About this place
What to expect
Fed Square is Melbourne's public square and the civic, cultural and community heart of the city. It boasts world-class art galleries and installations, a brilliant and diverse range of food and drink and thrilling, extraordinary events. Located opposite the iconic Flinders Street Station and standing at the gateway to both the arts and sporting precincts, Fed Square is Melbourne's premier meeting place, tourist destination and event venue for thousands of events a year, from small business functions to massive cultural pillars like New Year's Eve, Christmas, Diwali, and more. Long before Fed Square was built, the site on which it now stands was an important gathering place for the area's Indigenous groups. For tens of thosands of years, the people of the Kulin Nations came together on the banks of the Birrarung (Yarra River). Since opening in 2002, Fed Square has seen more than 100 million visits, has been named the sixth best public square in the world and is Melbourne's number one visitor destination. In 2019, Fed Square was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, the youngest building to ever be recognised in this way. Fed Square is home to four of Victoria's major cultural institutions: ACMI, Australia's Museum of Screen Culture, the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT), The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and the Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS).