The City of Melbourne is putting $1.2 million behind a Little India precinct in Docklands, alongside record laneway lighting and $26 million in flagship events
More than $1.2 million has been allocated to progress development of a Little India precinct in Docklands, building on a $150,000 scoping study funded in last year’s budget. Greater Melbourne is home to Australia’s largest Indian diaspora, and the council plans to bring the precinct to life through infrastructure, public realm upgrades, creative projects and cultural events. If realised, Little India would join Chinatown and Koreatown as one of the city’s officially recognised cultural precincts.
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Little India takes shape in Docklands
A new $250,000 multicultural events stream has also been created to support diverse cultural programming across the municipality, alongside $200,000 for business precinct revitalisation in partnership with local precinct associations.
The City of Melbourne’s Light Up Melbourne project has been given a record $2 million in the council’s draft Budget 2026–27, marking the biggest single investment in decorative laneway lighting the city has made.
Melbourne is set for a serious glow-up, with Hosier Lane, Collins Street, Hardware Lane, Flinders Lane, Little Bourke Street and Healeys Lane all earmarked for new decorative lighting installations. The draft budget, set to be formally announced on 31 March, bundles the lighting upgrades alongside significant funding for cultural precincts, public art and the city’s major events calendar.
Melbourne laneways set for record lighting investment
The $2 million Light Up Melbourne allocation will cover some of the city’s most-visited laneways and hospitality strips. Hosier Lane, Collins Street and Hardware Lane — which collectively draw millions of visitors annually — will receive new decorative lighting, while upgrades to Flinders Lane, Little Bourke Street and Healeys Lane are aimed at boosting the nighttime economy around key dining and bar precincts.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the investment would help consolidate the city’s reputation as a destination after dark. The lighting rollout forms part of a broader push by the council to activate Melbourne’s streets year-round, building on initiatives like the Now or Never festival and Cultural Diversity Week programming.
$26 million for Melbourne’s flagship events
The draft budget locks in $26 million for the city’s tentpole events, including New Year’s Eve, Moomba, the Christmas Festival, Now or Never and Melbourne Fashion Week. An additional $420,000 has been set aside to create new Christmas decorations for City Square, which will debut during the 2027 festive season. To keep the city’s streetscapes event-ready throughout the year, $2.6 million will go toward upgrading banner pole infrastructure across the CBD.
Arts grants and public art
The creative sector gets a substantial nod too, with $4.2 million allocated for arts grants programs and $4.5 million for public art projects, including the Stolen Generations Marker. The arts grants program has a long track record of supporting grassroots Melbourne artists and small to medium organisations, and the latest budget round represents a significant commitment to maintaining the city’s standing as Australia’s creative capital.
The draft Budget 2026–27 will be open for public consultation until 28 April.
Anyone who wants to have their say on how Melbourne’s money gets spent can make a submission through the City of Melbourne’s website.
