Moomba Festival launches in Melbourne

The Moomba Festival has begun in Melbourne, with the city’s mayor officially launching the event.

The streets of Melbourne are likely to be awash with colour as the start of this year’s Moomba festival has been announced.

Taking place in the city each year, it is hoped the 2012 event will be even more successful than the record-breaking festival in 2011.

Held over three days in the city, Robert Doyle officially opened the 57th festival and announced changes will be made to the route, as it will now be going down St Kilda Road.

“This year we have a theme for the parade again, ‘Melbourne is delicious’, and you are going to see a celebration of food,” Doyle said.

Spectacular events people can expect to see at the festival include a birdman rally, water skiing and fireworks to mark the end of the day.

The city is no stranger to hosting huge events, with the Melbourne Open recently taking place at the Rod Laver arena and Lady Gaga has announced she will be playing a pair of dates at the venue during June.

Written by Nicholas Scott