Abbots Yard is throwing its gates open even wider from 3 September, kicking off a stacked spring calendar of local events in Abbotsford.
Built inside a once-underused Victoria Street car park, Abbots Yard has spent the last couple of years proving that a beer garden with good tunes, fire pits and cheap eats is exactly what the Abbotsford neighbourhood ordered.
This season, Abbots Yard is doubling down on that idea, rolling out a run of free hangs, ticketed sessions and collabs with local creatives designed to give the space that underground, backyard-party energy people keep coming back for.
The philosophy behind it all is refreshingly simple: make it easy for people to say yes. By ditching entry fees wherever possible, the team hopes more punters will stumble onto emerging DJs, get behind grassroots collectives and end up staying a lot longer than they planned.
Abbots Yard – Spring Program in Abbotsford
- Reopens Thursday to Sunday from 3 September, all AFL finals games live on the big screens
- Knock Offs – every Friday, 5pm to 11pm, free entry
- LA vs SF Pregame Tailgate – Friday, 11 September, 7am to 2.30pm
- Moon Lantern Festival – Sunday, 20 September, 2pm to 7pm
- AFL Grand Final Live Coverage – Saturday, 26 September, 12pm to 11pm
- Book Doof – Sunday, 27 September, 11am to 3pm
- Transcendenze x Hoiszn – Saturday, 3 October, 2pm-11pm
- Where: Abbots Yard, Victoria Street, Abbotsford
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Knock Offs
- Every Friday, 5pm to 10pm
- Free entry
- Line-up in collaboration with Heritage Collective
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Leading the charge is Knock Offs, the Friday institution Abbots Yard has been running with Heritage Collective all winter.
Expect a packed yard, fires going, footy on the big screens and a rotating cast of local selectors keeping the tunes moving from knock-off time well into the night.
With footy finals season landing squarely in September, the Friday sessions are shifting focus to celebrate the run home, alongside drink specials and wood-fired pizza for anyone settling in for the long haul.
LA vs SF Pregame Tailgate
- Friday, 11 September
- 7am to 2.30pm
- 18+ event, limited car passes available by application
- Tickets here
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Abbots Yard is bringing Melbourne its first real tailgate before a real game, with smokers running overnight for a full American-style BBQ, a free drink on arrival, and beer pong, cornhole and sporting guests to fill the morning. Ticket holders can march to the MCG with the group or grab a discounted DiDi on the way, and Abbots Yard turns into a watch party afterwards for anyone without tickets to the main event.
Moon Lantern Festival 2026
- Sunday, 20 September
- 2pm to 7pm
- Free event, family-friendly
Abbots Yard and the Learning Bank on Victoria Street come together to celebrate the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival, with food, entertainment, kids’ activities and local trader stalls. It’s a free afternoon for families and neighbours to enjoy performances, giveaways and community voting for favourite local businesses, right in the heart of Victoria Street.
AFL Grand Final Live Coverage
- Saturday, 26 September
- 12pm to 10pm
- Table packages available for groups of four to 10 guests
Abbots Yard is positioning itself as one of the better backyard spots in town to watch the AFL Grand Final, with two big screens, marquees over the main picnic areas and food and drink packages built for groups wanting to make a day of it. A sausage sizzle will also be running for anyone who rolls in without a booking.
Book Doof in Abbotsford
- Sunday, 27 September
- 11am to 3pm
- Full details announced on socials 27 August
Come the next morning, the energy shifts entirely for Book Doof, Melbourne’s cult silent reading party dreamed up by local Grant Krupp. There’s no set book and no pressure to talk to anyone — just a room full of people reading side by side under low lighting and curated music, with the option to chat if the mood strikes.
Transcendenze x Hoiszn
- Saturday, 3 October
- 2pm to 11pm
Abbots Yard teams up with Transcendenze, a Naarm event collective for artists run by artists.
Organisers are currently looking for BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of colour) musicians, DJ’s, artists and creatives for the next collaborative event heading to Abbots Yard.
“Everyone loves a backyard hang,” says Abbots Yard Venue Manager Sheree Matthews.
“We’re trying to create that feeling in a local venue. Somewhere you can spend a few hours around the table, listen to good tunes and watch the bats fly overhead at sunset. We reckon every suburb needs a place like that.”
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Abbots Yard.
