36th International Geographical Congress 2028
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri people, on which the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is built. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present. Click here to learn more.
We warmly invite you to Melbourne for the 2028 Congress, ‘Making Geographical Connections’
On behalf of the Local Organising Committee, a warm welcome to preparations for the IGC2028 in Melbourne, Australia! We’re busy developing what promises to be a wonderful event. We hope that many of you will make the trip of a lifetime and come to Australia in July 2028.
Melbourne is a large city in Australia’s southeast and the capital of the State of Victoria. It is home to a diversity of communities and political, intellectual, economic, and cultural endeavours. It is a UNESCO City of Literature, headquarters for the creative arts and many other creative industries in Australia, home to several universities and their local and international student communities, and a world-renowned destination for architecture and urban sustainability.
We also call this place ‘Naarm’, a language name of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, on whose unceded lands the city stands. Much of Naarm is connected by Birrarung, ‘a river of mists and shadows’, also known as the Yarra River. Our conference venue is found on the south bank of Birrarung, within walking distance of the city centre. Our conference logo, a commissioned artwork by Wurundjeri artist Simone Thomson, depicts Birrarung, along with the local ‘manna gum’ tree or wurun, and the Wedge-tailed Eagle creator spirit, Bunjil. Australian Aboriginal culture is the longest continuous culture in the world, and we proudly acknowledge and celebrate this richness.
Our conference theme is ‘Making Geographical Connections’. Investigating connections is fundamental to studying how complex inter-relationships develop and are sustained or re-form. Geographers explore connection in terms of material and social movement – flows of water through landscapes, migrations of people within or between places, or take-up of policy across different jurisdictions, to name only a few examples. Connection knits together systems and networks, whether biophysical, human, or informational.
We look forward to keeping in touch with you, and to connecting with you at a great Congress!
Melbourne is impossible to pin down — a city of contrasts and surprises, where hidden laneways, world-class culture, buzzing cafés, and unique characters all collide to create experiences you won’t find anywhere else. It’s not about one thing, but everything at once — unexpected, unrepeatable, and every bit different.
Indulge in Victoria’s ever-expanding arts and culture scene in venues across the state. From theatre shows and live music to comedy clubs, museums, galleries and festivals, Victoria is a state of the arts.
Big Nights
Head out any day of the week and enjoy a night of live music or performing arts. There’s always a gig, comedy hour, or theatre show taking place in performance spaces, band rooms and theatres across Victoria. Discover the next big thing at a local music venue, see theatrical blockbusters in all their glory, or catch stage productions and concerts at regional cabaret halls.