The Royal Melbourne Show is an agricultural show held at Melbourne Showgrounds every September. It is organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria and has been running since 1848. Each year Royal Melbourne Show attracts attendances of up to half a million people. The traditional purpose is the display of rural industry, including livestock and produce with its associated competitions and awards however the show also features amusement rides and a sideshow alley, as well as the peculiarly Australian tradition of 'Showbags', carry bags containing samples of goodies produced by various commercial enterprises. A prominent feature during showtime are the many rides including a permanent wooden Mad Mouseroller coaster which resided at the grounds until 2001, owned by Wittingslow Amusements. A permanent chairlift also resided onsite until 2005. The site has its own railway station, used during special events located on the Flemington Racecourse line. The Thursday of the show was once observed as the Show Day public holiday in Melbourne; this holiday was abandoned in 1994. While the Royal Show is the main show in Victoria, many cities and towns in regional Victoria host smaller shows, such as the Royal Geelong Show, Bendigo Show, Ballarat Show, Warragul Show, Whittlesea Show and the Shepparton Show. There was no show in 1915, 1940 to 1945 nor 2020.
Displays
Competitions
The major rural competitions of the show include Alpaca competitions, BeefCattle Competitions, Beef Carcase Competitions, Dairy cattle Competition, Dog Competitions, Horse Competitions, Poultry Competition, Sheep Competition, Domestic Animal Competitions, Fleece Competitions and Woodchop Competitions. The major equestrienne competition of Australia is the Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout which is held here. This is a memorial trophy to Mrs Violet Murrell's bravery in attempting to save her hack, Garryowen from a fire. The competition is judged on mount, costume, saddlery, riding ability and general appearances of horsewomen. There are also Art, Craft and Cookery Competitions.
Pavilions
Located all around the show grounds are a total of sixteen pavilions and arenas. These include:-
The Woolworths Pavilion where visitors can buy produce including wine, cheese, smallgoods, sauces, fresh fruit, vegetables, homemade ice cream, cheese and hand made chocolates. In 2012 the Grand Pavilion also hosted some of the Victorian Government stands.
The Grand Boulevard is a boulevard with selected themed commercial sites scattered along the spine sweeps across the full length of the site.
The Entertainment Dome was a roofed attraction that replaced the "Herald Sun Town Centre" in 2012. A state of the artentertainment venue with food stalls, a major stage, and also a smaller stage for music acts. In 2012 it hosted the My Kitchen Rules live show. In 2016, the Entertainment Dome was replaced by the open Town Square, which featured a full performance stage, a high-dive act, seating, shading, food operators and large screens.
The Jayco Animal Nursery Discovery has baby animals.
The Farmhouse is an interactive animal space including shearing and milking demonstrations and activities including pat-a-chook, pat-a-pig, grinding grains and digging for veggies.
The Woodchop Pavilion has woodchopping competitions during the day attracting competitors from Australia and around the world.
The Weekly TimesLivestock Pavilion. is a huge pavilion where visitors can see animals or watch what’s happening on the judging rings as they compete for a coveted blue ribbon.
The Showbag Pavilion. is a large 3,000 square metre Hoecker building. Primary site for Showbag sales.
The Art, Craft & Cookery Pavilion is full of crafts such as knitting, crochet, decorated cakes, clothing, leather goods, cookery, home made and hand-crafted jewellery and glass decorations. In 2017 it was changed to the Spotlight Makers Pavilion.
The Winning Tastes Pavilion is debuted on location at the MasterChef set in 20165. The Pavilion is designed to showcase local award-winning produce and food from The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria's world-class food and drink ands programs.
The Advance Dog Pavilion is the one stop shop for all things dogs during the Royal Melbourne Show. Over the course of the Royal Melbourne Show thousands of dogs are judged to find the best in show.
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of multiple live performances, activities and displays. Entertainers have included Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Peppa Pig, Dorothy the Dinosaur from the children's group The Wiggles, Play School and Hi-5 concert, Sampson the Monster truck, clowns, caricature artists and many more. In addition to 774 ABC Melbourne radio outside broadcast. There is a nightly fireworks display and live performances. Lights, colours and sound provide a unique atmosphere in the Carnival precinct at night. The views from the Ferris wheel across Melbourne’s skyline and the Showgrounds are significant and if you're lucky enough to be on the top as the fireworks display begins you’ll enjoy the best seats in the house. The show grounds houses an abundance of rides ranging from dodgem cars to roller coasters and helicopter rides.
