Federation Square

If you’re a tourist, I’d recommend dropping by the visitors centre. Make it your first stop as the guys there do have their fingers on the pulse of the city (and surrounding areas) of Melbourne.
When first built, Melbourne was devided. You loved it, or you hated it. I think now, we have just all accepted it as the multi functional space it is.
For me, the cafes and restaurants are fairly overpriced and don’t have a whole lot of soul. To be honest, I’d give them all a miss. And don’t even get me started on the overly priced, and massively overrated taxi. That’s another review.
What I do love is that you can always find something new, different and a little exciting to experience here. Be it the second hand books market, the latest film festival movies or that weeks cultural festival (think Polish, Malaysian, etc).
Pro tip– if you’re going to a festival, get there BEFORE 10am, or don’t bother.

Federation Square. This is an interesting spot to hang out. It’s right beside the Yarra River, across from Southbank, on the other side of the river to the Shrine of Remembrance, and on the other side of Flinders Street Station. There are steps people sit on and just read. There are chairs in the middle of the square to watch sporting events.
It’s definitely an interesting «Town Square» and one of a kind. The architecture is gorgeous and the panels on the building is nothing I’ve seen before. It provides free wifi and it’s in the middle of everything. I totally recommend Federation Square as tourist stop like recommending not drinking public restroom toilet water.

Decided to take a trip to the great Down Under for New Years and for all things downtown Melbourne, this is the center of it all. It’s surrounded by great shopping areas, eats, and historical buildings that is all within walking/​trolly distance.
I know Unilocal isn’t huge in Australia so for all of my tourist friends, THERE’S FREE WIFI HERE. And it’s quite fast for free wifi. Even on New Year’s Eve with thousands and thousands of people packed in like sardines, I was able to hop onto the WiFi and post pictures to my social media accounts.
For being like a center of a downtown city, it’s pretty spacious and wide open. And it’s definitely got some work done to it. Nice outdoor space to sit and chill, wide sidewalks to take your selfies on, and the security there was friendly and helpful. As a tourist, I felt pretty safe even though I was carrying over 8k worth of camera gear.
Chinatown (or whatever that area is called) is pretty close and so are those narrow alleyways where great hidden gems dot along its path from one end to the next.
Magnificent victorian style buildings are also just a walk away.
There’s also the river that runs through the area so it’s a nice spot for a midday picnic on the grassy shores and parking is plenty (unless you go on a day like New Year’s Eve).
Great place to hang out.

Great place to start you tour of the City. Easily accessible by tram, train (Flinders station) or bus. Drops you right off at the Visitor’s Center and the easy walking distance to many places or, if it is a HOT day (106 F) like today (Jan 3 2015) take the free tram around the city center

fed square isn’t just a great place as a meeting point with friends but it also provides a few good spots to eat and knock back a few beverages all while enjoying melbourne’s iconic sites like flinders station, yara river, melbourne art gallery or the fed square’s peculiar building designs… it has a large tv screen that also displays significant sporting events live which can get very spirited… the only draw back is most of the fed square is open, so on those many melbourne rainy days it can be a bit of a drag but you can always check out the tourist info or one of the pubs or restaurant to stay dry… :) would i go back? definitely

A key spot in Melbourne CBD and great meeting spot– being right beside the Yarra River, short walk from Southbank and opposite Flinders Street Station. Enjoyed its cool jutting, different levelled steps in the main centre of this space. The square has a beautiful design with all it’s angles and geometric shapes. A big fan of the triangular-​panelled, pinwheel-​grid main building made of a multi-​tonal sandstone, zinc and glass combination (that features on the Myki card holder).
Unfortunately wasn’t able to make it to the Ian Potter Centre but have been recommended it as an amazing collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Walked past the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and would love to learn more about the moving image, stop for next time. The visitor information centre is found here easily in the large glass building right on the corner– great for tourist help as well as to get a necessary Myki (public transport) pack. Very cool as they have free wifi in the area which is definitely helpful as a modern day traveller trying to keep in touch with family and friends.
Would love to come back to experience one of their exciting events– be it a cultural festivals, exhibition, event launch, performance, film, concert or fashion shows. Must see

Federation Square or «fed square» in Melbourne, is one place that you would find hard not to miss. Home to cultural attractions, where people congregate, meet, stroll, people-​watch, drink or grab a bite to eat, in many of the nearby cafes, bars and restaurants. Located directly opposite Flinders Station, it is within a hop to South Bank, and a skip to Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI).
If you are lucky enough to be here when something is on, such as the Australian Open Tennis, there’ll be crowds of people, and deck chairs to lay on, as you watch the Large Screens with the rest of the world. You’ll find yourself befriending backpackers and tourists from all over the place, not caring about your clothes, as you plonk yourself on the ground, braving the wind chill.
I like Fed Square. I like that it brings all sorts of people together, to unite them, even if it’s for a short time. There are lots of facilities nearby, and plenty of cover at many of the cafes close by, should the weather turn nasty and one needs refuge. Great spot!

I’m a big fan of this place! Such an amazing part of Melbourne, filled with performing acts, art decorations, big screen, stage performances, cinemas, bars and restaurant.
I always go here knowing there will be something on that I could do!
Was here last night laying on a provided banana chair watching the tennis on the big screen!
Just great, ACMI centre also located on this land, which great showcases!

Federation Square (known locally as Fed Square) you will either hate it or love it. You can guess what category I fall into.
There’s always something on — it’s a great place to hang out, use the free wifi and watch all the action.
Located right in the centre of Melbourne, on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets, right across from Flinders Street Station. You can also take a tour, catch a cruise or wine and dine in style.
There’s always something going on at Fed Square, with an impressive calendar of events and activities taking place throughout the year. Crowds often gather to watch major events live on the giant screen, such as the AFL Grand Final (football), the FIFA World Cup (soccer), or the Australian Open (tennis).
Fed Square is home to the Melbourne Visitor Centre, ACMI, SBS and NGV Australia’s Ian Potter Centre. It has distinctive architecture comprised of geometrical patterns and shards, with zinc, sandstone and glass tiles.

Federation Square — you either love it or loathe it.
However, it really has become the centre of Melbourne, almost the new flinders street clocks.
I like swinging past Fed Square for a number of reasons: You never know what is going on, or what’s going to happen next, there’s street performers and sometimes companies do give aways. WIN!
It’s a little ordinary in Winter, but in the other seasons, Fed Square is a nice place to pop into and see what’s happening.

Lots going on here and a great spot to watch the city go by and see yourself on the giant interactive screen

This place is full of fun, 365 days a year. Nearly every weekend Melbourne is celebrating something at Fed Square and even if there isn’t a special event, there’s so much to enjoy. Also — they now have beehives on the roof to supply honey to the restaurants — I am pretty sure they have the largest urban beehive in the world with 35 hives! That’s a heck of a lot of good Melbourne honey!

Fed Square is a great place to stop if you’re spending the afternoon in the city. The cafes may be a bit over priced, but the day tour center is awesome for tourists visiting for the first time. & Free Wifi!

After all the hype of Federation Square, I was kind of disappointed when I got there. I was in Melbourne during the Olympics and footie finals. On the schedule was footie followed by olympic coverage on the big screen. We headed down thinking there would be a big crowd. We got there and… nothing. No one was there. Pretty unbelievable.
The architecture, in my opinion is pretty cool. There are a bunch of restaurants around, but there is a lack of people. We circled back a few other times at different times of the day. The second time we went during the day, there were a few people, but it was all tourists taking a pictures of themselves on the big screen.
Cool venue, but to me, unused.

This is definitely a cool place to hang out while in Melbourne. It is just a really unique spot in the city. The restaurants are a little pricey for what you get but you are kind of going more for the scenery and just soak in the view. It’s definitely cool to see at night and also fun when there are events in the area and the big screen is just cool.
For the tourist like me, the little visitor center is a nice place to schedule tours and get info on the area/​attractions. If you opt for some tours, definitely schedule one for the Great Ocean Road, it is a must see.
It just seems like Melbourne has it all, and I’m jealous of people who get to live here.

I agree cafes are over-​priced and not so nice. But it’s such a great place to hang out. There’s ACMI, Ian Potter centre. Always some event happening.
And as a visitor, it has visitor info centre which is very helpful to newbies.

I love Federation Square. Along with places like the MCG and Flinders Street Station it is an icon of this great city, kind of the heartbeat if I can be a little cliché.
WIth bars, restaurants, museums and amenities everywhere it’s been brilliantly thought out.
Anything big that involves Melbourne involves Fed Square. When Cadel Evans won the Tour de France he came to Fed Square, when the world cup is on everybody goes to Fed Square, if you are meeting friends from out of town you meet at Fed Square. Get my gist?
The great thing about it is there is always something on. Last friday they had deckchairs set up for a band to play while a ‘Free Tibet’ group sat metres away in a peaceful singing protest.
Just a wonderful feature of Melbourne and not to be missed.

Whether its soccer fans watching the big game at 4am or Bollywood dancing on New Years Eve, Fed Square is where Melbourne gathers to celebrate. This alone makes Fed Square special, but it is so much more.
Melbournian’s either love or hate the design of Fed Square. Whatever camp you belong to there is no denying its usefulness as a public event space. Sporting events on the big screen, concerts, protests. Pretty much any reason you can think of for a public gathering has and will occur here. It is also home to the Australian Centre of Moving Image, Art galleries, shops, cafes bars, restaurants and the popular Tourist Information Centre.
Its the location that makes it such an asset to Melbourne. Located across from the transport hub of Flinders Street and easily accessed by train, bus, tram and even by water. If your going to a largely attended public event then transport is key.
Me? I love Fed Square. The design is interesting. I love the colours that echo the Australian desert in my mind. I love the big screen and the community it provides. You cant help but feel as though your part of something special when your swept up in an event there. I love that you can sit on the steps and watch Melbourne go by as you wait for friends, I love the range of bars and cafes. ACMI, the gallery and its event spaces. I love watching the Yarra with a beer in hand at the Transport bar. I love the inspiration the Tourism Information provides me.
See you there?

It is amazing to discover that only 25kms away your seeing open paddocks with cows (depending on where your coming from) and before you know it your at Melbourne’s most popular meeting place and culture hotspot a stone’s throw away from the yarra river.
Got to love the contemporary architecture, and it is great that modern art galleries are located here as well as a choice of restaurants to enjoy. A great mecca for locals and tourists alike. On the eve of the AFL grand final, Swanston Street gets fenced off as this landmark attracts crowds. There is always something cultural on; and a purpose built stage has been designed for this purpose. Other cultural events such as the annual Melbourne comedy festival, and the Buddha’s bath have been hosted here. And also the Melbourne Food and Wine festival was hosted here earlier this year as well. Stands to purchase goodies are also put up occasionally.
Furthermore, on a more enlightened look; Tai Chi is on here every Tuesday morning between 7:30am-8:30am. And you might also find a Zumba party going on once in a while; where you can actually participate in a busy Zumba Class. There is something for everyone here at the square.

Federation Square is a very modern-​esque building with a very unique architectural design. For the most part, it’s just a tourist attraction unless you go and attend a special event.
It’s littered with cafes and restaurants, but they’re all unreasonably expensive. You’d probably be better off just picking something up for takeaway from the multitude of cheap eats nearby and eating it in Federation Square. Pretty much, the restaurants would only be reserved for the upper class who can afford it… not a poor university student like me (cough).
However, like I mentioned they do regularly hold events to help introduce Melbourne-​community! Definitely check out their website to see what’s happening and if anything interests you.
I like to make visits to Federation Square and as strange as it sounds… meditate. Because of its wide open spaces, it’s fairly quiet aside from the light city sounds of cars and trams and illegible conversations. Federation Square provides an amazing view of the city skyline that puts me at peace.
Even if you’re not going for the restaurants, I suggest making a visit to Federation Square if you’re in Melbourne and you might find an aspect of it that you like.