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Moomba Festival

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Moomba Parade 2026.

Colour and controversy as Moomba Parade marches through Melbourne

Thousands flocked to the annual parade in Kings Domain on Monday, capping off a long weekend of major events that Lord Mayor Nick Reece says drew about 2 million people to the city.

  • Lachlan Abbott

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Police patrolling the Moomba Festival in 2017.

Armed teens detained at Moomba as police thwart ‘serious violence’

Machetes, a meat cleaver and a carving knife were among weapons seized from a gang of teenage boys in the CBD on the first night of the annual Moomba Festival.

  • Isabel McMillan
Left to right, dancer Yayo Miranda, skateboarder Sage Dean, food vendor Simon Shao and Birdman Rally entrant Ann Hansen.

‘It’s very important’: Why some of us look forward to Moomba

A skateboarder, a food truck owner, a dancer and a Birdman Rally entrant explain why they like Moomba.

  • Carolyn Webb
Moomba carousel GIF.

Crowds down as heat prevents monarchs’ reign on Moomba parade

The parade was cancelled, but hardy types braved the Melbourne’s heat to enjoy the last day of the Moomba festival.

  • Carolyn Webb
Here I go: JJ Taika, dressed as Nacho Libre, competes in the 2024 Moomba Birdman Rally.

Birdman from the underground takes to the skies at Moomba

Having fun and raising money for charity were the aims of entrants in a sweltering Moomba Birdman Rally.

  • Carolyn Webb
Jimmy Giggle (aka James Rees) became the first King of Moomba to take part in the Birdman Rally in 2018.

How the Birdman Rally became a cult Melbourne event

The quirky Moomba event – in which amateur aviators fling themselves off a platform on the Yarra – boasts a venerable history of lunacy. But Melbourne wasn’t the first city to dive in.

  • Tony Wright
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2024 Moomba monarchs Emma Memma and Pete Helliar.

Festival chaos across Victoria amid extreme heat and bushfire warning

The Moomba parade has been cancelled due to forecast severe heat, as drama engulfs a camping arts festival in regional Victoria that is proceeding despite an extreme fire warning.

  • Rachael Dexter and Max Walden
Performers practice ahead of Moomba on Thursday.

How to Moomba: Your guide to this year’s festival

As the curiously named Melbourne festival celebrates 70 years, we highlight its best and brightest events and performances in 2024.

  • Kerrie O'Brien
Michelle Yeoh was involved in Moomba in 1984 and won the best actress Oscar on Sunday in the US, 39 years later.

Everything, Everywhere ... even Moomba: Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh’s Aussie connection

Michelle Yeoh’s best actress Oscar win has shed a light on her long-standing link to Australia, where she won a beauty pageant at Melbourne’s Moomba festival and got her start on screen, shooting a commercial with Jackie Chan.

  • Karl Quinn
Dancers from Toepaz Dance Studio perform in the Moomba parade.

Melbourne’s Moomba draws crowds and cheers despite ‘daggy’ reputation

Multicultural Melbourne was on full display during the Moomba Festival parade, from the Vietnamese community, dancing in the traditional dress of ao dai and conical nón lá hats, to recently arrived Ukrainians.

  • Cara Waters