Volunteers play a pivotal role in mega and major events, contributing invaluable human resources; however, relatively little is known about the expectations and motivations of this group of workers. This paper combines two studies to offer a multi-faceted perspective on the volunteering experience at mega and major sporting events, focusing on the management of volunteers in these settings. One perspective has been gleaned from analysis of print media reports of the volunteer experience at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. Building on this work, this paper also addresses the volunteer voice, gained from previously unreported data collected in relation to the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships, which were held in Melbourne in March 2007. The findings highlight aspects of the volunteering experience, related to mega and major events, which have potential to influence the management of volunteers in these settings and point to areas for future research.