Halloween at the Museum announces 2026 expansion: Introducing the Haunted Gala
Following the phenomenal success of Halloween at the Museum in 2025 – which attracted more than 4,200 thrill-seekers – Melbourne Museum today announced the event is expanding into a full weekend celebration in 2026. The headline addition is the Haunted Gala, a frighteningly glamorous adults-only evening across Melbourne Museum and the Royal Exhibition Building, while the much-loved family programming that made Halloween at the Museum a phenomenon expands across the entire weekend.
‘Halloween at the Museum is a celebration of the strange and the sublime found in our own collections at Melbourne Museum,' said Yolanda Finch, head of tourism, premium visitation & special events at Museums Victoria and former creative director & CEO at Melbourne Fashion Festival. ‘By grounding Halloween in genuine natural history, we’ve created an event that’s as intellectually curious as it is wildly fun. In 2026, we’re amplifying that creative ambition with a frighteningly glamorous Haunted Gala that will fuse fantasy costume, performance, and the thrill of the unknown.’
The Haunted Gala (New for 2026)
The Haunted Gala transforms Melbourne Museum into a venue for costume glamour, theatrical performance, and the thrill of the unknown. This adults-only experience features immersive installations, a spirits bar curated by Melbourne’s leading mixologists, live performances blending horror and spectacle, DJ sets, costume competitions, and exclusive after-dark access to the museum’s most evocative spaces and the renowned Royal Exhibition Building.
‘Melbourne has the national crown when it comes to revelry,’ Finch said. ‘This is a uniquely Melbourne expression of Halloween at the Museum, and it’s one we’ve deliberately nurtured into a major annual event worth travelling for.’
Expanded Family Programming
The wildly popular family programming that captivated thousands in 2025 returns bigger than ever, expanding across the full weekend. Families can enjoy trick-or-treating, science shows, face painting, collectable skeleton cards, scavenger hunts, and after-dark adventures among the exhibits.
Halloween at the Museum continues to offer families an experience that’s both intellectually engaging and thrillingly entertaining, drawing from millions of years of real-world mysteries far stranger than any fictional fright.
Lynley Crosswell, Museums Victoria director & CEO, said: ‘Halloween at the Museum has exceeded all expectations, and we’re thrilled to expand programming across a full weekend in 2026, with enchanting experiences across the entire precinct.’
Pre-registration for 2026 is now open for first access to tickets across both the family sessions and the Haunted Gala, as well as exclusive updates, and competition entry into a money can’t buy museum experience.
Halloween at the Museum 2026, event details:
• Date: Halloween weekend, Friday 30 – Sunday 1 November 2026 (3 days).
• Location: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton.
• Family Programming: Daytime and after-dark sessions across the full weekend. All ages welcome.
• The Haunted Gala: Adults 18+ only. Evening celebration.
• Pre-registration: Now open.
• Tickets: General sale early 2026 at museumsvictoria.com.au.
• Accessibility: Contact 13 11 02 or [email protected].
