Good Things Festival Melbourne Survival Guide: Set Times, Transport, & More

Good Things kicks off in Melbourne next week, and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know ahead of one of December’s loudest festivals.

It’s a week until Good Things Festival hits Melbourne before heading to Sydney and Brisbane. The countdown is on as alt, heavy and hardcore fans around the country pick out their outfits, plan their schedule and rally their crew for one of the loudest weekends in December.

Whether this is your first time hitting the GT circuit (if so, welcome!) or you’ve been to every instalment since it began, we’ve got you sorted with our Blunt certified survival guide – from set times and locations, travel options, and our hot tips for making the most out of your day.

Let’s get into it with the Melbourne Edition of our festival guide. Looking for the guide to another city? Check out our Sydney and Brisbane editions.

When and where is Good Things Festival Melbourne happening?

Good Things Melbourne will be held on Friday, 5 December at Flemington Racecourse.

Good Things Festival Lineup

The Good Things Festival lineup for 2025 dropped on social media and the official site in August, and there’s a whole heap of acts set to tear up stages in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Here’s the full lineup:

• TOOL
• Weezer 
• Garbage 
• All Time Low 
• Machine Head
• The All-American Rejects 
• Knocked Loose
• Lorna Shore
• Refused
• New Found Glory
• Make Them Suffer
• Dayseeker
• James Reyne
• Kublai Khan TX
• Cobra Starship
• Goldfinger
• Tonight Alive
• Bad Nerves
• Civic 
• Dead Poet Society
• Fever 333
• Gwar
• High Vis
• Inertia
• Palaye Royale
• Scene Queen
• South Arcade
• Wargasm
• Windwaker
• Yours Truly 
• Maple’s Pet Dinosaur
• Soulsleep
• Plus Stage 666

Good Things Festival Melbourne Set Times

Destroy All Lines dropped the Good Things Festival set times in early October, giving attendees plenty of time to agonise over set clashes. Tool and Lorna Shore playing at the same time is a bit of a rough cop, we reckon.

Here’s the full set time rundown for Melbourne – there’s some slight variations between the three cities:

How to get Good Things Festival Melbourne tickets

Good Things Festival tickets are currently on sale via Oztix – currently, Tixel isn’t available for resale, but the festival has partnered with Twickets for the same thing (and prices can only be at face value, with no variations).

What can and can’t you bring into the festival?

Good Things Festival attendees can bring a bag smaller than A4 size, although keep in mind there will be sniffer dogs and police presence, so don’t bring anything prohibited or illegal.

Now that we’ve got that out the way, here’s what you’re allowed to and should bring:

• Your ticket (e-ticket of physical)
• A valid form of photo ID (Australian driver’s license or learner permit, domestic or international passport, state/territory proof of age cards, Keypass, or Australian student ID card) – this is a must.
• Unopened sunscreen (small bottle – no spray bottles)
• An empty plastic water bottle
• Bank cards – Good Things is cashless, and relying on your phone to survive the day is a dicey undertaking.
• Portable charger
• A reasonable amount of food (such as sandwiches)
• Any required prescription medication in its prescribed packaging – make sure to carry a copy of the prescription and only bring the amount you require during your time at the festival.

Here’s what you can’t bring:

• Glass and metal water bottles
• Professional cameras, drones, and recording devices – mobile phones and point and shoot cameras are allowed.
• Aerosols
• Bags larger than A4
• Liquids – only empty bottles are allowed. This includes the dregs of your traveller beer from the way in, sorry folks.
• Drugs (obviously)

How to get to Good Things Festival Melbourne

Transport options to Good Things Melbourne vary greatly (to state the obvious). Here’s a quick rundown:

Parking

Parking is available at the VRC VIP Carpark, Broadcast Carpark & Leonard Crescent Carpark, with the Melbourne Showgrounds Carpark also operated as an overflow carpark as required. This carpark will be staffed and operational between 9am-midnight on event day at a cost of $25 per car. Remember that parking is very limited, so be prepared to park further away or plan to take public transport part or all of the way in.

Rideshare

The designated vehicle drop off zone for Good Things Festival is located outside of the Showgrounds on Epsom Road between the main and members gates between 11am and 6:30pm on event day. Epsom road will be closed during the egress period, so for getting home make your way to Racecourse Road to grab an Uber or Taxi from the event. Keep in mind you’re likely in for very long waits and high costs due to high demand.

Train

Trains will be departing from Flinders St Station (Platform 10), before stopping at Southern Cross (Platform 13/14) and North Melbourne (Platform 5/6), then express to Flemington Racecourse. Trains will depart from Flinders St every 10 minutes from 10:35am until 1:35pm, then every 20 minutes from then until 3:55pm. There are no direct services to Flemington after this – you’ll need to take the Craigieburn line to Newmarket Station and walk or take the tram to get there during this time.

Trains for attendees heading out of Good Things will depart from Platform 1 of Flemington Racecourse Station to Flinders St Station every 20 minutes between 8-9pm, every 15 minutes between 9-10pm, and every 5-6 minutes from 10-11:30pm. Trains will stop at North Melbourne, Southern Cross, and Flinders St. The last services to depart from the Racecourse is at 11:30pm. Plan your journey here.

Tram

Attendees can catch the Route 57 West Maribyrnong tram from the corner of Elizabeth Street and Flinders Street in the Melbourne CBD to Flemington Racecourse (Stop #30). The tram services will run every 7-8 minutes, however low-floor trams don’t run on this route so those using mobility aids should make alternative trams. There are additional services on this route throughout the day and evening.

Bus

You can catch the Route 472 bus from Williamstown, Footscray or Moonee Ponds to Fisher Parade – however main gate entry for Good Things on Epsom Road is a long, long way away. There’s also the Route 404 bus from Footscray or Moonee Ponds to Smithfield Road with a shorter walk to the main gates. There will be no additional bus services in operation, so expect buses to run to the normal weekday timetable.

Event Map

Accessibility info

If you require a full time carer or companion to come along with you to Good Things Festival, valid ticket holders are allowed one free entry ticket for their legitimate carer. Once you’ve purchased your ticket, email [email protected] with your current carer or companion card information, or written proof of your status as a Carer and they will issue you one free ticket. Accredited service animals will be allowed access to the festival as well – just make sure they’re wearing their official ID badge or medallion at all times.

There will be limited-capacity Accessible Viewing Platforms at each date. This raised platform is specifically designed to offer an unobstructed view of the stage for patrons with mobility requirements, including those using wheelchairs or scooters, and their essential companions. However, those who require access will need to pre register here, and given the limited spots it’s a first-come, first served basis.

There will be limited accessible parking at or near each Good Things event, however these will need to be pre-booked in advance – so if you’ve not already done so, hit up [email protected].

There will be accessible toilets around the festival grounds for each city that are clearly marked on the site map. There’s also a sensory space offered at each date, with low lighting and comfortable seating. However, keep in mind that due to the nature of Good Things, it likely won’t be fully devoid of loud noises given the music being played across the day.

There will be no audio loop available “due to the nature of the venues,” and patrons are warned that the headlining bands’ productions may include strobe and intense light shows. Changing places will be offered in Sydney and Brisbane, but due to the nature of the Flemington Racecourse, there won’t be any in Melbourne.

There will be a dedicated accessibility contact on the day of the event – you can register prior to the day via the accessibility email located above to be provided with contact details and an event map with locations.

You can check out all of the accessibility FAQ’s on the official Good Things site here.

Good Things Festival survival tips

A lot of our Good Things festival survival tips might be a bit of a no-brainer, but sometimes common sense goes out the window or you just plain forget when rushing between sets from your favourite bands. Not to sound like your mum here, but here’s our suggestions so you don’t totally f**k up your day and can make the most of it.

• It goes without saying that you should be lathering yourself regularly in sunscreen to avoid coming out of the day horrifically sunburnt or with heatstroke. First aid tents generally have sunscreen stations set up so you can reapply as needed – usually at least every two hours if you’re wondering – but just in case they don’t or run out, make sure to bring some of your own along. Wearing a hat is also a solid idea to save your poor scalp from catching on metaphorical fire.
• Make sure to stay hydrated! While the (overpriced) festival beers may be your beverage of choice, make sure you’re also regularly getting some H2O in as well – there’s free water refill stations around the festival, and you’re allowed to bring an empty water bottle into the grounds.
• On the same topic, pace yourself if you’re drinking. It’s easy to get in the habit of double parking yourself to avoid the long bar lines, but it’s just as easy to chug those two drinks like water in the space of mere minutes, top yourself up, and repeat. If you’d prefer to have the longevity to make it through the full day without the need for a tactical munt or having to tap out early, taking it slow and steady is the better idea (again, we’re not your mum).
• Eat something. You can bring a reasonable amount of food with you (like sandwiches), but given the weather food will likely spoil pretty quick over a long day. There’s plenty of food stalls catering to different tastes and dietary requirements. Make sure to stay fuelled up for the big day!
• If you start to feel yourself overheating, sitting in the shade to watch sets or have a breather is never a bad idea. There’s a lot of shady spots under trees with seating, tents, and if things get a bit dicey, the first aid tent is always there.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Seriously. Big stompy boots might make for a sick outfit, but with the amount of steps most folks end up doing at Good Things (not even counting the standing still or moshing), your feet and ankles will thank you.
• If you’re going with a group, have a planned meeting point and share your schedules with each other. The reception can be spotty with so many people in one place, so it’s easier to have an identifiable location to rally at when you get lost or finish up a set, rather than fighting against a struggling network in a crowd for half the day.
• Plan your journey in and out ahead of time. When you’re wrecked at the end of the day, the last thing you want to do is waste time that could be spent at an after party or in bed working out how the hell to get out of the Showgrounds. Whether you’re taking PT, getting a lift, driving yourself in, or relying on ride share, know your route and where you need to go so you can spend more time enjoying the music and vibes, and less time aimlessly wandering around.