Frequently asked questions

Yes, the square is designed to be inclusive and accessible, with pathways and facilities that accommodate visitors with disabilities.

Yes. Marvel Stadium Square is at street level with step-free access, and there are accessible amenities in the precinct.

If you need an accessible parking bay, tell the car park staff as you come in. The car park is underneath the stadium and has a 2.1 metre height limit.

Companion Card holders are welcome. Entry is free for everyone, so nobody needs a card to get in.

Yes. Marvel Stadium Square is at street level with step-free access, the site is undercover, and there is room to move a pram around it.

The afternoon is the easiest time to visit with very young children, before the evening crowds build.

No. Melbourne Diwali does not serve halal food and no stall is halal certified.

Every stall at the festival is satvik, vegetarian and cruelty free, so no meat, fish or poultry is served anywhere on site. Ingredients vary from stall to stall, so ask at the stall if you have particular requirements.

Saturday 31 October 2026, from 2pm to 10pm, at Marvel Stadium Square in Docklands. Entry is free and no ticket is required.

Diwali itself falls on Sunday 8 November in 2026, so the festival runs on the weekend before the day. The market is a good place to pick up diyas and sweets for your own celebration at home.

Up to 20,000 people attended in 2025. For 2026 we are planning for up to 15,000 across the eight hours.

People come and go throughout the day, so the site never holds everyone at once. The afternoon is the calmer stretch; the evening, around the competition finals and the lighting ceremony, is the busiest. If you prefer a quieter visit, come at 2pm.

A full day of live performance on the main stage, including the Melbourne Diwali dance competition through the afternoon, the Diwali lighting ceremony at dusk and an evening showcase to close. The competition is open to dance schools, academies, community groups and school groups, and acts can perform in the showcase without competing.

Around the stage there are hands-on cultural stations (henna, rangoli, saree draping, Rajasthani turban tying) with cultural guides to explain each one, a supervised Kids Zone, an all-vegetarian food market and an artisan market selling diyas, jewellery, clothing, spices and gifts.

Yes. Marvel Stadium Square is a large undercover space, and the festival goes ahead rain or shine. The space is open-sided, so bring a jumper for the evening.

The festival will proceed rain or shine. However, in the event of extreme weather conditions, we may need to modify the schedule or activities. Please check our website or social media for updates.

Absolutely! Melbourne Diwali is a family-friendly event with activities and entertainment suitable for all ages. We have dedicated kids' zones, and performances that everyone can enjoy.

All the food at Melbourne Diwali is satvik, vegetarian and cruelty free. That is festival policy, not an accident of who trades: it follows ahimsa, the principle of non-violence that runs through much of Indian religious and philosophical tradition. Jain and satvik cooking (no onion or garlic) is a normal part of this cuisine, so ask at the stall if that is how you eat. Many dishes suit vegans too.

No halal food is served and no stall is halal certified.

Expect chaat, dosa, biryani, mithai (Indian sweets), lassi, sugarcane juice and masala chai from family-run stalls, with an artisan market alongside selling diyas, jewellery, clothing, spices and gifts. Stalls for 2026 are being confirmed now, and the vendor list will be published once it is locked in.

No. Melbourne Diwali is alcohol-free across the whole site, for the whole day. Please do not bring alcohol with you; it is on the list of items not to bring. It is one of the reasons the festival feels the same at 9pm as it does at 3pm.

No. The festival site is smoke and vape free for the whole event. This is a family festival with children everywhere, and Marvel Stadium itself is also a smoke-free venue.

Speak straight away to any customer service staff member wearing a Marvel Stadium vest or a Melbourne Diwali vest. They are there to look after lost children and reunite families quickly.

Two things make this easier: agree a meeting point with your kids when you arrive, and take a photo of your child on your phone that morning, so staff know exactly who they are looking for and what they are wearing.

At dusk, as the site lights come up: it is the centrepiece of the evening and the moment most people plan their day around. Exact times are published on the schedule page as the run sheet is confirmed, so check there in the week before the festival.

The ceremony is a community moment open to everyone. Diwali's own day, with puja at home, falls on Sunday 8 November in 2026.

A refillable water bottle, and a jumper for the evening: the site is undercover but open-sided, and Melbourne evenings in late October turn cool. If noise is an issue for anyone in your group, ear defenders are worth packing. Prams are fine; the whole site is step-free.

Leave alcohol, glass, fireworks and sparklers at home. There is a full list under "What items can't I bring in?".

Assistance dogs are welcome. They must wear their identifying harness, and please bring any accreditation documents with you.

The festival runs for eight hours with amplified music, crowds and lighting effects, which most animals find distressing, so please leave other pets at home.

Gates open at 2pm and the festival runs until 10pm, so you can come whenever suits you.

The afternoon is the calmer session and the easiest time to visit with young children. The evening builds towards the lighting ceremony and is the busiest stretch of the day. For a relaxed visit arrive before 5pm; for the full-scale atmosphere, come in the evening.

Please do not bring fireworks or sparklers. They are on the list of items not to bring, along with anything carrying an open flame, so light your diyas at home rather than at the festival.

The festival's signature moment is the Diwali lighting ceremony at dusk.

There is a car park directly underneath Marvel Stadium at 740 Bourke Street, with entrances from Bourke Street and Wurundjeri Way and a 2.1 metre height limit. Booking online before you come is cheaper than driving up on the day, and event-day rates change depending on what else is on at the stadium, so check the stadium's parking page for current prices and to pre-book.

We would suggest the train instead. Southern Cross Station is a five-minute walk, and 31 October is also Derby Day, so both the city and the car park will be busy.

Entries are open to dance schools, academies, community groups and school groups. Apply through the entry form on the performers page.

Entering does not confirm a place. Places are limited and the final line-up is confirmed by the Melbourne Diwali team. Every group that enters hears back from us either way, whether or not a place is available.

Melbourne Diwali plans for up to 380 performers across the day. The dance competition is part of the programme and entering it is optional: you can apply to perform in the showcase without competing.

Acts are announced as they are confirmed, and the programme is published on the schedule page as the run sheet is locked in.

The newsletter is the fastest way to hear first. Registering your attendance also puts you on the announcement list.

Start with the enquiry form on the partners page and tell us what you want to achieve.

Partnerships are shaped around your objectives rather than fixed tiers, from stage naming rights through to activations, sampling and stall bundles. A member of the team will come back to you.

South Asian and mainstream Australian brands are equally welcome.

Applications are open through the stall application form on the vendors page, and applying is free.

All food at Melbourne Diwali is satvik, vegetarian and cruelty free, so food applications need a menu that meets that. If you are not sure whether yours does, apply anyway and tell us what you serve.

Makers, cooks, community organisations and charities all apply through the same form.

Applying costs nothing.

Stall fees depend on the stall type and the site, and are confirmed with your offer if your application is successful, along with what the fee includes.

Every application is reviewed against the mix of stalls across the market, including your menu or product range, so that visitors get variety rather than several similar stalls.

Every applicant receives a reply, whether or not a site is offered. You do not need to submit a second application, and sending one does not move you up the list.

Melbourne Diwali is a free event. No ticket is required to enter.

Registration is not a ticket, and nobody is turned away for not registering. It does two things: it helps us plan for the right number of people, and it gets you the lineup and programme announcements as they land, which is useful if your child's school or dance school is competing. You can register free on the event info page.

Please leave these at home: alcohol, glass bottles and glassware, fireworks and sparklers, anything with an open flame (light your diyas at home rather than at the festival), and drones. The site is also smoke and vape free.

Anything essential for a medical need is of course fine to carry. If you are unsure about something else, ask us through the contact page before the day.

No, Marvel Stadium Square is not inside the stadium seating bowl. It is an external space that forms part of the stadium's precinct for outdoor events.

Southern Cross Station is a five-minute walk, served by V/Line regional trains and most metro lines. Since the Metro Tunnel opened, Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham services run through the tunnel instead, so check your line if you are coming from those directions.

Trams 70, 75 and 86 stop nearby on Harbour Esplanade and Bourke Street, and the Docklands stops are inside the Free Tram Zone. Allow extra time on the day: 31 October is also Derby Day, so trains into the city will be full.

Melbourne Diwali is organised by SarasCare, an independent community organisation. It is not run by a government body or a commercial event promoter.

The festival plans for about 900 people to deliver the day: Marvel Stadium operations staff, Melbourne Diwali management and crew, volunteers, stallholders, partner teams and up to 380 performers.

No. Melbourne Diwali is 100% privately funded and receives no government funding.

It is an independent, community-organised festival, built each year on private sponsorship, stallholder fees and community support. Entry stays free because of that backing.

Entry is free because the festival's partners pay for it. Sponsors, stallholders and community supporters cover the cost of staging a day that takes about 900 people to deliver, instead of ticket sales covering it.

That is a deliberate choice, so that price is never a barrier to celebrating Diwali.

Come along, and bring someone who has never celebrated Diwali before. Register your attendance so we can plan properly, subscribe to the newsletter, and share the festival with people who would enjoy it.

If you run a business, sponsorship sits on the partners page and stalls on the vendors page. Community organisations and charities are welcome too.