Where should I stay for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne?

Race dates and getting to Albert Park

Formula 1 lists the Australian Grand Prix as round 3 of 2027, from 2 to 4 April. In 2026 the gates also opened on the Thursday for support racing, and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation reported a Melbourne-era record of 483,934 attendances over the four days, with 86,210 on the Thursday alone. Expect the 2027 event to follow the same Thursday-to-Sunday shape, but check the published schedule; we have set the booking dates above to the three F1 days.

The circuit is a street-and-park track around Albert Park Lake, a short distance south of the CBD. There is no public parking at the circuit and Lakeside Drive and surrounding roads close. In 2026, according to the Victorian Premier's office:

• Event tickets included free public transport from the CBD: free trams to Albert Park, and free trains between Town Hall, State Library and the new Anzac station, which opened with the Metro Tunnel and gives direct access to the circuit.

• Trams by gate: Gates 1 and 2 from Southern Cross station; Gate 3 on a new corridor from Flagstaff station via William Street; Gates 8, 9 and 10 from Flinders Street and Town Hall stations.

• Scale: more than 130 extra train services and 5,000 extra tram services across the event, with late-night services until 1:30am.

• Buses ran Friday to Sunday between Crown and Gates 1, 2 and 3, and rideshare and taxi zones were set up on Canterbury Road, Albert Road, St Kilda Road and Fitzroy Street.

Check which gate your ticket uses before you choose a neighbourhood: the lake is long, and the walk around it from the wrong gate adds real time.

Where to stay, ranked by time to the gates

1. St Kilda. At the southern end of the park, with Fitzroy Street (a 2026 rideshare zone) running along its edge. Most hotels and apartments here are a walk from the southern gates, then it is beach, Acland Street cafés and bars in the evening. Price level: mid-range, with plenty of apartments and some budget options. The catch: the walk can be long to gates at the far end of the lake, and Friday and Saturday nights are loud near Fitzroy Street.

2. South Melbourne and Albert Park. The residential streets on the park's west side, along Albert Road, Canterbury Road and Clarendon Street, closest to Gates 1 to 3. Smaller hotels, serviced apartments and terrace rentals; good for groups. The catch: fewer hotel rooms than St Kilda or the city, so they go early, and the streets nearest the circuit carry race traffic and road closures.

3. South Yarra. East of St Kilda Road, around Chapel Street and Toorak Road, with apartment hotels and a lively eating strip. You can walk across to the eastern side of the park or use the St Kilda Road trams. Price level: mid to upper. The catch: the 2026 free travel was described as running from the CBD, so check the 2027 ticket terms before relying on it from here.

4. Melbourne CBD and Southbank. The most rooms at every price, and in 2026 the free race trams and the free Anzac station trains started here, from Flinders Street, Town Hall, Southern Cross and Flagstaff. Door to gate is a tram ride plus a short walk, and you have the whole city for evenings. The catch is the queue: trams are crowded after the race and you are relying on the event service. See our Melbourne guide for what to do with the rest of the trip.

When to book

We found no official figures on when Melbourne hotels sell out for the Grand Prix, so this is general advice: with close to half a million attendances in 2026, rooms near the park are the first to go and prices rise across the city for the race weekend. Book a free-cancellation rate as soon as you know you are going, then rebook if prices fall.

The 2027 date matters too. Early April is autumn in Melbourne, and the race weekend falls the week after Easter (Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027), so check school-holiday travel when you book; compare dates against our best time to visit Australia guide.

If you are flying from overseas, sort entry first: most visitors need an ETA or eVisitor before boarding. Our ETA app guide walks through the application.

Race-day logistics

Go early on Sunday. In 2026, Transport Victoria added extra Sunday morning trains to halve wait times, which tells you where the crunch is.

Leave late or walk. If you are staying in St Kilda or South Melbourne, walking home beats the post-race tram queue. From the CBD, the Anzac station trains are an alternative to the trams.

Use the official journey planner at transport.vic.gov.au once the 2027 arrangements are announced; gate-by-gate tram routes changed in 2026 with the new station and corridor.

Weather and food. Bring layers and sun protection for long days outdoors. For eating out in the evenings, our tipping in Australia guide covers what is expected. If you are comparing a race trip with a summer visit, see Melbourne in January.

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