The best Christmas markets in Melbourne for getting festive in 2024

Picture this: a balmy summer night in Melbourne spent filling your belly and quenching your thirst from a selection of global street food stalls, carts, trucks and festival bars. If that sounds right up your alley, then mark November 20 in your calendar, because that's when the Queen Vic Market's much-loved Summer Night Market returns. 

For the month of December there'll be a whole lot of holiday cheer to soak up, with Santa and his trusty elf sidekick roaming around and posing for festive pics. Don't miss 'Snow Time', which is taking place every hour on the hour at the Christmas tree on Queen Street – with falling snow you'll feel as though you've been transported to a cosy winter wonderland.

Each Saturday and Sunday the Rose St Artists' Market gathers some of Melbourne's most exciting artists and designers to display their wares and talk all things handmade. The market has been buzzing since 2003 and is modelled off similar markets in London, Berlin and New York. Weave your way through the crowds and duck into the warehouse to check out the handmade fashion, food and curios for sale. The artists are usually on hand to compare crochet needles and discuss their work, so drop in for a squizz, a chat and a haircut from the resident hairdresser.

Arts Centre Melbourne isn't just great for the odd musical or theatre production – in fact, every weekend the grounds of the arts precinct's hub come alive with market stalls selling everything from handmade leather wallets to locally made art by the city's designers and small business owners. Situated a short walk from Flinders Street Station, everything on offer at the market has been locally made, and the market also features a great range of food stalls if you want to shake up your weekend brunch.

The Esplanade Market at St Kilda has been a city icon since 1970. With its inspiring mix of arts and crafts, it's a world-renowned hotspot for local artists and creatives to sell their wares to the casual Sunday crowd who wander along the palm-fringed esplanade. The market is an easy 15-minute ride from the city on the 16 or 96 trams. St Kilda Esplanade Market is open 10am to 5pm during daylight savings, or 10am to 4pm at all other times.

Amid its annual Cherry-Picking Festival, CherryHill Orchards is hosting its first-ever festive market on December 21 and 22 from 4pm to 8pm. It'll be an evening of community-oriented, family fun – with local makers and artisan crafters selling their wares. You'll be able to buy anything from gourmet marshmallows to whimsical felt fairies, making for the ideal opportunity for some gift shopping. Plus, there'll be activities for kids, food trucks and of course, lots of cherries.