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    What’s new? And what to do? 22 April 2024

    MelbourningBy Updated:No Comments14 Mins Read

     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?

    Ne-Yo headed to Australia in September

    Three time Grammy Award-winning hitmaker Ne-Yo has announced the Australia and New Zealand leg of his globally successful Champagne & Roses Tour. He will be joined by very special guest Lloyd. The Champagne & Roses Tour kicks off on September 26 at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.

    Blockbuster Yayoi Kusama exhibition announced for NGV

    In December 2024, the National Gallery of Victoria celebrates the illustrious career of iconic contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama with a world-premiere blockbuster exhibition spanning her eight-decade practice, including the global unveiling of the artist’s most recent immersive infinity mirror room work.

    Macy Gray announces 25th anniversary tour

    Macy Gary has announced a tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her seminal debut album, 1999’s On How Life Is. She’s bringing it to Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on 7 July.

    Kat Stewart to star in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at the Comedy Theatre

    The critically acclaimed Red Stitch production of Edward Albee’s  Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Kat Stewart and directed by Sarah Goodes, has secured an historic and strictly limited 3-week mainstage commercial season at the Comedy Theatre in June 2024.

    Greta Van Fleet headed down under in August

     Grammy Award Winning U.S. Rock act Greta van Fleet are set to make their highly anticipated return to Australian and New Zealand shores this August for the first time since 2019 – including a gig at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena.

    Stand up comedian and podcast host Em Rusciano coming to Melbourne and Ballarat

    Em Rusciano is back with a brand-new live experience and her first big national tour since her wildly successful ‘Rage and Rainbows’ show in 2019, and look yes, she is still angry, but now she knows why. She’s bringing the show to Ballarat and Melbourne this August.

    There’s an immersive Bridgerton Queens Ball experience coming next month

    Fans of the hit Netflix show can now get on the waitlist for The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience – an immersive Bridgerton party with period costumes and stunning decor that will transport you to the English Regency era, coming to Melbourne in May.

    Cheer on Australia’s basketball heroes at an international series in Melbourne before the Olympic Games

    Victorians the chance to cheer on their hometown basketball heroes before the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with all six of Australia’s national basketball teams bound for Melbourne in a history-making series – Ford BALLIN’24 – featuring Australia’s top teams against China and Japan at John Cain Arena from 2 – 5 July 2024.

    Save the date for these

    Also just announced:

    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:

    • Celebrate International Guide Dog Day in the most pawsome way at Guide Dogs Victoria’s Pup-up Cafe event! Join them on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at Studley Grounds in Kew for a morning of tail-wagging fun.
    • The Sorrento Writers Festival is on 25-28 April with 80+ events, more than 100 writers, journalists, playwrights, singers, historians, thinkers and a thousand conversations.
    • The inaugural 2024 Killer Cars Melbourne Show and Shine is on Thursday 25 April in Mernda.
    • The Vegan Vegout southside edition is going to be at Common Ground in Mordialloc on 25 April with a lineup of vegan food trucks.
    • The Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival is on at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, 26-28 April
    • Australia’s original street art festival, Wall to Wall and Kingston Council are bringing seven of Australia’s top street artists and three acclaimed international artists together to adorn an industrial pocket of Mordialloc with a stunning array of large-scale mural works from 26-28 April.
    • The 2024 Holland Festival is on at the Carribean Gardens, Scoresby on 27 April 
    • The Hume Volunteer Expo is on at the Broadmeadows Town Hall on 27 April 
    • Join  the search for nocturnal wildlife at Woodlands Historic Park on a spotlight walk on 27 April.
    • The Mothers Day Artisan Market in Bay St Port Melbourne on 27 April celebrates Mother’s Day by showcasing local artisans, designers and crafters.
    • Celebrate International Sculpture Day on Saturday 27 April at an exclusive tour of the Pt Leo Estate Sculpture Park with curator Geoffrey Edwards and General Manager, Roger Lancia. 
    • On Saturday 27 April, there will be a Community Open Day celebration marking 20 years since the Abbotsford Convent Coalition was handed the keys to the Convent by the Victorian Government, and work began to transform it into the thriving precinct it is today.
    • Back by popular demand after their smashing Australian debut in 2022, the world-famous Ministry of Crab team is returning for a month-long residency at the stunning Evergreen venue within Crown Melbourne. It’s running on Wednesdays to Sundays until 27 April 2024 and bookings are essential.
    • Celebrate International Sculpture Day at Montalto on Saturday 27 April 2024, and join John Mitchell (owner of Montalto) and Neil Williams (Creative Director – Sculpture) for a guided tour of Montalto’s inspiring Sculpture Trail. 
    • The Buddhists of the West Cultural Diversity Festival is on in St Albans on 27 April 
    • Join fellow bookworms and pop culture experts for a day of adventure, as fantastical characters and amazing stories come together in a celebration of all things quirky at Dandy-Con in Dandenong on 27 April.
    • Enjoy a selection of wines and journey through Tuscany with tastings of traditional Sangiovese based Chianti, Montalcino and Super Tuscan at Wine More Cellars in Chadstone on 27 April.
    • Celebrate South American culture at Pipeworks Markets on 27 and 28 April.
    • The Boronia Autumn Market is a free event that’s happening on Saturday 27 Aprilfrom 11am – 3pm at Dorset Square, Boronia.
    • The Sierra Leone Independence day celebration at the Collingwood Town Hall on 27 April will show case series of cultural, social and traditional activities relating to Sierra Leone and her rich history.
    • Wellington Village in Rowville is holding a Community Fun Day event on 27 April.
    • The 10th Mornington Running Festival will take place on 28 April 
    • The Boho Luxe Market Mothers Day edition is on at Fed Square on 28 April
    • The Vintage and Modern Toy Fair is on at Malvern Town Hall on 28 April 
    • The Vegan Market and Vegan Bake Sale is on at Federation Square on 28 April
    • Get ready for the ultimate celebration of Sinhala and Tamil food and culture at the Sri Lankan Festival at the Queen Vic Market on 28 April and enjoy a day filled with laughter, incredible food and immersive cultural experiences built on the rich heritage of Sri Lanka.
    • Join Jo Russell on 28 April to hear about various plants used by First Nations Peoples for food, fibre and medicine, planted at the Westmeadows Indigenous Community Garden
    • The Australia 108 Stair Challenge on 28 April allows you to conquer Australia’s tallest building – over 1700 steps and 317 metres of vertical height. This never-before-offered opportunity will have you running, walking or crawling to the 96th floor of the building. 
    • The Briars Enchanted Market is on 28 April.
    • The South East Clothing Market selling affordable second-hand clothing and accessories is on 28 April in Langwarrin.
    • Join Hume City’s Land and Biodiversity Team on a guided tour into Broadmeadows Valley Park on 29 April, exploring the Themeda Block and Amoena Block. Help create important records of the wild plants and animals that live in this Nature Conservation Reserve, and hear about how it is managed and monitored.
    • The Mercedes-Benz Car Club of Victoria is holding a display of vehicles both historical and modern, covering the history of Mercedes-Benz from the first, built by Karl Benz in 1886, to the latest electric version of 2024. It’s on in Southbank on 28 April.
    • There’s a kite flying festival happening at Bicentennial Park in Chelsea on 28 April.
    • The Sikh Temple Open Day is on 28 April in Tarneit.
    • Take a majestic 360-degree audio visual journey and explore iconic landscapes and connect with mesmerising animals from around the world at the BBC Earth Experience, on until 28 April.
    • With over 30 live performances at 18 participating venues across Banyule, including Greensborough, Heidelberg, Montmorency and Ivanhoe, Chillin’ in Banyule 2024  until 28 April provides opportunity for an impressive line-up of local solo musicians and bands to perform.
    • See more than 200 artefacts from the Titanic at the Melbourne Museum’s Titanic: The Artefacts Exhibition, running until 30 April.
    • Experience the 29th annual Mayoral Art Exhibition in Ringwood until 4 May. This year’s theme is: Tangent. From realism to abstraction or traditional to contemporary (or the reverse), artists are investigating new ideas and directions. 
    • The Hawker 88 Night Market will return to the iconic Queen Vic Market sheds for an exclusive five-week season until 8 May showcasing traditional Asian street eats, quirky general merchandise and specially themed weekly entertainment.
    • A new installation BioRhythm – a unique ‘living’ activation, created by Buko Studio in collaboration with Public Street – has been supported by the City of Stonnington and will be able to be seen at Prahran until 14 May.
    • The Australian Heritage Festival is on until 18 May with a range of events on around Victoria.
    • ICON – an exhibition of photos by acclaimed photographer Steve McCurry is on at Seaworks in Williamstown until 19 May.
    • Cirque du Soleil is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Australia with its critically acclaimed and jaw-dropping production Luzia under the Big Top at Melbourne Showgrounds until 19 May.
    • Following a successful tour in the USA and UK, it’s Melbourne’s turn get ready for the Harry Potter: Forbidden Forest adventure on the Mornington Peninsula until 19 May when The Briars Community Forest in Mount Martha will turn into a legit dark and magical forest.
    • Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, treachery… and All That Jazz… so begins the international multi-award-winning musical, Chicago.   Catch it at Her Majesty’s Theatre until 26 May.
    • The Science Gallery at the University of Melbourne’s exhibition – NOT NATURAL – explores our increasing ability to control nature and the plethora of possibilities and ethical dilemmas that come with that power. Running until 29 June.
    • The Broadway sensation Wicked  looks at what happened in the Land of Oz… but from a different angle. See it at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre until 30 June.
    • Victoria’s zoos are being transformed into prehistoric playgrounds with Zoos Victoria’s new Dinos at the Zoo immersive experience providing an unforgettable journey back in time until 14 July.
    • Melbourne Museum will showcase some of Victoria’s most outstanding VCE and VCE VET design and technology students withTop Designs returns for 2024. The showcase runs until 14 July.
    • Celebrating culture, nostalgia, and the pursuit of happiness, the Immigration Museum’s expansive exhibition Joy features seven Victorian-based artists showcasing their interpretations of joy through immersive installations, until 29 August.
    • Visited by more than 10 million people around the world and earning a spot on CNN’s “must-see” list, The Art of the Brick  is running until 31 August at the Melbourne Showgrounds. This brand new, immersive version of Nathan Sawaya’s iconic LEGO art exhibit features original collections, over 100 sculptures made from more than 1 million bricks, a LEGO safari, moving installations, 360 degree projections, and much more.
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