Melbourne Cricket Ground
Built in 1853, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere and 10th biggest in the world boasting a capacity of over 100,000 people.
It’s a stadium rich in history and the scene of some of Australian sports most memorable moments.
The first cricket match played at the MCG took place in September 1854 while Victoria and New South Wales met in the first inter-colonial match in March 1856.
The MCG is the birthplace of Test Cricket (1877) and one-day international cricket (1971), the home for the AFL Grand Final and hosted the 1956 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games along with a range of major international events and concerts.
Outside of Lords, the MCG is the only other stadium around the world to host the ICC Cricket World Cup Final more than once (1992 and 2015).
The MCG underwent significant redevelopments in 1991, when the Great Southern Stand was rebuilt, and again in 2003-2005, when the Northern Stand replaced the old Ponsford, Members and Olympic Stands.
In 2020 the MCG will host the Women’s and Men’s Finals of the ICC T20 World Cup.
Come for the T20 World Cup and stay on to discover a global sporting capital, buoyed by a spirit of innovation and creativity.
Internationally recognised as one of the culinary capitals of the world, Melbourne’s restaurant, bar and café scene is defined by the pursuit of creativity, quality and new ideas. Enjoy a next level breakfast at Higher Ground in architecturally designed surrounds or fuel up with superb coffee at Manchester Press, hidden down Rankins Lane. For an afternoon or evening tipple, make a beeline for Arbory Afloat,a huge floating bar atop the Yarra River; Ponyfish IslandorRiverland also on the Yarra; or the iconic Rooftop Bar inCurtin House.
No visit to Melbourne is complete without experiencing the inner neighbourhoods like a local.
A short stroll or tram ride from the MCG, the neighbourhood of Richmond is nestled right next to the city’s sporting precinct. It’s the perfect spot to get your taste buds tingling.
Tip your hat to theGood Food Guide champions, adding fine culinary pedigree to the local dining scene: Minamishima, Anchovyand Noir. Baby Pizza and Kong on Church Street always hit the spot, as does the hustle and bustle of traditional, fast and exceptional Vietnamese food on Victoria Street.
Make sure you check out local favourite the Corner Hotel for live music and rooftop brews.
Be inspired by world class art collections at cutting-edge galleries and sense your mind expanding as your feet lead you through a network of laneway exhibitions and art studios.
Head to Melbourne’s Arts Precinct where the Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse, Recital Centre and the National Gallery of Victoria form Melbourne's beating cultural heart. At Federation Square, where art meets architecture, see the Aboriginal art collection at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. Feel goose bumps as you join applauding crowds in Melbourne’sEast End Theatre Districtor immerse yourself in the city’s ever-changing street art scene.