School Holiday Programs in Melbourne

Summer 2026-27 holiday dates for VIC, and real holiday programs with dates, ages and prices, each checked on the provider's own site.

VIC summer school holidays 2026-27

Saturday 19 December 2026 to Wednesday 27 January 2027

Government schools finish Term 4 on Friday 18 December 2026 and students go back on Thursday 28 January 2027. Term 1 2027 starts Wed 27 Jan for staff; students start Thu 28 Jan in government schools. Independent and Catholic schools can differ, so check your school's calendar.

Source: Victorian Department of Education, checked October 2026.

Holiday programs in Melbourne (5)

Every program here has published dates and was checked on the provider's own page. Where a provider has not published a price or age range, the entry says so rather than guessing.

Arts, craft and performance (3)

Dinosaur World Live (Melbourne): Wed 30 Dec 2026 to Sun 3 Jan 2027. Ages 3 and up. Price not published. An interactive stage show for families at the Comedy Theatre in which explorer Miranda takes the audience through a prehistoric world with large dinosaur puppets. The show runs 50 minutes with no interval and is recommended for ages 3 and older. All persons aged 2 years and older must hold a ticket, and buying 4 or more tickets saves $5 per ticket. Checked October 2026 on provider site
James and the Giant Peach (Melbourne): Sat 9 Jan to Sun 17 Jan 2027. Ages 5 and up. Price not published. A stage adaptation of the Roald Dahl book by Shake & Stir Theatre Co at the Comedy Theatre. The show runs 55 minutes with no interval and is recommended for ages 5 and up. The production contains loud music and sound, strobe lighting and haze. General public tickets go on sale 10am Friday 9 October. Checked October 2026 on provider site
Storytime Ballet: Cinderella (Melbourne): Wed 20 Jan to Sat 23 Jan 2027. Ages 3 and up. Price not published. An interactive Storytime Ballet by The Australian Ballet for children aged three years and older at the Comedy Theatre, led by a narrator and running 55 minutes with no interval. Children are encouraged to dress up in ballet-inspired outfits and dance in their seats. Flashing wands are used during audience participation, and child prices apply to people under 18. Checked October 2026 on provider site

Museums, science and libraries (1)

Summer Story Camp 2027 (Balwyn North): Mon 18 Jan to Wed 20 Jan 2027. Price not published. A three-day creative writing camp for young writers run by the Words of a Feather mentor team at Greythorn Community Hub in Balwyn North. Each day runs 10am to 3pm. The page says the full program is still to be announced and that recent school holiday Story Camps have sold out. 10am to 3pm each day, Monday to Wednesday. Checked October 2026 on provider site

Sport and active (1)

School Holiday Program (Parkville): Mon 11 Jan to Fri 22 Jan 2027. Ages 5 to 12. Price not published. A drop-off day program for children aged 5 to 12 at the University of Melbourne Parkville campus sports precinct on Tin Alley. Days feature multi-sport and sport-specific sessions and group games run with partners including University Tennis Academy, codingEdge Technology, Rough Science and Sword Fighters Australia. The day runs 8.30am to 3.30pm with drop off from 8.30am to 9.15am, and optional. Checked October 2026 on provider site

Questions parents ask

When are the VIC summer school holidays in 2026-27?

VIC government schools finish Term 4 on Friday 18 December 2026 and students return on Thursday 28 January 2027, so the holidays run 19 December 2026 to 27 January 2027. Term 1 2027 starts Wed 27 Jan for staff; students start Thu 28 Jan in government schools. Independent and Catholic schools set their own dates.

How do we choose what goes on this page?

Only programs with published dates for the holidays, read on the provider's own website. Each entry shows the dates, ages and price the provider published, and links to that page. If a provider has not published its summer dates yet, it is not listed.

Do school holiday programs in Melbourne need to be booked?

Day camps, workshops and zoo or museum sessions almost always do, and popular weeks sell out. Library and council drop-in sessions often do not. The link on each entry goes to the provider's own page where the current availability is shown.