026

On Thursday, March 5, a special dinner will be put on at the Palladium at Crown. Billed as the ‘Ultimate Motorsport Dinner’, this event has previously featured 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 three-course dinner and beverage package is included. Tickets are available with 2026 Australian Grand Prix Travel Packages.

Williams Racing Fan Zone

The past few seasons have seen the Williams F1 team host a very popular pop-up Fan Zone in Melbourne during the week before the Australian Grand Prix. For the third year in a row, the Williams Racing Fan Zone will be held at The Atrium at Fed Square.

The event will feature appearances from the team’s race and reserve drivers, Alex Albon and Luke Browning, as well as Team Principal James Vowles and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill, plus the chance to get up close to the team’s latest show car. There’s also the opportunity to try your hand at racing on Esports simulator rigs and test your reflex times with a Batak reaction time machine.

The event runs from March 2-8 and is open 11:00-19:00 on weekdays, 10:00-19:00 on Saturday and 10:00-17:00 on race day.

See Oscar Piastri at the Quad Lock OP Pop-Up Store

Head to Quad Lock’s pop up store in Melbourne’s CBD to see Oscar Piastri in person. The Australian F1 superstar will be unveiling the brand’s 2026 McLaren Range on Tuesday March 3. The event takes place from 7:30pm at 363 Little Collins St. The store remains open until Tuesday March 10, and will feature racing simulators, exclusive Piastri merchandise and memorabilia from Piastri’s rise through the racing ranks.

Attend McLaren’s Ignition Beach at St Kilda

McLaren have teamed up with PUMA and will host a family-friendly fan experience on Melbourne in the lead up to the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. Ignition Beach at St Kilda will run from Thursday March 5 to Monday March 9. Fans will be able to get close to a McLaren show car and explore the new replica team kit and fan wear. Official event partner Mastercard are also offering fans the opportunity to enjoy on-site hospitality and take their photo with the team’s 2025 Constructors’ Championship trophy.

Elsewhere, McLaren will also be hosting a warm-up and street party in partnership with Jack Daniel’s. The event will take place at Middle Park Hotel across race weekend, the highlight being a special guest appearance on opening night – Thursday March 5.

2026 Race Week Concerts in Melbourne

Melbourne has a thriving live music scene and there are plenty of concerts taking place before, during and after the 2026 Australian Grand Prix weekend. Here are some of the highlights:

• March 3, 2026: Pulp at Sidney Meyer Music Bowl. Tickets & Info
• March 6, 2026: Pendulum at Palace Foreshore. Tickets & Info
• March 6-7, 2026: Hilltop Hoods at Rod Laver Arena. Tickets & Info
• March 7, 2026: Basement Jaxx at Sidney Meyer Music Bowl. Tickets & Info
• March 8, 2026: Linkin Park at Rod Laver Arena. Tickets & Info
• March 6-15, 2026: The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria will play host to a series of concerts across race week. A week of Live at The Gardens performances includes a performance by Leftfield with special guests Paul Mac (DJ Set) and Late Nite Tuff Guy on Sunday, March 8. Tickets & Info
• View all March 2026 concerts in Melbourne here

Adelaide Motorsport Festival: February 28-March 1, 2026

If classic cars are your thing, and you’re elsewhere in Australia ahead of the Grand Prix, the Adelaide Motorsport Festival takes place one week before the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1. Taking place on sections of the Adelaide street circuit that hosted the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 1985-1995, the event has been getting bigger and better in recent years. This year’s edition of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival features appearances from Formula 1 identities Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard, Valtteri Bottas, Thierry Boutsen, Martin Donnelly, Stefan Johansson, Andrea Montermini and David Brabham. A huge array of historic Formula 1 cars, as well as many other supercars and historic racing cars and motorbikes, will be taking to the track in Adelaide. Tickets are on sale now. Read about our visit to the 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

Phillip Island Classic: March 13-15, 2026

If you’re in Australia the week after the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, take the two hour drive south to the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, where the annual Phillip Island Classic will be taking place from March 13-15. This three-day festival of motorsport will showcase over 400 historic racing cars from various categories. This is an all-access event, where you can get up close to the cars and talk to the drivers. Tickets are priced from $40 per day.

The Crofty Show: Sydney (March 2, 2026) & Perth (March 9, 2026)

For international fans enjoying an extended trip to Australia, or Aussie fans located in Sydney and Perth, F1 lead commentator David ‘Crofty’ Croft will be hosting events before and after this year’s race weekend. Enjoy an interactive show with a lively Q&A session, 2026 season insights, quizzes, polls, challenges and exclusive giveaways. Crofty will be heading to Bondi Pavillion in Sydney on Monday March 2, and he’ll be at the Regal Theatre in Perth on Monday March 9, where he’ll be joined by former F1 driver Anthony Davidson! Get 10% off tickets by applying our exclusive discount code: SPONSOR26.

What’s Happening at the Track on 2026 Australian Grand Prix weekend?

Of course, the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park will be the heart of the action over the 2026 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 due 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.

The Lakeside Festival is the place to be for entertainment at the track when the racing action has finished. As well as hosting fan forums and interviews the F1 drivers, the main stage will also play host to a number of music acts across the race weekend. In 2026, the circuit welcomes headliners Basement Jaxx (March 6), Rita Ora (March 7) and Duke Dumont (March 8). The Lakeside Festival is free for race weekend ticket holders to attend.