What’s more, it’s the world’s sporting capital, with the Australian Open in January and Boxing Day Test in December bookending a year of stellar athletic events. Sydney may be the place tourists go to see, well, an incredibly beautiful city, but Melbourne is the place tourists go before knowing it’s their favourite Australian city.

Why? Let’s take a look below…

We have the world’s best sporting calendar

No other city in the world can begin to compete with Melbourne’s sporting roster: the Australian Open, the F1 Grand Prix, the AFL Grand Final, the Boxing Day Test – the list goes on! Yes, the City of Melbourne is the world’s ultimate place to grab some tickets and see the world’s best in action.

But, regardless of your choice in sports, there can be no missing an AFL game when in Melbourne: it’s the local code and is deeply, passionately supported by Melburnians (and other Australians, for that matter…).

We have Australia’s best art scene

Melbourne is a vibrant cultural hub that draws in artists, designers and musicians from across the world, eager to partake in the city’s constant stream of events. Whether it’s visiting a masters exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, watching a world class comedian at Comedy Fest or seeing a punk band at a local pub, Melbourne is a fun-filled city that is fully conscious of its cultural output.

We have the best nightlife

Well, naturally, Sydney intentionally put an end to competing with Melbourne on this front some time ago, but Melbourne has always had Australia’s best nightlife. The city is home to thousands of bars, clubs, pubs and venues that put on great parties any night of the week.

You could easily start your night seeing a Latin fun gig in Fitzroy before heading into the CBD for a night (and morning) of dancing at a top nightclub. Melbourne is a city that doesn’t shy away from a good party, and with so many top notch options to choose from at all hours of the day and night, why on Earth would it want to?

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