A Seafood Street Party!
The much-loved Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returns to South Melbourne Market this Labour Day long weekend.
11am – 9pm
Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 March
Cecil Street will be closed to traffic and the Market will come alive with a two-day seafood street party celebrating our favourite mollusc, set to a soundtrack featuring some of Melbourne’s favourite jazz and soul musicians. The free festival features delicious street food and local beverages, live jazz and soul music all weekend, roving performers and more! The Market will be open from 8am – 4pm on both days so you can stock up on all your long-weekend essentials.
The Food
Come hungry! The festival is renowned for a delicious seafood offering, with a great range of vendors popping up at the two-day event to showcase their mouth-watering dishes. Alongside mussels, find gourmet lobster rolls, fresh calamari, squid on a stick and mouthwatering subs!
If seafood is not your thing, don’t despair, as there will be a diverse range of food stalls at the festival, plus the entire Market will be open during the day, so you can feast on Market favourites including French pastries, bargain boreks, burrata sangas and more! Click here to read more.
The Music
The festival isn’t just about seafood! The music line-up features some of Melbourne’s favourite jazz and soul musicians. On Saturday, catch Charlie Needs Braces, Margie Lou Dyer, The Culture Combo ft. Christine Manetta, Seduceaphones (pictured), The JackSon Combo and the Jackson Wade Band, plus a special guest appearance from festival favourite, Rohan Hammit as Elvis! Sunday’s line-up includes Noria and The Parisians, Susy Hull Trio, Miss Lizzy and The Night Owls, Hoodoo Mayhem and The Shuffle Club. Visit our website for set times and to read more.
The Festival Bar
The festival bar will be operating from 11am each day offering a great range of beverages that pair perfectly with mussels!
The menu will include some local favourites, including Patient Wolf Gin and beers from Pirate Life Brewing, including their popular South Coast Pale Ale and Hazy XPA.
Pirate Life is located just a stone’s throw from the Market (on Market Street!). Their dining hall is open for lunch and dinner, serving up a mighty good menu with fresh produce sourced direct from South Melbourne Market traders each week. Our fave dishes? The smoked lamb spring rolls, charred octopus and the steaks are hard to beat! Click here to read more!
Recycle Your Shells!
Did you know over six tonnes of mussels are consumed at the festival? That’s a lot of shells! South Melbourne Market partner with The Nature Conservancy all year round to recycle oyster, scallop and mussel shells so they don’t end up in landfill.
The Shuck Don’t Chuck program sees shells used in a reef restoration project aimed at rebuilding the precious ecosystems in Port Phillip Bay.
You can do your bit by putting your shells into the correct bins and making sure no other plastic or other contaminants go into these bins.
Getting There
We recommend walking, riding or catching public transport to get to the festival. The Market has limited parking onsite and due to the road closure, there may be vehicle congestion in the precinct at peak times. The Market is on the doorstep of the 96 tram and also has plenty of bike hoops around (including spaces for cargo bikes), so do your bit for the environment and ditch the car for the weekend. Click here for details on getting to South Melbourne Market.
WIN!
Now’s your chance to feast with friends! We’re giving one lucky winner dinner for 8 at Claypots Evening Star. Perched on the iconic corner of York and Cecil Streets, Claypots Evening Star is a South Melbourne Market favourite, serving up some of the freshest seafood in town.
Simply head to our website and fill in the entry form for your chance to win! Terms and conditions apply.
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