[1] Incumbent lord mayor Nicholas Reece, who succeeded Sally Capp after her resignation in July 2024, was re-elected with 61.5% of the two-candidate-preferred vote.

[4][5] In March 2022, Greens councillor Rohan Leppert made comments in a private Facebook group about the Andrews state government's gay conversion therapy laws.

[7] On 6 April 2022, the Victorian Greens released a statement "in light of recent commentary by Leppert", saying the party "reject[s] any suggestion that trans rights should be up for debate".

[18][19] At the 2020 election, the Melbourne City Council electoral roll was composed of 55.1% business and out-of-the-area property owners, with local residents making up the remaining 44.9%.

[18] A similar electoral system in New South Wales previously applied for Sydney City Council, where businesses also had two votes.

[26][27] After being sworn in as Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Reece confirmed he would seek re-election, although he would not be running as an endorsed Labor Party candidate.

[31] First-term councillor Jamal Hakim announced his candidacy on 2 August, with Australian Republic Movement co-chair Esther Anatolitis as his running mate.