St Kilda Esplanade Market: Sundays 10am to 4pm

When is the St Kilda Esplanade Market open?

Every Sunday, 10am to 4pm, on the Upper Esplanade. The market has traded since 1970 as a makers market by the bay. City of Port Phillip runs it. Plan-your-visit copy on the official site still says tram 16 or 96 from the city in about 15 minutes. Do not treat that as a clock. Peak Sundays run longer in the crush.

It does not trade on St Kilda Festival Sunday. For 2027 that is Sunday 21 February. Permanent stallholders get no credit for that missed day. Festival logistics live on the St Kilda Festival guide. Do not mix this Sunday strip with Veg Out Farmers Market, which is a first-Saturday job at Peanut Farm.

Opening hours can change without notice in extreme weather. Cancellations are posted on the market Facebook page. Check that channel before you tram out on a gale day. The stallholder FAQ names the usual close triggers: Bureau of Meteorology winds of 50 to 61 kph with gusts above 60 kph, and air temperature above 39 degrees Celsius. If those conditions hold for two consecutive hours during trade, staff can shut the market immediately.

1. Tram 96 or 16 to stop 138. Walk the upper Esplanade. Stalls face the bay.
2. Cash still helps at small stalls. Card is common. Bring a bag. There is no ATM on the Upper Esplanade. The closest listed ATM is Westpac at 108 Acland Street.
3. Coffee at Sea Baths or cakes on Acland, five minutes north. Toilets at Catani Gardens and Sea Baths.

What do they sell, and is it worth a queue?

Makers, not chains. Official categories are jewellery, art and craft, health and wellbeing, fashion and accessories, and food and beverage. Prices are stall-by-stall. Bring a bag. Dogs are welcome on leads. Buskers need to email esplanademarket@portphillip.vic.gov.au first. Gift vouchers are not sold by the market itself. Individual stalls may run their own.

The strip is paved and mostly flat. Wind off the bay is the real limiter in winter. Public toilets sit at Catani Gardens and the Sea Baths. The promenade is on-leash for dogs even when the stalls allow leads. Full summer sand rules sit on the dog beach rules page. This page does not reprint those hours.

How do I get there, and where do I park?

Stop 138, Luna Park / The Esplanade, on tram 96 and tram 16 is the correct alight. There is no St Kilda train station. Balaclava on the Sandringham line plus tram 16 is the rail option. Full Myki notes: how to get to St Kilda. The market site says there is plenty of all-day paid parking on the Upper and Lower Esplanade and surrounding streets. That is paid Port Phillip parking, not a free market car park. Palais show nights and summer Sundays fill those bays first. Rates and event-night notes: parking guide.

Stallholders must be set up in marked bays by 9am. Vehicles are not allowed on the footpath after 9am. That is why the strip is pedestrian by the time visitors arrive. Do not try to reverse onto the footpath for a five-minute browse.

How much does a stall cost if I want to trade?

Visitor search is hours and coffee. Maker search is fees. Both belong here because the same URL is the market's public record. Figures below are copied from the official become a stallholder page. They are subject to annual increase. Confirm before you pay.

Casual bookings close at 5pm on the Monday before that Sunday. Pay the invoice before you trade and email the receipt to the market office. Cancellation credits: 14 or more days before the date, credit to another market; 8 to 13 days, credit minus a $30 admin fee; inside the week, no credit. Permanent stalls get no Festival Sunday credit. Half-day hire of the precinct for private events is a different product ($1,060 half day, $2,111 full day) and is not a visitor ticket.

Where should I get coffee and lunch?

Walk south to Sea Baths or north to Acland cakes. The Esplanade hub lists only this strip. Cake cabinets and brunch rooms are a five-minute walk and have their own page: Acland Street cakes and brunch. Do not treat this market page as a restaurant ranking. Alcohol stays inside licensed venues. You cannot bring a drink onto the stalls.

Frequently asked questions

Explore more: Events calendar, St Kilda Festival, Thrift shopping.