Melbourne Showgrounds Update: March 2026
30 Mar 2026 / Melbourne Showgrounds
I am pleased to welcome Gema Group as the new catering partner for Melbourne Showgrounds and the Melbourne Royal Show. Commencing 1 April 2026, Gema Group brings extensive experience as one of Australia’s leading catering and hospitality providers. The group currently delivers catering operations across a range of major Australian venues and provides services for some of the country’s most prominent large-scale events. We look forward to partnering with Gema Group in the enhancement of Melbourne Showgrounds’ catering offering.
In recent weeks, we proudly assisted event organisers in successfully delivering several key events at Melbourne Showgrounds, including the 2026 Victorian Caravan & Camping Super Show and the 2026 Melbourne Rodeo as part of the national Stampede Series. Both events attracted strong attendance with over 38,500 visitors attending the Victorian Caravan & Camping Super Show, and 8,500 tickets sold for the Melbourne Rodeo. These events continue to highlight the versatility of our venue as a destination for large-scale, diverse experiences, reinforcing its position as a leading events and exhibitions venue in Victoria.
Judging of the world’s best Beer and Spirits this year will commence shortly with the 2026 Australian International Beer Awards, the largest beer competition in the world judging both draught and packaged beer. Entries for the 2026 Awards have now officially closed, with an excellent response from brewers across Australia and internationally, receiving more than 2,200 entries. Thank you to all the breweries that entered; I trust they will enjoy great benefits from having their product benchmarked against the best in the world.
Judging will take place from Tuesday 5 May – Friday 8 May at Melbourne Showgrounds, followed by the Trophy Presentation Dinner, held in the Victoria Pavilion on Thursday 14 May when the beer and brewing industry will come together to celebrate excellence. This fabulous event is expected to be a sell out, so if you love beer, I encourage you to be quick to secure tickets.
Entries for the 2026 Australian International Spirits Awards open on Tuesday 14 April, with an exciting new Gin & Tonic Category and two new Head Judges, Sebastian Reaburn and Holly Klintworth. You can learn more about the Awards here.
Looking ahead, preparations are well underway for MotorEx, one of the most prestigious motoring showcases in the country. Returning to Melbourne Showgrounds from Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 May 2026, the event will once again bring an exceptional display of rare and classic vehicles and is expected to attract up to 25,000 attendees. We are pleased to confirm trains will be running to Melbourne Showgrounds for this event.
We’re also excited to have secured Dangerous Goods XXL Festival, a high-energy techno music event set to bring a new audience to the Showgrounds. This addition reflects the growing diversity of events hosted at the precinct and our continued focus on attracting unique, large-scale experiences.
As we move further into the year, there are plenty of exciting announcements still to come. We look forward to sharing further updates in the months ahead as we continue to build momentum across the precinct.
Sam Buckley
Executive General Manager,
Melbourne Showgrounds