Melbourne wins world’s largest lung cancer conference in 2029
Melbourne is set to host the 2029 World Conference on Lung Cancer, presented by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). The world’s largest international gathering in the field, the conference will unite experts, advocates and healthcare professionals from across the globe among an estimated 6,500 delegates from 100 countries.
Host venue will be the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which secured the conference in collaboration with the Melbourne Convention Bureau and Cancer Council Victoria. The event will be supported by the Victorian Government and Tourism Australia.
Victoria state is considered a leader in cancer survival and innovation and has an active Victorian Cancer Plan 2024–2028. Melbourne is home to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia’s only public hospital dedicated to cancer treatment, research, and education, and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, a global hub for oncology innovation.
Cancer Council Victoria, the state’s largest not-for-profit cancer research funder, invests over AUD$20m annually, contributing to a 30% improvement in survival rates for common cancers over the past three decades.
In July 2025, the Australian Government launched the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme, providing free low-dose CT scans to high-risk Australians aged 50–70. Backed by a AUD$260m investment, the programme is expected to save thousands of lives by detecting lung cancer earlier, when treatment is most effective.
The bid win news follows Melbourne’s hosting of the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in November 2025, an invitation-only event which recently united senior leaders from 86 countries, including health ministers, heads of major cancer organisations, UN agencies and research institutions.
Melbourne Convention Bureau chief executive Julia Swanson said: “Melbourne is a thriving hub for medical advancements, with world-class research institutes and facilities. Hosting international medical conferences here not only drives knowledge exchange and collaboration but also delivers significant economic and social benefits to the city and the wider community.”
Cancer Council Australia CEO professor Dorothy Keefe PSM MD, said: Australia is a leader in tobacco control, early detection and screening for lung cancer and is home to internationally recognised leaders and programmes across the thoracic oncology continuum.
Tourism Australia managing director Robin Mack, said: “Securing the World Conference on Lung Cancer for Australia has been supported by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund Programme. When this world-leading event takes place in Melbourne in 2029, it will not only deliver a boost to our business events sector but also facilitate crucial discussions that lead to meaningful, tangible outcomes. Since its inception, our Business Events Bid Fund has been helping to support a thriving visitor economy by building a strong pipeline of future international business events across Australia.”