For one night only this Saturday, Melbourne’s creative crowd is invited to experience the historic Abbotsford Convent at night as part of Melbourne Design Week 2026.
UP LATE at the Convent promises a warm, sensory-rich evening of design, food and good vibes from 6 to9pm on Saturday 16 May.
Visitors will wander through a transformed precinct bathed in atmosphere. Sink into the plush, tactile world of The Sheepskin Suite by Wilson & Dorset, where walls, furniture and objects are wrapped in luxurious sheepskin – touching actively encouraged.
UP LATE
- Saturday 16 May
- Abbotsford Convent
- Free entry
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Step into a colour-drenched dream in Synthesis by Studio Shields, housed inside the rarely opened Bishop’s Parlour, complete with immersive drapery and bespoke furniture.
Elsewhere, discover 100 Chairs by Friends and Associates in the atmospheric Magdalen Laundries, featuring 100 unique chairs by Australian designers, alongside Tom Fereday’s sand-cast Arum objects, the reclaimed leather creations of LOST HiDE by Local Design and Emma Elizabeth, and First Nations artist Melissa Gilbert’s Reclaim and Transform Initiative – turning abandoned festival tents into thoughtful outdoor furniture and sculptures.
To keep energy high, the night serves up serious culinary chops. There will be large paella pans simmering over open flames, brioche sliders, individual cheese and grazing boxes built for roaming, gently spiced mulled wine, roasted nuts, caramel popcorn and hearty seasonal soup with fresh bread rolls.
Drinks will flow courtesy of Minimum Wines and Bodriggy, while a vinyl DJ at Cam’s Kiosk will soundtrack the wind-down.
Presented as part of Melbourne Design Week, running from 14 to 24 May, the Abbotsford Convent is hosting over 20 free exhibitions, installations and workshops throughout the precinct.
Every day from 11am to 6pm, visitors can explore furniture, sculpture, lighting and objects from some of Australia’s leading designers in unexpected corners of the site.
Melbourne Design Week, an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and delivered by the NGV, continues to champion design as a force for good across the city until 24 May.
UP LATE at the Convent is free but capacity is limited – registration is essential to secure your spot. Book your spot here.
