St Kilda has hosted Halloween events for years, and getting there is straightforward once you know the suburb is better reached by tram than by train. The original festival published its own travel guidance for visitors in 2018, with an earlier version from 2016 covering the same ground; the practical details below still hold for anyone heading to St Kilda or another Melbourne venue for a Halloween event today.
Why St Kilda is a tram suburb
St Kilda does not have its own railway station. The old St Kilda railway line was converted decades ago into what is now Route 96, a light rail service that runs along the former track. That catches out a lot of first-time visitors who go looking for a train platform and find a tram stop instead.
Trams into St Kilda
Route 96 runs from the city through to Acland Street in St Kilda, travelling along Fitzroy Street and the Esplanade on the way, with a frequency of roughly six to ten minutes through the day. Route 16 is the other main option, also passing along Fitzroy Street and the Esplanade before continuing through Balaclava and St Kilda East towards Kew. Both are easy to pick up from the CBD and run well into the evening, which matters if your event runs after dark.
Train plus a short tram hop
If you would rather take a train part of the way, a Sandringham line service from Flinders Street or Southern Cross gets you to Balaclava station, in neighbouring St Kilda East. From there it is a walk of around fifteen minutes into central St Kilda, or a quick connection on Route 16 if you would rather not walk the whole way, especially after dark or in costume.
Driving and parking
St Kilda gets busy on weekend evenings even without a festival on, and Halloween events add to that. Metered and permit parking cover most of the streets close to the Esplanade and Fitzroy Street, and spaces fill early once an event starts drawing crowds. If you are driving, allow time to park further out and walk in, and check current signage on the day, since parking rules in the area are reviewed from time to time.
Planning the night
Whichever way you travel in, it is worth deciding how you are getting home before you leave, particularly if your evening involves a few venues rather than one fixed address. Trams run less frequently late at night, and rideshare demand in St Kilda spikes once events wind up. Our guide to Halloween in St Kilda has more on the area itself, and our dates and hours page covers when events in the area tend to run. For other practical questions, head back to the info section.
Walking between venues
St Kilda is compact enough that most of its Halloween-relevant stretch, from the Esplanade through to Fitzroy Street and Acland Street, is a comfortable walk once you arrive. If your evening involves more than one stop, you will likely get more use out of walking between them than trying to drive or re-park between venues, especially once the area fills up on a weekend night.
