New street food and entertainment series to boost Docklands this winter

Docklands’ waterfront will receive another welcome boost this June with the launch of The Street Social, a new seasonal event series bringing food, entertainment, sport and family-friendly activities
to Harbour Esplanade.

The free community event will launch with its first instalment, Waterfront Sessions, across Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 at Yanonung Quay, running from 12pm to 7pm each day.

The new event comes off the back of the recent success of the newly launched Docklands Waterfront Farmers’ Market, also held along Harbour Esplanade, adding to growing momentum around the precinct’s waterfront activation.

Supported by Development Victoria, The Street Social will run across three themed weekends between June and September, transforming the harbour into a winter destination for locals, visitors and families.

The first weekend will feature a line-up of Melbourne food favourites, DJs, silent disco sessions, AFL live screenings and family-friendly entertainment, encouraging people to gather, graze and spend time by the water during the colder months.

The broader series will continue with Winter Warmer on August 22 and 23, followed by September of Sport on September 5 and 6. Each weekend will have a different theme, giving audiences a reason to return across the season.

The launch is another positive sign for Docklands, which has continued to rebuild its identity as a waterfront destination through community events, public programming and new reasons for people to visit the precinct outside of the traditional working week.

Harbour Esplanade has increasingly become a focal point for this renewed energy, with the farmers’ market bringing fresh food, local produce and strong weekend foot traffic to the area.

The Street Social is expected to build on that momentum by adding night-life, sport and entertainment elements to the waterfront experience, while remaining accessible through free entry and all-ages programming.

The initiative also supports a broader push to reconnect Melburnians with Docklands’ public spaces and encourage more people to see the precinct as a place to spend time, rather than simply pass through.

The Street Social presents Waterfront Sessions at Harbour Esplanade, Yanonung Quay, Docklands, on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 from 12pm to 7pm daily.

Entry is free. •