A place for all people – Fed Square

So what makes Fed Square so attractive to multicultural communities?

For Fred Alale AM, Chair of the African Music and Cultural Festival (AMCF), the ‘phenomenal’ feedback from people with African heritage highlights the value of the festival. The AMCF has called Fed Square its home for the past 11 years and has now grown into a three-day major festival, attracting over 50,000 visitors.

“People from African communities feel proud – they were just saying ‘thank you’ to me, it’s a real sense of pride they feel at a festival that’s created to celebrate African culture and community.”

These festivals also attract younger audience groups and international students. International students at the Victorian Festival of Diwali have shared with festival organisers that attending the festival helps them connect with their community despite the distance.

Fred says the African Music and Cultural Festival (AMCF) is all about bringing the tastes, sounds and rhythm of Africa right to the heart of Melbourne. It also provides a platform for musicians, artists, performers and food stall vendors to engage with a broader audience and create connections with visitors to one of the city’s most iconic locations.

“Some of the main objectives of the festival are to break down barriers to cultural understanding and to promote tolerance and understanding of this new and emerging community,” says Alale. “We want to showcase the best of African culture and heritage, and we want to do this in the heart of the city.”

Fostering understanding and strengthening bonds

Like AMCF, the Polish Festival @ Fed Square is another longstanding celebration held in the Square. This year marks the 20th year of the festival, which shares the rich traditions and heritage of the Polish Victorian community.

Izabella Kobylanski, Vice President of the Polish Festival @ Fed Square says, “this festival not only fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of Polish culture but also strengthens the bonds within the Polish community and with the broader Melbourne population.”

For other festivals like the Nepal Festival, hosting a celebration of culture with community presents a platform to come together and showcase their cultural heritage, language and traditions.

“We want to show that we are rich in culture and united together, despite the different languages and cultural diversity in the Nepal community,” says Sasendra Gautam, Secretary Victoria of the Non- Resident Nepali Association.

The Nepal Festival is held every two years at Fed Square and is a welcome occasion for the Nepali community to come together and celebrate culture. Gautam highlights the importance of the festival to the Nepal community, saying “the festival brings the whole community together. Nepal welcomes all multiculturalism and at the festival we all celebrate our culture, traditions and heritage.”

A newer festival to the Square is Dia De Muertos (Day of the Dead), which was held for the first time in 2023 in the Atrium and is returning this year on 2 November.

This celebration welcomes Mexican Australian communities to come together and celebrate cultural identity with song, dance and traditional “Catrina” dress.

“We are a small community compared to others, even within the Latin groups,” says Pedro Chan, Co-President of the Mexican Social and Cultural Association of Victoria (MexVic) and spokesperson for Mexbourne Dance Company.

“We are not that many, so doing something together feels very special. It’s a beautiful mix of being very proud and happy to be Australian, but at the same time celebrating our own cultural identity together,” says Chan.

Taking over the Square

The iconic Main Square is a popular site for many of the city’s significant cultural celebrations. However, there are many more venues throughout the Square that are utilised to bring these festivals to life.

“We use literally every corner of Fed Square,” says Sharma about the Victorian Festival of Diwali. “The Main Square is fully covered with marquees and bright colours. There’s lots of decorations, every marquee will be decorated. There’s also the pop-up bazaar on Western Terrace and marquees on Swanston Street Forecourt with different art, craft, jewellery and costumes.”

“On River Terrace, there’s plenty of different food stalls. At night, it’s just magical! The program on the Main Stage is also very busy and exciting – there’s lots of different performances and acts to enjoy all throughout the day and night.”

More than just events

Fed Square also celebrates the national days of countries around the world by raising the country’s national flag. In collaboration with community representatives, the flag raising can also be accompanied by a flag raising ceremony, providing an opportunity for these communities to come together to reflect, commemorate and celebrate.

Community groups also work with Fed Square to light up the iconic façade to highlight special days of remembrance, and to bring awareness to key local and global issues. This year, the Square has been lit up for a range of commemorative days and special causes including ANZAC Day, National Sorry Day, World Pride Day, Purple Day for epilepsy awareness and more.

Get involved

Upcoming community festivals at Fed Square include the Victorian Festival of Diwali (26 October), Dia De Muertos (Day of the Dead) (2 November), the Polish Festival @ Fed Square (10 November), African Music and Cultural Festival (15-17 November), and more. These events and festivals are an opportunity for all people to gather in the Square to reflect, remember and celebrate together.

To learn more about community festivals at Fed Square, check out our website.