If you’re timing a Melbourne trip around the Australian Grand Prix, you’re in for a city that does “big event” with impressive calm. One moment you’re sipping a flat white in a laneway, the next you’re hearing that unmistakable F1 note ripple across Albert Park Lake.
In 2026, the race weekend runs Thursday 5 March to Sunday 8 March, with the Grand Prix itself on the Sunday. It’s early autumn in Melbourne—crisp mornings, sunnier afternoons—so you can do the full day trackside without feeling like you’ve been slow-cooked.
Make it easy on yourself: aim for a morning walk along The Tan, or a quick wander through South Melbourne Market for a proper breakfast before heading trackside. Then let Melbourne do what it does best—switch gears effortlessly. After the last session, drift to St Kilda for a seaside stroll, or duck into Fitzroy for dinner where the menu reads like a confident suggestion, not a negotiation.
Getting to Albert Park is refreshingly straightforward. The event typically boosts tram services, and if you’re holding a Grand Prix ticket, you can often use dedicated tram shuttles between the CBD and Albert Park at no extra cost.
Where you stay matters on a weekend like this—because the only thing you should be timing is the next session, not your commute.
If you want to be genuinely close to the action, VIEWS OF F1 TRACK – Melbourne’s Best Location Plus Epic Views is the kind of base that makes race weekend feel effortless: a 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment for up to 4 guests with sweeping views over Albert Park Lake (and beyond to Port Phillip Bay and the Shrine).
Start the day on the private balcony with coffee and a skyline view, then head out knowing you can be back quickly to cool off, reset, and head into dinner without turning your plans into a spreadsheet.
If the Grand Prix is your headline, let Melbourne’s food, neighbourhoods, and late-night energy be the bonus chapters.