Glenroy Festival

Glenroy Festival 2026

Sunday 3 May 2026
Glenroy Community Hub and Bridget Shortell Reserve, Glenroy

Glenroy Festival is a much-loved local celebration that brings together community, performance, food, art and music in the heart of Glenroy.

Held across the Glenroy Community Hub and the surrounding parklands at Bridget Shortell Reserve, the festival offers a free, family-friendly day of live performances, creative activities, community stalls and food trucks. 

The 2026 festival will run on Sunday 3 May from 11.00am to 3.00pm. The event takes place across accessible indoor and outdoor spaces, and aims to create a welcoming and inclusive experience for people of all ages and abilities.

Event Highlights: 

  • FREE Entertainment 
  • Spaniglota (music-based Spanish learning workshop for kids and grown-ups) 
  • Kids Craft Workshop with Paperazzi (Michelle Lackenby) 

Stage Program

11am – Welcome to Country  

11.05pm – Welcome to Country and Official Speeches  

11.20pm – EVEYA  

12:05pm – Ximena Abarca

12.50pm – Charlie Needs Braces

1.35pm – Nepaus Dance studio

2:15pm – Wrong Way Up 

3pm – Event Closed 

Free family workshops and activities

  • Location: Reserve  

    Times: 11am – 3pm 

    Step into Fungal Forest, a magical world of giant inflatable mushrooms, mysterious sounds, and fungal imagination. Wander between towering toadstools and tiny coral fungi, eavesdrop on their mycelial conversations, even add your own voice to the fungal polyphony.  

    Interactive soundscape by Merri-bek-based musician and composer, ex ponto. 

    CREDITS:  

    Artistic Director  
    Lachlan Plain of Sanctum Studio 

    Co-Producer 
    Jasmine Powell of Sanctum Studio 

  • Location: Outside Glenroy Community Hub

    Time:  Drop-in anywhere between 11am – 3pm 

    Join local artist Nani Puspasari for a relaxed sketching workshop where children draw freely — objects, animals, playful characters, whatever sparks their imagination. 

    The session includes a collaborative communal drawing, where every child adds to one large, shared artwork. All skill levels welcome. 

  • Location: Children Library 

    Time: 

    Session one: 1 pm (35-minute session) 

    Session two: 2pm (35-minute session) 

    Spaniglota is an interactive bilingual performance for children and families, led by Chilean–Australian artist Ximena Abarca. Weaving together live ukulele music, storytelling, dancing, reading and a creative activity, the session introduces Spanish in a playful, inclusive way. Through song, movement and shared stories, families explore the diversity of Spanish-speaking cultures worldwide. Suitable for all ages and abilities. 1 

  • Location: Makers Space (inside the Glenroy Community Hub) 

    Time: Drop-in workshop from 11am - 3pm 

    Drop in and get creative with Paperazzi Kids Craft, a free, hands-on paper craft activity for all ages led by Michelle Lackenby! Using coloured paper, stamps, stencils and recycled materials, participants create festival-inspired artworks to be displayed throughout the Glenroy Festival. No experience needed — spend a few minutes or the whole afternoon. Suitable for families, children, adults and seniors. 

Community stalls

Food options

Getting to Glenroy Festival 

Glenroy Festival is located at Glenroy Community Hub, 50 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy. 

Come to the Glenroy Festival by bicycle! 

There is plenty of secure bike parking available near the Bridgett Shortell Reserve and car park entrances to the Glenroy Community Hub. 

You can also avoid traffic by using a bike trail. The closest trails to Glenroy Community Hub are: 

  • Glenroy to Moonee Ponds bike trail 
  • Upfield shared path 
  • Merlynston to Pascoe Vale east-west route 

You can check out suggested bike trails and routes via this handy map created by the Active Merri-bek team. 

Download Bicycle Trail Map  (PDF 6Mb)

Public Transport

The following transport lines have routes that pass near Wheatsheaf Road: 

Train: Nearest station 650m (8-min walk) – Glenroy Station (Craigieburn Line) 

Buses: 513, 514, 534, 536 

513, 514 200m (2-min walk) 

534, 536 600m (7-min walk) 

For more information, visit Public Transport Victoria’s website: ptv.vic.gov.au 

Merri-bek City Council encourages you to walk, cycle or use public transport to travel to and from the festival.

Parking

Limited parking available nearby on surrounding streets. Please ensure to read parking signs. 

Suggested: 

Waterloo Road: FREE All-day parking. 450m (5-min walk). 

Cardinal Road: FREE All-day parking. 550m (6-min walk). 

Mott Reserve car park: FREE All-day parking. 600m (7-min walk). 

Glenroy Station: FREE 2-hour parking. 650m (8-min walk). 

Accessibility

The Glenroy Festival site is physically accessible. Most of the site is ground-level grass. There are wheelchair-access pathways from the street to a cement pathway around the site which leads to the Glenroy Community Hub building. 

Accessible bathrooms are available inside the Glenroy Community Hub. 

Expect lively music and a friendly, bustling atmosphere, however, there are activities in quieter spaces such as the library and a quiet space to relax in. If you have any specific access or other needs, please ask one of our friendly staff in the pink or black “Arts Merri-bek” t-shirts. 

 Important Information 

  • Glenroy Festival is single-use plastic free event so please bring a reusable water bottle. 
  • Drinking taps will be available on site. 

Contact the Festivals Team 

Festivals Team, Festivals Officer

Phone: 9240 1208

Email: festivals@merri-bek.vic.gov.au

For more information about Merri-bek arts events visit our What's on from Arts Merri-bek page.