Frequently
asked questions

Sleep At The ’G is MCM’s flagship fundraising event that sees compassionate people come together in support of over 7,600 young Victorians who are without a safe place to call home. It’s a fun event to raise money and awareness for a serious issue.

Yes, for one night you’ll sleep at one of the world’s most famous stadiums. Funds raised from your one uncomfortable night sleeping at the MCG will go towards providing comfort and security for young people without a home.

Homelessness is usually a result of other forms of disadvantage building to a crisis. Family violence, abuse and mental health are the major drivers into homelessness for young people. But once they become homeless, they face even more dangerous situations; sleeping rough, in unsafe housing, couch surfing and many others that leave them vulnerable to danger and risks. The longer homelessness lasts, the harder it is to rebuild a life.

Without the support of organisations like MCM, a young person can become further entrenched in long term-homelessness, increasing trauma and poverty, losing all hope of reaching their full potential. We know that 50% of adults experiencing long-term homelessness were homeless as young people. Breaking this cycle is vital to give young people their best chance of a better life.

Gates will open at 5:00pm. The Welcome to Country and event commence at 6:30pm.

We recommend you arrive between 5:00pm - 6:00pm to allow ample time to enter, get your sleeping spot, get settled and head out to the stands for the official start of the event.

Gates will close at 8:00pm Thursday night and re-open at 5:30am Friday morning. Pass outs will be allowed.

Gate 2 re-opens at 5:30am on the Friday morning after the event and you will be able to grab a breakfast snack and coffee on your way out.

For safety and security reasons, all individuals must be 15 years or older on the day of the event.

Children between the ages of 15 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian at all times.

As Sleep At The ’G is MCM’s flagship fundraising event, participants are not entitled to refunds of registration fees should their circumstances change and they cannot attend the event. Tickets are not transferrable.

No. Everyone will be directed to their sleeping area within the rooms and concourse areas of the stand. If you have a large team, you should get in as early as you can to increase your chances of securing a large space together.

You can leave at any time, of course, but for security reasons you will not be allowed to come back inside. You can leave through the turnstile near where you entered at Gate 2.

The MCG security provider is SECUREcorp and they have generously supported Sleep At The ’G at every event.

The SECUREcorp brand stands for ‘Reliability, Integrity and Results’ so we are confident that our sleepers, volunteers and guests are in very good hands.

This is a public gathering of many hundreds of people. No secure lockers will be available, so we can’t guarantee your belongings are safe if left unattended. Please take responsibility for your belongings at all times.

Ensure you bring the below items with you for easy access and an enjoyable night:

Your ticket - without it you can't enter.

Sleeping, camping, or yoga mat - if you want an extra layer of warmth to sleep on (only single sizes are permitted). We will not be providing any bedding.

Pillow – for a little extra comfort.

Sleeping bag/blankets – it's normally a chilly night, so you'll need to keep warm!

Warm clothing – Melbourne autumn nights can get cold. You won’t be out in the elements but you should bring some warm clothes. It's a perfect opportunity to wear that onesie.

Empty water bottle – we will have taps available so you can refill.

Snacks - have a good stash of your favourite sweet and salty snacks.

Games - card and board games, puzzle books and any similar activities you can enjoy playing with others.

No power points are available, which means you won't be able to plug-in any mobile phone chargers or any other items of technology.

Please bring your phone fully charged and a self-sufficient charging source, like a portable phone charger (if you have one) because there are only a few charging stations available. It’s first come, first charged. Ask for the locations of these charging stations at the event.

This is an alcohol free event. No alcohol may be brought into the venue. Glass containers, cans and knives are not permitted. These will be confiscated and you may be refused entry. Make sure you understand the MCG Conditions of Entry prior to arrival.

You CAN bring with you:

• An empty re-usable drinking bottle to fill at the water stations inside
• Any non-alcoholic drinks in sealed plastic bottles
• Any food you wish to eat during the night, although there will be some food available.

No. There are no showers available for public use.

Wouldn’t that be cool? We’d love to get the footy out for a bit of fun, but it’s just not on, sorry.

This is a serious condition of entry and any person attempting to access the arena, will be swiftly removed by security staff and possibly removed from the venue, and could be facing a hefty fine.

No. As much as we love pets, they are not allowed at the event.

The entire MCG external concourse is a smoke free zone. If you would like to smoke, you will need to exit the venue and walk to the perimeter edge of the external concourse (just into Yarra Park). You’ll need your entry pass to get out and back in. Ask someone from SECUREcorp on the night.

Sleep At The ’G 2024 permits sleepers aged 15-17 years into the event with supervision from an adult parent or guardian at all times.

For safety and security reasons, all individuals must be 15 years or older on the day of the event, and there must be one parent or guardian per two children.

Youths and their legal guardians will receive a wristband upon entry, which must be worn for the full duration of the event.

All family ticket holders (including youths) will be able to sleep within the general areas, with their parent/legal guardian. There will also be a “Families only” area placed aside at the MCG for families.

When you sign up, you will create a personal fundraising page to inspire supporters and take online donations – securely. All participants are asked to actively fundraise but there is no minimum amount.

If you've never done any fundraising before don't stress as we're here to help! See our top tips section for lots of helpful hints to get you on your way.

Yes, all donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. A receipt will be sent to their nominated email address immediately. Be sure to check all junk mail for their receipt if they haven’t received it.

Yes, please see our resources and top fundraising tips section for some useful tools and ideas to help get you started!

MCM will conduct Sleep At The ’G in accordance with the current Government directions, orders and regulations at the time of the event.