I subscribe to all the things so you don’t have to. This is a curated list of what’s been announced over the past week so you can save the date, or swoop on tickets, and also a list of what’s coming up soon if you’re looking to make last-minute plans.
What’s new?
See Beauty and the Beast on stage in Melbourne for the first time in almost three decades
Disney’s brand-new stage musical production of Beauty and the Beast is coming to Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne in June 2024. The last time Melbourne audiences were able to catch a production of the musical was almost three decades ago when it premiered back in 1995.
Sign up for the waitlist before Friday 10 November 2023 to get priority access to tickets when presales start on Monday 13 November 2023.
Opening date announced for Melbourne’s huge new Monopoly theme park
Melbourne’s long-anticipated Monopoly theme park finally has an opening date. Monopoly Dreams will open at Melbourne Central on 21 October 2023.
The huge theme park is only the second of its kind in the world – the first opened in Hong Kong in 2019. At 1700 square metres, the Melbourne offering is said to be twice the size of the one in Hong Kong.
Legendary singer Tom Jones will perform in Melbourne in 2024
Music legend Tom Jones confirmed a series of long-awaited dates on his ‘Ages & Stages’ tour, headed to Australia in 2024. This will be his first national tour since playing full houses across the country in 2016. The legendary singer will play Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on Thursday 28 March 2024.
Huge concert in Shepparton to support the Yes campaign in Indigenous Voice Referendum
Australian rapper Briggs and his Bad Apples Music company have pulled together a massive last-minute concert to support the Yes campaign for the upcoming Indigenous Voice referendum, to be held on Yorta Yorta Woka country in Briggs’ hometown of Shepparton on 6 October. The lineup for Now & Forever includes Briggs’ A.B. Original, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Baker Boy, Barkaa, Emma Donovan, Hilltop Hoods, Mo’ju and special guests along the way. Comedian and TV/radio personality Sam Pang will host the day.
Blockbuster ancient Egyptian coming to NGV in 2024
More than 500 Egyptian treasures will come to Melbourne exclusively from the British Museum for the International exclusive exhibition Pharaoh which has been announced for the National Gallery of Victoria’s 2024 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series running from 14 June to 6 October. It is the most ambitious international presentation of the British Museum’s collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. Many of the works will be displayed in Australia for the first time.
Incubus and Live to headline new festival in Mornington
LookOut is a brand new music festival that’s touring Australia in April 2024, and will include a date at Mornington. The lineup has just been announced: US bands Live and Incubus are headlining, as well as Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe and The Superjesus. Tickets are now on sale.
Tom Gleason’s new Gear tour tickets now available
Gold Logie winning comedian Tom Gleeson has announced his latest national tour, and he’s bringing it to Melbourne, Narre Warren, Ballarat and Traralgon. Tickets are now on sale.
Heaps Good festival lineup announced
Heaps Good is set to play at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on New Year’s Eve. The long-anticipated lineup has finally been announced this week. Acts include Flume, The Avalanches, Declan McKenna, Basement Jaxx, Sycco and Logan.
Cult classic musical Rent is coming to the Arts Centre
Experience Jonathan Larson’s electrifying, multi-Tony Award winning musical RENT, when it hits Australian the Arts Centre in 2024. It will be performed over a strictly limited run of dates from 17 February to 7 March as part of a national tour.
Save the date for these:
- Catch comedian Dave Hughes at the Rogue Squire in Wheeler’s Hill on Friday 13 October.
- James Blundell is bringing his Lost Highway tour to the Memo Music Hall in St Kilda on Monday 6 November.
- Seafood and recreational fishing fans visiting Portarlington for National Gone Fishing Day can make the most of their trips, as celebrations continue at the free Hooked on Bellarine festival on 8 October.
- Jebediah are back with a brand new single and are celebrating with a run of shows around the country – including a gig at the Gershwin Room at the Espy on Friday 10 November.
- Discover the cool wines and warm hearts of Macedon Ranges winemakers at their annual wine festival, Budburst, this spring from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 November 2023.
- The St Kilda foreshore will again playshost to the iconic St Kilda Festival when the free live music event returns from 17-18 February, 2024.
- Opera Australia has announced a production of Tosca which will be on at Margaret Court Arena on May 24-30 2024. This is the first time Margaret Court will have hosted an opera. The usual venue, the State Theatre, is closed for renovations.
- The 2023 British film Festival is headed to Melbourne from 1-29 November at Palace Cinemas. Tickets go on sale from 5 October 2023.
- Queen of British comedy Dawn French has announced her long-awaited return to Australia with her brand new show ‘Dawn French is a Huge Twat’! She’ll be at the Palais on 23 April 2024.
- Bell Shakespeare has announced its 2024 season. It will be bringing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the Arts Centre in Melbourne from 25 April – 11 May 2024. This will be followed by regional performances in Shepparton, Warnambool, Mildura, Horsham and Wangaratta. There will also be a production of King Lear at the Arts Centre from 25 July – 11 August 2024.
What to do?
Never mind the naysayers, Melbourne is not dead! Here’s a round-up of things happening in and around Melbourne this weekend and over the next few weeks:
- The Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors’ 114th Annual Exhibition Changing Perspectives will be on at the Frater, McCubbin and Hammond Galleries from 29 September until 9 October.
- Head to North Melbourne on Saturday 30 September for the Brazilian Food Festival. Celebrating Brazilian culture through food and performances.
- The Chinese Museum presents Dusk Till Dawn – 14 Nights at the Museum as part of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Suitable for young and old, including families looking to experience Chinese culture. Begins 30 September and runs until 15 October.
- Join Australian and international influencers, businesses and industry from 30 September to 8 October for Melbourne International Games Week 2023 – Asia Pacific’s largest digital games celebration.
- Elvis: A Musical Revolution opens at the Athenaeum Theatre on 30 September and runs until 26 November, celebrating the life and music of Elvis Presley and featuring more than 40 iconic songs.
- The Kingston City Hall in Moorabbin will be host to the Nigeria National Day Celebration on 30 September – an exciting and vibrant event showcasing Nigeria’s rich culture and heritage.
- Come along and enjoy guided garden and house tours, Devonshire tea, talks, nursery and plant sales, bee keeper tours at the Heights Spring Garden Fair in Newtown on 1 October.
- The Mornington Wedding Expo is on at the Mornington Racecourse on 1 October. https://morningtonweddingexpo.com.au/
- Visit Montsalvat in Eltham on Sunday 1 October and gain a rare glimpse inside an artist’s creative process! Visit open artist studios, discover one-of-a-kind artworks and engage with practicing artists. Bring your family and friends for a picnic and enjoy the artist designed landscape of Montsalvat in the springtime.
- The 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival runs from 3 to 22 October with three massive weeks of comedy, cabaret, theatre and more from independent artists.
- Mamma Mia the musical featuring 22 of ABBA’s greatest hits opens at the Princess Theatre on 4 October and runs until 3 December.
- Big Games Night Out on Thursday 5 October is a major new free event happening as part of International Games Week that will transform Fed Square and ACMI into a games wonderland with free activities, tournaments and performances for fans of all ages to enjoy for the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest digital games celebration.
- Thriller! Halloween Haunted Maze opens at Docklands on 5 October running until 31 October. Hidden – Explore the best experiences in Melbourne! (explorehidden.com)
- Australia’s largest gaming festival, PAX Australia, is on at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 6-8 October. https://www.mcec.com.au/whats-on/2023/10/pax-australia
- Melton comes alive for a mesmerising celebration of art and culture at Reimagine Melton on 6-7 October. Showcasing a mix of performance, music and visual arts, this two night event transforms the heart of Melton Town Centre into a vibrant hub of creativity and family entertainment.
- Be Bold Festival in St Albans is a celebration of the diverse multicultural community on 7 October. Featuring special family friendly events including performences, art, music, dance, creative workshops, childrens activities and more.
- Grapevine Gathering is returning to Victoria, offering a ripe blend of top-shelf music, fine local produce and grape times among the vines. It’s on at Coldstream on 7 October.
- Join Thomas the Tank Engine for a day full of colourful adventures at The Bellarine Railway on 7-8 October.
- Head to Dal Zotto Wines at Whitfield in the high country on 7 October for the Victorian Salami Festival.
- Monster Jam – the world’s larger than life motorsport – featuring 12,000 pound trucks tearing up the dirt with massive stunts is on at AAMI Park on Saturday 7 October.
- The Bonsai Society of Victoria is having an exhibition at the Box Hill Town Hall on 7-8 October that showcases a broad range of traditional Japanese styles as well as contemporary approaches to bonsai art. Sales of bonsai, plants, imported and local bonsai pots, tools, wire and all bonsai accessories.
- Toast to the Coast – Geelong’s one day wine festival – is back on 7 October.
- The Pier Festival – the queer music festival – is on Saturday 7 October at the SeaWorks Maritime Precinct in Williamstown. Featuring queer music, artists, bands, DJs, entertainment, food trucks and more.
- There’s a pop-up ping pong event on all weekend on 7-8 October at Grazeland and Spotswood for table tennis players of all abilities.
- Mambo Mania – a series of events where “dance and art collide” is happening at the District Docklands until 29 September.
- Art Lovers Australia’s More is More exhibition celebrates maximalists who love more colour, more texture and more layers. It’s on at their Collingwood Gallery until 30 September.
- Have an out of this world time at the IMAX Spacetember Film Festival, screening a range of space related cult classics on the 7-storey screen until 30 September.
- Melbourne Royal Show (fomerly Royal Melbourne Show) is on until 1 October.
- ACMI’s winter blockbuster exhibition Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion celebrates women and gender-transcending superstars from more than 120 years of moving image history. You can catch it until 1 October. All tickets are now $10 until it closes.
- Explore 85 acres of flowering cherry trees at the annual Blossom Festival at Cherryhill Orchards until 1 October. There are a range of additional experiences for the cherry lovers, including high teas and wine and dine packages.
- Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature is running at the Melbourne Museum until 8 October.
- The Italian Cultural Institute of Melbourne presents Tools For After, a Festival of Ideas until 10 October bringing the brightest minds in design, architecture and climate science from Italy to Melbourne across multiple venues io celebrate Italian ingenuity through programs of design, architecture, science, food, cinema, and literature, through the mediums of film, visual art, design, workshops, talks, and tasting.
- Shantaram: the Journey from Punishment to Peace is a free immersive exhibition at Pentridge Prison until 15 October. Experience the captivating story of Gregory David Roberts, the renowned author of Shantaram and former inmate who transformed his life from punishment to peace.
- Head up to Silvan for the annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival, until 15 October. More than a million flowering spring bulbs are on show. There’s also live entertainment, delicious food and more.
- nightshifts – a contemporary art exhibition that considers the importance of solitude is on display at the Buxton Contemporary Art Museum until 29 October. The exhibition shifts in and out of focus like a dreamscape and features works from the Michael Buxton and University of Melbourne collections alongside new commissions.
- Catch the Archibald Prize Exhibition at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Art Gallery until 5 November.
- “Smells Like A Song” an improvised musical performed by the Impro Melbourne players who pull an entire musical together out of thin air and audience suggestions. Playing various Friday nights until 10 November.
- The immersive Friends experience is on in Docklands until 26 November. Recreate your favourite scenes and celebrate some of the most iconic moments from the beloved sitcom at this truly unique interactive experience.
- Moulin Rouge the Musical has returned to the Regent Theatre, running until 24 December. Get your tickets here.
- Consisting of over 850,000 items, a significant portion of the Australian Performing Arts Collection (APAC) is now available to the public via behind-the-scenes tours of the Collections Store, located at Hamer Hall. Tours are on Sundays until 31 December.
- The Castlemaine Art Museum will present an exhibition of the finalists in the 2023 Experimental Print Prize, running until 28 January 2024.
- Relics: A New World Rises at the Melbourne Museum runs until 28 January. Set in a future long after humanity’s reign, RELICS tells the story of a world where LEGO® minifigures have risen from the debris to craft intricate civilisations in discarded human artefacts, each one inspired by the object they now call home.
