Taking Over Melbourne Showgrounds For The First Time
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October 2024
The much beloved Dog Lovers Festival is thrilled to be celebrating ten years of the nation’s favourite doggie-dedicated event with its return to Melbourne this October. With a more paw-adoring and extensive festival line-up, the beloved two-day festival will be making a grand entrance at its new home of the Melbourne Showgrounds, ready to celebrate the fantastic milestone, promising an unforgettable celebration of our best friends.
Over the last decade, the Melbourne Dog Lovers Festival has grown to be one of Australia’s premier events, celebrating the deep bond between dogs and their owners. The event has seen pet ownership change throughout the mid 2010s, into COVID and a post-lockdown world, here to help educate, entertain and support pet-parents at every tail-wag. This year’s event marks a significant milestone, with the two-day celebration sharing a spectacular experience like never before, inviting Melburnians to the ultimate 10th birthday paw-ty.
Melbourne-based Festival Founder, Jason Humphris is excited to celebrate the ten-year journey with his fellow Victorians with new festival attractions, and reflect on all that has been achieved. Latest highlights include a Dog Friendly Travel Hub, the Optimum™️ DOGWALK, Australia’s Best Doggleganger competition and more.
“I am thrilled to celebrate our 10th birthday with a move to the Melbourne Showgrounds. Expanding to this venue feels like the perfect next step as we continue to grow, and with a new festival line-up of doggie entertainment, education zones and talks from Aussie pet experts. We cannot wait to share our birthday with all dog owners.”
Humphris continues: “Every year we are looking to the needs and wants of dog parents and the canine community to see how we can help. Whether that may be new ways to spoil their pups, advice on bringing in a new dog into the family, how best to take them on holidays or even the next steps on adopting a new best friend, this event is where Melburnians can find the answer. We have even helped find forever homes for 2,000+ dogs over the years through our Adoption Zones! We can’t wait to see what the next ten years looks like.”
New and Expanded Features
- Optimum™️ DOGWALK – be dazzled by a parade of Insta-Pooches (Australia’s most followed pups), entertained by dancing dogs and fur-shion models with their human owner, be inspired by rescue dogs and hear from expert guests as they paw their way down the all-new runway stage.
- Dog Friendly Travel Hub – explore the ultimate destination for dog-friendly travel essentials including accessories, accommodation options and must visit spots for the furry friends.
- Doggie-dedicated supermarket – Shop ’til you drop with everything pups could ever want, all under one roof, in this must-visit shopping haven for pampering these pooches.
- ADVANCE TM Paws and Talks – Get all dog-related queries answered with daily educational sessions featuring DOGS VIC breeders and their canine companions, along with engaging K9-inspired interactive activities.
- Mini Dog Races – root for the little guys as mini dogs under 30cm tackle 15cm jumps in a race celebrating the charm and agility of these shoe-sized dynamos.
- Dog Parkour – be thrilled by an action-packed showcase where dogs navigate an array of challenges and obstacles, displaying impressive physical feats that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
- Australia’s Best Doggleganger – witness the competition for the nation’s top human-canine twins, with winners revealed just before the festival. Follow along on event social pages to see the finalists in action.
Returning Festival Favourites
- Kurgo® DockDogs – marvel at spectacular canine talent as dogs compete in Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieval contests, leaping from a dock into a 100,000-litre pool.
- VitaPet Arena – enjoy Farmer Dave and his team showcasing Extreme High Jumping Dogs, Mini Dog Races, and Dog Parkour. Don’t miss Dr. Katrina Warren, Kelly Gill, and the Wonderdogs sharing training tips and tricks, and catch them again on the Optimum™️ DOGWALK!
- Lyka Pat-A-Pooch zone – get up close and paw-sonal with adorable dogs of all breeds in this always-popular attraction.
- Adoption Zone – chat with adoption experts about the joys of responsible pet ownership and help a dog find its forever home.
- ADVANCE TM Breed Showcase – presented by DOGS VIC, this expanded zone lets visitors meet over 800 dogs from A to Z, providing the ultimate dog breed experience.
Dog lovers that are also feline-inclined will receive FREE entry to the Cat Lovers Festival running next door.
FESTIVAL LOCATION: Melbourne Showgrounds, Ascot Vale
DATES & TIMES: Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October 2024, 9:30am until 5pm
TICKETS: dogloversfestival.com.au/melbourne (pre-bookings online are essential)
