The Melbourne Royal Show is an

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibit ...

held at

Melbourne Showgrounds Melbourne Showgrounds is located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia, next door to Flemington Racecourse. The largest and most flexible indoor/outdoor venue space in Melbourne the Showgrounds is the home of the ...

every September. It is organised by the

Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) was founded in 1848, when a group of Melbourne's leading citizens formed the Agricultural Society of Victoria with the aim of "furthering the quality of Australia's primary production by means of co ...

and has been running since 1848. Each year Melbourne Royal Show attracts attendances of up to half a million people.

About

The traditional purpose is the display of rural industry, including

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...

and

produce Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables ( grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered ''produce''). More specifically, the term ''produce'' often implies that the products are fres ...

with its associated competitions and awards however the show also features amusement rides and a

sideshow alley {{Unreferenced, date=June 2008 A sideshow alley is an Australian term for the cluster of attractions that may accompany public events such as agricultural shows. It is similar to the American term ' midway'. Australian sideshows typically compris ...

, as well as the Australian tradition of '

Showbag A showbag is a themed bag of commercial products, novelty items and promotional merchandise, usually made available for purchase. It is a distinctive feature of Australian agricultural shows (the Australian equivalent of state fairs or travellin ...

s', carry bags containing samples of products produced by various commercial enterprises. A prominent feature during showtime are the many rides including a permanent wooden Mad Mouse

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...

which resided at the grounds until 2001, owned by Wittingslow Amusements. A permanent

chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. Th ...

also resided onsite until 2005. The site has its own

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

, used during special events located on the

Flemington Racecourse Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The racec ...

line. The Thursday of the show was once observed as the Show Day public holiday in Melbourne; this holiday was abandoned in 1994. While the Royal Show is the main show in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, many cities and towns in regional Victoria host smaller shows, such as the Royal Geelong Show, Bendigo Show,

Ballarat Show The Ballarat Show is an annual event held at the Ballarat Showgrounds run by the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society. Established in 1887, the Ballarat Show is principally an agricultural event which focuses on the primary industries of ...

Warragul Show The Warragul Show is an agricultural show that has been held annually on the first weekend of March since 1885 in Warragul, a town in the West Gippsland region of Victoria in Australia. The show takes place at the Warragul showgrounds, located ...

Whittlesea Show Whittlesea may mean: * Whittlesea, Victoria, a town some 40 km north of Melbourne * City of Whittlesea, the local government area that contains it * Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire, England used to be known as Whittlesea ** Whittlesea railway stat ...

and the

Shepparton Show Shepparton () ( Yortayorta: ''Kanny-goopna'') is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in northern Victoria, Australia, approximately north-northeast of Melbourne. As of the 2021 census, the estimated population of Shepparton ...

History

The show was founded in 1848. There was no show in 1915 to 1918 and 1940 to 1945 when the showgrounds were requisitioned for military use during WWI and WWII. In 2020 and 2021 the show was cancelled due to social distancing measures and mass gathering restrictions during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. In 2022, The Royal Melbourne Show was rebranded to Melbourne Royal Show.

Displays

Competitions

The major rural competitions of the Melbourne Royal® show include

Alpaca The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas. The two animals are closely related and can success ...

competitions,

Beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...

Cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

Competitions,

Carcase Competitions,

Dairy cattle Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species '' Bos taurus''. Historically, little distinction was ...

Competition, Dog Competitions,

Horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

Competitions,

Poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, qu ...

Competition,

Sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticate ...

Competition, Domestic

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage ...

Competitions, Fleece Competitions and Woodchop Competitions. The major equestrienne competition of Australia is the Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout which is held here. This is a memorial trophy to Mrs Violet Murrell's bravery in attempting to save her horse, Garryowen from a fire. The competition is judged on mount, costume, saddlery, riding ability and general appearances of horsewomen.Garryowen back in family
etrieved on 15 October 2008 There are also Art,

Craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...

and

Cookery Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in variou ...

Competitions.

Pavilions

2013 Royal Melbourne Show - Wood Chopping Contest (9972571636)

Located all around the show grounds are a total of sixteen

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

s and

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...

s. These include:- *The Woolworths Pavilion where visitors can buy

including

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

, smallgoods,

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

s, fresh

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

, homemade

ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...

and hand made

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec ci ...

s. In 2012 the Grand Pavilion also hosted some of the

Victorian Government The Victoria State Government, also referred to as just the Victorian Government, is the state-level authority for Victoria, Australia. Like all state governments, it is formed by three independent branches: the executive, the judicial, and t ...

stands. *The Grand Boulevard is a

boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway. Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls. In American usage, boulevards may ...

with selected themed

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

sites scattered along the spine sweeps across the full length of the site. *The Entertainment Dome was a roofed attraction that replaced the "Herald Sun Town Centre" in 2012. An entertainment venue with food stalls, a major stage (designed for major events/shows), and also a smaller stage for music acts. In 2012 it hosted the ''

My Kitchen Rules ''My Kitchen Rules'' (often abbreviated as ''MKR'') is an Australian competitive cooking game show broadcast on the Seven Network since 2010. The show is currently hosted and judged by chef Manu Feildel, who has appeared in every season of the ...

'' live show. In 2016, the Entertainment Dome was replaced by the open Town Square, which featured a full performance stage, a high-dive act, seating, shading, food operators and large screens. *The Herald Sun Arena is a 9,000 square metre open air arena where crowds can watch the special events and entertainment. *The Jayco Animal Nursery Discovery has baby animals. The Farmhouse is an interactive animal space including shearing and milking demonstrations and activities including pat-a-chook, pat-a-pig, grinding grains and digging for veggies. *The Woodchop Pavilion has woodchopping competitions during the day attracting competitors from Australia and around the world. *The

Weekly Times The Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd (HWT) is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by News Pty Ltd, which as News Ltd, purchased the HWT in 1987. Newspapers The HWT's newspaper interests date ...

Livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...

Pavilion. is a huge pavilion where visitors can see animals or watch what's happening on the judging rings. *The Showbag Pavilion. is a large 3,000 square metre Hoecker building. Primary site for

sales. *The Art, Craft & Cookery Pavilion is full of crafts such as knitting, crochet, decorated cakes, clothing, leather goods, cookery, home made jewellery and glass decorations. In 2017 it was changed to the Spotlight Makers Pavilion. *The Winning Tastes Pavilion is debuted on location at the MasterChef set in 20165. The Pavilion is designed to showcase local produce and food from The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria's food and drink programs. *The Advance Dog Pavilion: Over the course of the Royal Melbourne Show thousands of dogs are judged to find the best in show.

Educational

There are a number of other services which is displayed in Melbourne Royal Show this year in 2022. Australian Firefighters Calendar stall displayed calendars for 2022 and 2023 as a part of fundraising initiative for firefighters of Australia. Online Education Service provider - Byju's Future School also displayed a stall in this year's show which attracted parents and children from a diverse background motivating them to take online classes.

Entertainment

Entertainment consists of multiple live performances, activities and displays. Entertainers have included Mickey and Minnie Mouse,

Peppa Pig ''Peppa Pig'' is a British preschool animated television series by Astley Baker Davies. The show follows Peppa, an anthropomorphic female piglet, and her family, as well as her peers portrayed as other animals. The show first aired on 31 Ma ...

, Dorothy the Dinosaur from the children's group

The Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, C ...

, Play School and Hi-5 concert, Sampson the Monster truck,

clown A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. History The most ancient clowns have been found in ...

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...

artists and many more. In addition to

774 ABC Melbourne ABC Radio Melbourne (official callsign: 3LO) is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. It began transmission on 13 October 1924, and was Melbourne's second licensed radio station after 3AR. Most Local Radio stations in Victoria sim ...

radio outside broadcast. There is a nightly

fireworks Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...

display and live performances. Lights, colours and sound provide a unique atmosphere in the Carnival precinct at night.

Rides

*Wave Swinger *Cliff Hanger *Crazy Spinning Coaster *Dodgem Cars *Ferris Wheel *Rockin' Tug *Hard Rock *Techno Jump *Taipan *No Limit *Mad Mouse *Chaos *Pirates Revenge Flume Ride *Roller Ghoster *Breakdance *Free Style *Rock Star *No Limit *Xtreme *Kamikaze *Power Surge *Space Roller *Hangover(replaced the Twin Flip, in 2012) *XXXL *Rebel *Python Loop Coaster *Mega Drop *The Beast(Australia's first KMG XXL) *Fury The children's rides include: *Grand Carousel *Jump Around *Taxi Jet Car *Circus Swing *Harley Hog Motor Bike Ride *Rockin' Tug *Flash Dance *Shark Inflatable *Tiger Inflatable *Elephant Jet *Miniature Railway *Go Gator Coaster *Circus Circus *F1 Euro Slide *Undersea Mini Wheel *City Bridge Convoy *Samba Balloon Ride *Aladdin Mini Jet *Cup & Saucer Ride *Outback Pony Rides *Outback Rattler *Free Fall *Mini Jet *Train Ride *Ferrari 500 Racers *Magic Swans

References

External links

Melbourne Royal Show websiteLive at Night at the Royal Melbourne Show
(post renovations.) {{Melbourne events

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

Organisations based in Melbourne 1848 establishments in Australia Recurring events established in 1848