Economy

Christmas Festival update from the Lord Mayor

29 November 2022

The City of Melbourne has experienced its busiest weekend of the year to kick off our 2022 Christmas Festival.

There’s nothing like Christmas in the city, and we’re doing everything we can to bring hundreds of thousands of people to the CBD to enjoy the festive fun on offer and support our local businesses.

This year, there’s more activities to enjoy than ever before.

For two years the City of Melbourne has done everything possible to help small businesses recover from the devastation of the pandemic.

For two years the City of Melbourne has done everything possible to help small businesses recover from the devastation of the pandemic.

We have delivered the successful Shopfront Activation Program, inviting more than 40 creative and unique traders into our CBD to brighten up those empty shops.

We’ve created the exceptional Business Concierge service – a direct hotline for traders to receive advice while navigating these difficult times.

We’re expecting record crowds in the city this Christmas

We’ve enlivened our streets with Flash Forward, a major street art project that has amazed thousands of city-goers.  

We’ve waived more than $2.36 million in outdoor dining application and permit fees, supporting more than 1,300 businesses to trade on our iconic streets and laneways for free for two years.

We’ve allocated record budget amounts for events, cleanliness and safety.

Our efforts are paying off. City shoppers spent $340 million in September – 9 per cent above pre-COVID levels.

In the first eight months of the year, there were 167 new hospitality business openings – up 24 per cent on the same period in 2019.

Night-time activity is soaring, with Southbank leading the charge – up 30 per cent on 2019 levels.

We want this Christmas to be as busy as possible for you, our small business owners and your teams, after two years of interruptions.

We want this Christmas to be as busy as possible for you, our small business owners and your teams, after two years of interruptions.

Free from the restrictions of the pandemic, we’re expecting our biggest crowds ever and judging by the first weekend of activity we’re going to get them.

See you in the city this Christmas.

Sally Capp
Lord Mayor

Share this story

29 November 2022
You may also like
Champion cheese shop named Small Business of the Year

Champion cheese shop named Small Business of the Year

The world’s first cheese shop that showcases all-Australian artisanal produce has taken out top spot in this year’s Lord Mayor’s Small Business Awards. Located at Queen Victoria Market, RIPE Cheese is a treasure trove for cheese connoisseurs, offering everything from...

New city hub creates space for gig workers

New city hub creates space for gig workers

A bathroom for a comfort break, a staffroom to heat a meal, make a hot drink and converse with a co-worker. It’s something most workers take for granted. But what do you do when you don’t have one set physical workplace?It’s a daily issue facing gig economy workers...

Three medtech startups going global from Melbourne

Three medtech startups going global from Melbourne

Got a business idea that could change the world? You’re in good company in Melbourne. We’re supporting impressive local startups as they journey from prototype to global impact through our Invest Melbourne team. The startups are reducing emissions from city buildings,...

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep up with what's happening in the City of Melbourne by subscribing to the Melbourne newsletter.

You have successfully subscribed!