The great American tailgate is finally coming to Melbourne. Sort of.
On 11 September, Airbnb is taking over Seaworks for Experience an Aussie Tailgate with Volk, hosted by UFC star and noted bloke-you-probably-want-on-your-tug-of-war-team, Alexander Volkanovski. And it’s completely free.
The idea is to take that very American tradition of gathering around cars, eating a copious amount of meat and getting aggressively competitive before a sporting event, then give it an Australian going-over.
The result? Cornhole, quarterback throws, tug of war, beer pong and the extremely prestigious-sounding Thong Toss.
There’ll also be hot dogs, wings and sliders, a DJ, Tinnie Bar and Volk himself chucking food on the grill.
But there are only 20 bookable tailgate spots, with each booking covering you plus up to four mates, meaning just 100 people will get through the gates. And competition could be fierce.
WATCH ⟶ EXPLORE THE VIBRANCY OF MELBOURNE AFTER DARK

Melbourne is gearing up for a massive September, with Airbnb reporting searches from American travellers for 8–14 September are up more than 250% year-on-year. Searches from locals are up more than 75% too. Want in?
Bookings are now open and are first come, first served. Travel and accommodation aren’t included, but once you’re inside, the tailgate is covered.
So assemble four mates, warm up the throwing arm and prepare to discover whether thongs really do fly better after a few tinnies.
May the fastest fingers win.