The City’s new investment of $128,000, included in the adopted 2026–27 Budget, comes with a promise to build on the initiative’s success and make improvements while keeping quality and community at its heart.

Economic data shows the weekly event in central Geelong injected an estimated $8.3 million into the local economy in the first seven months since launching in late October 2025.

Each weekend, upwards of 44 stallholders welcome on average 6,500 visitors to the precinct, creating a vibrant, colourful scene of quality food, seasonal produce and handcrafts, alongside live music and cooking demonstrations.

Local raw honey and pure beeswax producers Jarrod and Maryanne Wallis, of The Bush Honey Co, have been at the market since it began last spring.

Jarrod Wallis of The Bush Honey Co

We started at the Geelong City Market and haven’t left. We do quite a few different markets, from here to Ballarat and Melbourne – and this is one of our favourites. Everyone is really appreciative of being able to utilise this space a bit better.

Embracing new ideas, the Geelong City Market recently hosted a popular Friday night edition, a national gathering of choral music, and a partnership with local ceramicists.

Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM

The Geelong City Market is delivering exactly what we hoped it would – bringing thousands of people into the heart of our city, supporting small businesses and nearby cafes and retailers, and creating a vibrant place for people to gather. Every dollar spent at Geelong City Market generates more than 90 cents of additional local supply-chain and flow-on consumption spending. That's based on an estimated $4.3 million in direct spending and $4 million in indirect economic activity. Our continued investment reflects the market's success and our commitment to building a city centre that is full of life.

The City's 2026–27 Budget allocation of $128,000 will fund essential operational requirements including traffic management, marketing and promotion, access improvement, electrical infrastructure and support for market operations.

Market co-founder Simon Toohey of Barwon Events

From day one, the vision has been to create a market that celebrates our incredible local producers, makers and community while helping breathe new life into central Geelong. Seeing thousands of people return every weekend and hearing the positive feedback from stallholders and surrounding businesses shows just how important this market has become. This investment gives us the confidence to continue growing the market, try new things and build something that will benefit Geelong for many years to come.

Over the coming year, the market will focus on growing stallholder participation, increasing visitation and customer spending, expanding night market opportunities and supporting community organisations through free community stalls.

The Geelong City Market is every Saturday from 9am–2pm at Little Malop Central.

Weekly stallholders, performers and demonstrations are listed on the Geelong City Market website.

The City of Greater Geelong Budget 2026-27 can be found on our Budget page.