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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 (83%) 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
- joint biggest of 13 major events by crowd impact
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
- 13 Oct 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 (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
Hot Air Balloon Flights over Melbourne City (optional breakfast)
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 See skip-the-line tickets 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 — and the years after?
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 |
| 2027 | Sun 26 – Thu 30 December | expected — not confirmed |
The 2027 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne is expected on 26–30 Dec 2027 — the organiser has not published a final date yet, so it could move.
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: 39,055 daily predictions across 107 cities, recomputed every night, free to cite (CC BY), featured by The Washington Post and CNN, and mentioned by the Los Angeles Times.