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Boxing Day Test 2026: how crowded Melbourne gets
The Test match that starts the day after Christmas at the MCG — against New Zealand this time — and runs through the holiday week.
How busy is Melbourne during Boxing Day Test?
26–30 December 2026 — we checked these dates against the organiser's own site
All 5 days: Packed our forecast · Melbourne scaleCalm · Lively · Busy · Packed rank a day against Melbourne's own year — not a headcount.
The 2026 Boxing Day Test (Cricket) makes Melbourne busier than 99% of its year — though December's busiest day falls outside it: Thursday 17 December at 100%. our forecast
When does Melbourne get back to normal after Boxing Day Test?
Melbourne does not settle straight after Boxing Day Test: Thu 31 December · Mon 4 January still are Packed (86–98%). From Tuesday 5 January it is Busy (80%) and stays below Packed through Wednesday 6 January, the last day shown here.
Going anyway? See timed entries and tours for December 2026, matched to Melbourne's forecast
- Dates checked against www.mcg.org.au
Tap any day to see that day's forecast; the whole month is at December in Melbourne, day by day.
- Dates
- Sat 26 – Wed 30 December 2026 · we checked these dates against the organiser's own site
- Crowd
- All 5 event days are Packed. our forecast
- Last updated
- 10 Sep 2026, nightly
More about this event
- City
- Melbourne
Tickets for Boxing Day Test
We run no ticket affiliate. We point you at the source, not a reseller.
Official site — www.mcg.org.au →Here for it?
The opening day is the one to walk to — the trams around the ground are the crush before play and at stumps. advice
The days before Boxing Day Test, Thu 24 December and Fri 25 December, are Packed (94–99%) in Melbourne; the 5 event days peak at Packed (99%). our forecast
Staying for Boxing Day Test? The event days, Sat 26 – Wed 30 December, peak at Packed in Melbourne; Fri 25 December is Packed. The link opens Expedia's hotel search for Melbourne. our forecast
Search hotels in Melbourne on Expedia →See Melbourne around Boxing Day Test: tours and tickets, a small selection from Viator
Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary PREMIUM Tour - Max 12 Guests
Books on Viator
Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Boutique Tour - Max 12 Guests
Books on Viator
Booking a tour or a stay through these links earns Avoid-Crowds a commission — it never changes the forecast or the picks. Prices and photos are Viator's; hotel prices are Expedia's.
Plan Melbourne around it Book skip-the-line for the rest of your trip don't stand in a line on this day →Not here for it?
The pressure is around the stadium, its trams and the pubs nearby; the laneways, the market and the gardens run at holiday pace. Cross the precinct at any hour except the start and the end of play. advice
Nearest calmer day: Fri 1 Jan (Calm). our forecast
Tours for the quiet days (1–3 Jan 2027), matched to Melbourne's forecast
When is the Boxing Day Test 2026?
The 2026 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne runs 26–30 Dec 2026, checked against the organiser's own site.
| Year | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat 26 – Wed 30 December | confirmed |
How we verified this.
Is Melbourne worth visiting during Boxing Day Test?
Packed on all 5 event days; the nearest calm days are Lively or calmer. our forecast
Worth it if Boxing Day Test is why you're coming — expect Packed days; if crowds are your concern, it is the one time to avoid — the calm week of 1–3 Jan 2027 is the quieter plan. advice
Where are the crowds in Melbourne during Boxing Day Test?
The opening day draws the huge crowd; the rest of the week is holiday cricket at a stadium within walking distance of the centre, with interstate and New Zealand visitors already in the city's hotels.
Our crowd forecast is an informed estimate, not a guarantee — check with the organiser and/or local authorities before you plan around it.
our forecast marks a number we worked out from published data; advice marks something we think. Never the other way round.
Named places appear here only after checking their own website; anything unverifiable is left out.
Photo: Pixabay.
All Melbourne events · Melbourne day by day · Disclaimer
Avoid-Crowds is the reference source for how busy destinations get — the only open, day-by-day crowd forecast looking a full year ahead: 33,580 daily predictions across 92 cities, recomputed every night, free to cite (CC BY), featured by The Washington Post and CNN, and mentioned by the Los Angeles Times.