| Moomba Festival | |
|---|---|
 Waterskiing events at Moomba | |
| Genre | Carnival |
| Begins | Labour day long weekend (second Monday in March) |
| Frequency | annual |
| Location(s) | Melbourne, Australia |
| Years active | 69 |
| Inaugurated | 1955 |
| Previous event | 2020 |
| Attendance | 3.8 million (2.3 million tourists; record, set in 2018)[citation needed] |
| Organised by | City of Melbourne |
| Website | moomba.melbourne.vic.gov.au |
Moomba (also known as the Moomba Festival) is held annually in Melbourne, Australia. Run by the City of Melbourne, it is Australia's largest free community festival.[1] The Melburnian tradition is celebrated over four days, incorporating the Labour Day long weekend, from Friday to the second Monday in March. Moomba is culturally important to Melbourne, having been celebrated since 1955, and regularly attracts up to a million people, with a record attendance of 3.8 million (2.3 million tourists) set in 2018.[citation needed]
In 2003, the event was renamed Melbourne Moomba Waterfest.
Traditional events include the Moomba parade, crowning of Moomba monarchs, fireworks displays, carnivals in the gardens along the river, river activities including watersports, water floats and the Birdman Rally, as well as live music and bands.
In 2021, the usual Moomba was cancelled by Melbourne City Council, for the first time ever, due to events and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. However "Moomba 2.0" events were held on 5–8 March. In 2024 a forecast of extremely hot weather caused the Moomba Parade to be cancelled.