Melbourne Art Fair Announces Line-Up for 20th Edition

More than 80 galleries, Indigenous-owned art centres and design studios will gather at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 18–21 February 2027. Since 2003, the not-for-profit Melbourne Art Foundation has facilitated an estimated $96.4 million in art sales and invested more than $1.6 million in artist fees and grants, cementing the Fair’s role as a vital platform for artists and galleries and a significant contributor to Australia’s cultural economy.

— Highlights of the program include the return of FUTUREOBJEKT and the Victorian First Peoples Art & Design Fair.

— Tickets on sale from Thursday, 08 October.

Melbourne, 08 October 2026 – Since 1988, Melbourne Art Fair has been a landmark on the city’s cultural calendar and a champion of Australia’s art industry. Today, Melbourne Art Fair is pleased to announce its program of exhibitors for 2027, as the fair celebrates a significant milestone with its 20th edition.

Melbourne Art Fair is produced by Melbourne Art Foundation, making it one of the few not-for-profit art fairs in the world. The 20th edition is a moment to reflect on the Fair’s role in bringing artists, galleries, collectors and visitors together, building audiences and a market for Australian contemporary art, and facilitating over AUD $96.4M in sales since 2003.

Since its establishment in 2003, the Foundation has distributed more than AUD $1.6M in artist fees and grants through its Commissions and Grants Program. That legacy will continue at Melbourne Art Fair 2027, with new grants and commissions to be announced in the coming months.

From 18-21 February 2027, the Fair will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, bringing together more than 80 of the region’s most formidable galleries and Indigenous-owned art centres.

Melissa Loughnan, Fair Director said “What started as a shared vision between a group of gallerists in the eighties, Melbourne Art Fair is now firmly established as a defining fixture on the Australasian cultural calendar. I feel incredibly proud to be helming the Fair for the 20th edition as we celebrate its long legacy.”

William Nuttall, Director of Niagara Galleries and a founding gallerist said “As we approach the 20th edition of the fair and its evolution from ACAF to Melbourne Art Fair, I reflect on the many people who have contributed to its evolution and the many iterations of the fair since its beginnings in 1988. Its history is remarkable, particularly as this is a not-for-profit venture, which makes it unique in the world.

Over the decades, Melbourne Art Fair has indeed become vital to the visual arts landscape in Melbourne and beyond cementing our city as the cultural capital of Australia, worthy of international attention. I’m proud to be part of it and so should all those who have contributed to its success.”

Andy Dinan, Founder of MARS Gallery said “For more than 20 years, Melbourne Art Fair has shown me that great art finds its audience. It’s a place to lift artists up, champion work we believe in, and bring together everyone from collectors and academics to art lovers and curious newcomers. Art truly makes a difference, and Melbourne Art Fair helps make that difference by creating moments of discovery that linger long after the Fair has ended.”

Galleries

The program will see over 50 galleries return in 2027, each participating through a mix of solo exhibitions and thoughtfully curated group presentations. The next edition of Melbourne Art Fair welcomes back a number of Australia’s leading galleries including:

1301SW/STARKWHITE (Naarm/Melbourne)
Alcaston Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne)
Ames Yavuz (Gadigal Country/Sydney, Singapore, London)
Animal House Fine Arts (Naarm/Melbourne)
APY Art Centre Collective (Naarm/Melbourne)
Arthouse Gallery (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Arts Project Australia (Naarm/Melbourne)
Australian Galleries (Naarm/Melbourne)
Australian Tapestry Workshop (Naarm/Melbourne)
CAVES (Naarm/Melbourne)
Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) (Naarm Melbourne)
D LAN GALLERIES (Naarm/Melbourne)
Daine Singer (Naarm/Melbourne)
Fine Arts, Sydney (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Five Walls (Naarm/Melbourne)
Föenander Galleries (Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland)
FUTURES (Naarm/Melbourne)
Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Gallerysmith (Naarm/Melbourne)
Haydens (Naarm/Melbourne)
Justin Miller Art (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
LON Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne)
MARS Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne)
Mary Cherry Contemporary (Naarm/Melbourne)
Michael Reid (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
MOORE CONTEMPORARY (Boorloo/Perth)
Nanda\Hobbs (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Nasha Gallery (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Neon Parc (Naarm/Melbourne)
Niagara Galleries (Naarm/Melbourne)
N.Smith Gallery (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
PIERMARQ* (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Sabbia (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
STATION (Naarm/Melbourne)
Sullivan+Strumpf (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
S_y_d_n_e_y_S_y_d_n_e_y_ (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
The Renshaws’ (Meanjin/Brisbane)
VOID_Melbourne (Naarm/Melbourne)
Vivien Anderson Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne)

In addition, Melbourne Art Fair is excited to welcome the following debut participants to the Fair in 2027:

8 Wall (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
BSG Projects (Naarm/Melbourne)
Helgoland (Naarm/Melbourne)
Karen Brown Fine Art (Garramilla/Darwin)
Lander-Se (Bunurong Country/Red Hill)
Lennox St. Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne)
Mitchell Fine Art Galleries (Meanjin/Brisbane)
Parker Contemporary (Meanjin/Brisbane)
Plomacy (Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland)
Project8 (Naarm/Melbourne)

Program Highlights

William Mora Indigenous Art Centre Program

Supported through the William Mora Indigenous Art Centre Program, the 2027 Fair will host six of Australia’s most important Indigenous art centres: Buku-Larrngay Mulka, Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts, Hope Vale Arts and Culture Centre, Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association, Maningrida Arts and Culture, and Waringarri Aboriginal Arts. Since 2022, the program has created a dedicated platform for Indigenous art centres at Melbourne Art Fair, recognising both the Fair’s role in connecting artists with audiences and the centrality of First Peoples artists to contemporary art discourse. The program offers artists from remote communities opportunities to enter the commercial sphere, amplifying their voices within the broader contemporary art context. The William Mora Indigenous Art Centre Program is funded by the Australian Government through the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program and generously supported by Morgans Financial Limited.

FUTUREOBJEKT

After a successful debut at Melbourne Art Fair 2026, the collectible design salon FUTUREOBJEKT will return in 2027 for its second edition. Curated by Andy Kelly, the FUTUREOBJEKT line-up welcomes back a number of Australia’s most exciting designers including:

Adam Cornish (Naarm/Melbourne)
Agency Projects (Naarm/Melbourne)
Charlie White (Naarm/Melbourne)
Christopher Boots (Naarm/Melbourne)
Don Cameron (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Gallery Twenty Twenty (Gadigal Country/Sydney)
Jordan Fleming (Naarm/Melbourne)
Oigåll Projects (Naarm/Melbourne)
TOMFEREDAY (Gadigal Country/Sydney)

Adding to the 2027 exhibitors list, FUTUREOBJEKT is also excited to welcome first-time participants from Australia and overseas including:

Andrew Carvolth (Tarntanya/Adelaide) BIEËMELE (Bunurong Country/Red Hill) Canberra Glassworks (Ngunnawal Country/Canberra) Dean Norton (Naarm/Melbourne) Edward Linacre Studio & BARBERA (Naarm/Melbourne) FEARON (Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast) Fomu Studio (lutruwita/Penguin Gabelich Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne) Lost Profile Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne) Marlo Lyda & Martyn Thompson (Gadigal Country/Sydney) newInstance() (Gadigal Country/Sydney) Objects for Thought (Naarm/Melbourne) Rick Hayward (Meanjin/Brisbane) Snelling Studio (Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland) Thomas Maxam Studio (Naarm/Melbourne)

Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair

The 2027 program welcomes the return of the Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair. Following the inaugural edition at the 2025 Melbourne Art Fair, the 2027 exhibition will bring together a selection of independent Victorian First Peoples artists along with First Peoples art centres, organisations and collectives.

Celebrating the theme of wood, the Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair exhibition will honour Country and the cultural relationship First Peoples in Victoria have with the natural environment. It will feature paintings, sculpture, furniture design and artefacts.

The Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair aims to introduce art lovers to the unique First Peoples art and design of South Eastern Australia. Alongside the exhibition, there will be opportunities to connect with and hear directly from Victorian First Peoples artists through tours, artist talks, workshops and panel discussions.

A Victorian Government initiative, the Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair is driven by the First Peoples Directions Circle – a group of esteemed First Peoples creative leaders who guide the work of Creative Victoria.

Janina Harding, Principal Project Manager, Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair said “The 2027 Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair is centred on the theme of wood and we’re so excited to welcome people into the space next year. Artists have really gravitated towards the theme as it explores their unique connection to Country, continuation of cultural practices and their innate relationship with the natural environment all of which inspires the art they make.”

Vicki Ward, Minister for Creative Industries said “This important event champions Victoria’s talented and diverse First Peoples artists and designers, building local, national and international markets for their work.”

“We’re proud to back this showcase and its dynamic program of talks and events, which celebrates the incredible talent of Victorian First Peoples artists.”

Art Galleries Association of Australia

To mark the 20th edition of Melbourne Art Fair in 2027, the Fair is partnering with the Art Galleries Association of Australia (AGAA) to curate a special exhibition that recognises and celebrates the AGAA’s role in the Fair’s history.

Established in 1976, the AGAA is a not-for-profit representative body for Australian commercial art galleries in the primary visual arts market cultivating excellence, ethics and expertise. The AGAA will present a group show from its exhibiting gallery members that speaks to the history of the Fair.

VIDEO

Melbourne Art Fair is thrilled to welcome curator and writer Matthew Hanson as curator of VIDEO in 2027. VIDEO offers a program dedicated to the presentation of moving-image art from contemporary artists at the forefront of the medium, presented by local and international galleries.

Assistant Curator of Kaiawhina Whakaaturanga, Artspace Aotearoa, Hanson’s work examines artistic methodologies and the psychic life of the art institution. He has independently curated exhibitions in Germany and Switzerland including: Ludger Gerdes, Synkategoremata (2024), Kunsthalle Münster; Andrea Fraser, This meeting is being recorded (2022), LUMA Foundation Zürich and, Jacqueline Fraser, THE MAKING OF MARIA BY CALLAS (2020), Kunsthalle Zürich. He is a graduate of the University of Auckland and the Zurich University of the Arts.

PROJECT ROOMS

PROJECT ROOMS is a non-commercial platform, supported by Melbourne Art Foundation, for discovering artists that push the boundaries of art practice with groundbreaking multi-disciplinary works. Melbourne Art Fair is pleased to announce that the 2027 Project Rooms will be presented by BlakDot (Naarm/Melbourne) and Outer Space (Magandjin/Brisbane).

Tickets for Melbourne Art Fair 2027 go on sale on Thursday 08 October, with First Release ticket prices available until 01 November.

For more information visit Melbourne Art Fair