International Sporting Events Melbourne

Held at Rod Laver Arena, one of the largest sporting venues in Australia, The Australian Open draws crowds of tennis fans to Melbourne every year. Whether you enjoy the men's, ladies', or mixed doubles, you can't help but get swept up in the atmosphere.

The air is electric, the players athletic and the crowd excited! Nothing beats watching a live match as two players battle it out to become the champion of the first Grand Slam for the year.

With a moveable roof, cancelling play due to the weather is not an issue! The roof is formed by two moveable sections and ensures tennis can be played despite the sometimes inclement weather Melbourne is known for.

Gentlemen, start your engines! One of the premier events on Melbourne's packed sporting calendar is the Australian Grand Prix. Each year in March, the excitement that is Formula One enters town. This is not just a sporting event, but a showcase of engineering excellence, athletic ability and heartstopping action.

Set in the picturesque surroundings of Albert Park, the Australian Grand Prix mirrors the glamour and sophistication associated with the sport. Watch as these highly engineered and specially crafted cars fly past at some 300 kilometres per hour. You will be astounded by the precision and ability possessed by each and every one of these drivers.

And when it comes to entertainment, it's not all about the cars! This is the time when the stars come out to play in Melbourne, and the parties are many. Witness some of the biggest bands in the world performing to a packed crowd of revellers, and try celebrity-spotting among them!

You haven't experienced Melbourne's sporting side until you have been to a live AFL match.

If you don't know much (or anything) about the sport, here is a quick catch up!

The Australian Football League (AFL) is the national competition in the sport of Australian rules football, affectionately called ‘footy’. The game is fast paced and features elements of rugby and soccer.

The AFL started 25 years ago in Victoria and has grown into a national competition with teams based in five of the six Australian states. Melbourne hosts nine of the 16 teams that form the Australian Football League. AFL is currently the most attended sporting league in Australia. Many of the teams in the competition have a rich history with the sport, some of them starting in the Victorian Football League back in 1897.

Each of the 16 teams play in 22 rounds between late March and early September. These matches are followed by a series of finals matches which culminate in the two best teams playing off for the premiership in the AFL Grand Final.

Played on the last Saturday of September, the Grand Final is traditionally played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, even if two non-Victorian teams are playing.

On the first Tuesday of every November, the nation stops to listen to a horse race. In a social and cultural tradition spanning 145 years, the Melbourne Cup literally brings Australia to a standstill. The Melbourne Cup now attracts a worldwide television audience of 700 million people in 120 countries and territories.

The race itself is for horses aged 3 years or over, competing over a distance of 3,200 metres. The minimum handicap weight is 49 kilograms, and each horse is allocated an individual weight. This is calculated by age and previous race results.

The Melbourne Cup has a rich history, beginning back in 1861. The prizemoney has increased significantly since then, as has the number of horses contesting the race. The record for attendance at Flemington Race Course, the home of the Cup, is 122,736 people.

Off the track, one of the main attractions is 'fashions on the field'. The best-dressed man and woman win prizes, with a hat being an essential accessory. The elegant hats on parade at the Melbourne Cup are a range of designs and colours, incorporating everything from feathers to beads and lace. The Melbourne Cup has the Yellow Rose as its official flower, so you will be sure to see plenty of them.

Boxing Day in Melbourne doesn't just mean eating the leftovers from Christmas Day! It also means the Boxing Day Cricket Match has hit town. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is the host of the Australian Cricket Team and their competitors, the national team touring over the summer. In recent years, this has been India or South Africa.

Beginning back in 1950, the Boxing Day test is a regular sell out, with many fans taking advantage of the public holiday and warm weather. It is also an occasion to get out your yellow and green Zinc cream, big sunhats and perform the mexican wave!

Sporting figures are idolised in Australia, and Cricket is no exception. Melbourne has a proud sporting heritage that continues to this day, and visitors to the city will be amazed at how passionate about its sport this city really is.