Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival

Can you eat mussels that remain closed throughout the cooking process? The short answer is yes, the perfect answer is yes, especially at the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival. Returning to the South Melbourne Market this Labor Day weekend, the two-day seafood street party offers sultry jazz tunes and mountains of molluscs.

The free event will see the streets of South Melbourne transform into a mini-Bourbon Street, featuring some of the best jazz bands in Australia, including special guest Simon Stribling. Other jazz acts in the lineup include The Shuffle Club, The Pearly Shells, and Horns of Leroy.

Back to the major player at the Mussel & Jazz Festival: the mussels. Vendors such as Claypots, Paco y Lola and Simply Spanish will serve over five tonnes of molluscs in every delicious combination possible. One offering to track down would be John’s famous massaman curry, sourcing mussels from the local shores of Mt Martha. The massaman is something of a legend in South Melbourne and is packed with fresh, light seafood, in a rich curry sauce and served on a fluffy bed of rice.

If your appetite is whet, treat yourself to a selection of local wines, craft beer, cider, and of course, fresh sangria, which perfectly accompanies every mouthful of paella. Spend the weekend in the sun, feasting on the freshest seafood, listening to Jazz. It’s a yes from us.

Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival 
South Melbourne Market, Cecil Street, South Melbourne
Saturday March 11 – Sunday March 12, 12pm to late
southmelbournemarket.com.au/mussel-festival/