Close Menu
    Recent tabs widget still need to be configured! Add tabs, add a title, and select type for each tab in widgets area.
    Subscribe
    Things to do

    What’s new? And what to do? 13 May 2024

    MelbourningBy Updated:No Comments15 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?

    Olivia Rodrigo is coming to Australia for the first time

    Multi-platinum, three-time Grammy award-winning artist Olivia Rodrigo has announced her first-ever run of shows in Asia and Australia, adding nine international dates to her highly celebrated GUTS world tour, including two dates at Rod Laver Arena this October.

    Comedy legend Eric Idle is coming to Hamer Hall

    Comedic virtuoso, Eric Idle, is bringing his latest show to Australia later this year. You’ll be able to catch him at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Monday 4 November. Best known as a member of the iconic British comedy group Monty Python, Idle’s quick wit and irreverent humor have left an indelible mark on the world of comedy.

    Hoodoo Gurus tour to celebrate 40th anniversary of Stoneage Romeos

    Hot off the announcement of their extremely limited, vinyl collector’s set, Hoodoo Gurus are hitting the road celebrating 40 years since they released the album Stoneage Romeos. The Back to the Stoneage 2024 national tour will see the band play the Stoneage Romeosalbum in full followed by a selection of hit songs and album tracks. You can catch them at the Palais on 22 November.

    RISING expands its already stacked program

    RISING, Melbourne’s winter festival of music art and performance has announced new additions to its already huge 2024 lineup, with a suite of local and international music acts joining the sprawling 16-night program featuring 116 events and 651 artists, set to take up residence in the heart of the city from 1-16 June.

    Beloved children’s entertainer Emma Memma is touring

    ARIA award-winning children’s performer Emma Watkins – aka Emma Memma -is heading back out on her big, bright, orange Butterfly Bus to tour around the country bringing the Boop and Twirl Tour to Aussie families far and wide. She’s going to be in a range of places around Melbourne and regional Victoria as part of her tour.

    RocKwiz Live is going on tour

    RocKwiz, the TV quiz show turned live theatre production, has announced an extensive Australian tour for October through December 2024 – including 8 shows across Victoria.

    Andrew Strong to perform entire soundtrack from The Commitments

    Irish singer and actor, Andrew Strong, is returning to Australia for the first time since 2018 to perform the iconic soundtrack of the movie The Commitments in full. He’ll be at the Northcote Theatre on 14 September.

    Huge one-day music festival coming to Port Melbourne

    A free one-day music festival is taking over Port Melbourne on the Kings Birthday Long Weekend. The Port Melbourne Music Crawl is happening on Sunday 9 June across multiple venues in Port Melbourne from midday to midnight.

    Save the date for these

    It has been a HUGE week of announcements and news. 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:

    • The Aviary Hotel in Abbotsford is celebrating World Cocktail Day for the entire week from 13-19 May with delicious $15 cocktails.
    • Go along to the City of Monash’s Community Planting Day on 15 May and help plant more than 30 species of indigenous plants to build a Tiny Forest at Fraser Street Reserve, Glen Waverley.
    • May’s wine tasting event at Gertrude Grocer Carlton on 16 May offers a journey through five European varietal red wines, enjoyed with complimentary nibbles and guided by an expert host.
    • The Footscray Sleepless Festival runs until 16 May.
    • Crown Resorts and MasterChef Australia will present a new pop-up restaurant and unique, dining experience called ALUMNI at Crown Melbourne – the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere from 16 May to 4 August. ALUMNI will see a rotating cast of MasterChef Australia alumni serving dishes from the cuisine they are best known for.
    • The Victorian Careers Show 2024 incorporating ADF Careers is on at the Showgrounds on 16-18 May providing resources and information for the VCE, tertiary courses, career options, study strategies, the gap year and much more.
    • The Watercolour Society of Victoria’s 50th anniversary exhibition Luminous is on 17-27 May.
    • The Art Show Pakenham is taking place at the Pink Hill Hotel, Beaconsfield, on 17-26 May.
    • Garden lovers can enjoy a tour of the Government House gardens on 17 May.
    • Continuum is Melbourne’s annual fan run speculative fiction and pop culture convention celebrating creativity across genres and media. Writers, artists, readers and film/TV buffs of all kinds can get together for a weekend of panel discussions, entertainment, and social fun from 17-19 May, at Jasper Hotel on Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.
    • The Melbourne Record Club is holding a Record Fair at Moon Dog World in Preston on the evening of 17 May featuring thousands of records.
    • Celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia on Friday 17 May with a How to Be An Ally Workshop at Melton Library, or free community lunch at Melton Botanic Garden.
    • Join members of Hume’s diverse community to celebrate IDAHOBIT: the International Day against LGBTIQA+ Discrimination in Cragieburn on 17 May.
    • The Blacksmiths Festival is on in Footscray on 18-19 May.
    • The Hills Ukulele Festival returns to beautiful Emerald, Victoria on 18 May
    • The Lynbrook Psychic and Holistic Market is on 18 May  
    • The Australian Craft and Food Market Expo is on at Carribean Park in Scoresby on 18 May
    • Bring along your treasures to show expert valuers and conservators at an Antiques Roadshow style event in Mornington on 18 May
    • On Saturday 18 May, the McLelland Gallery and Sculpture Park at Langwarrin will be transformed for the biennial family-friendly event Celebrating First Nations at McClelland which will feature performances by leading First Nations artists and musicians including Ganga Giri, Carissa Nyalu, Djarlo Dance Group and more, as well as market stalls in the sculpture park and gallery.
    • The Mojo Festival returns to the Trades Hall Ballroom in Carlton on Saturday 18 May with creativity and renegade fun in honour of World Schizophrenia Day. Immerse yourself in a world of art, music, and Lived Experience culture like never before.
    • Retro Star Vintage’s famous warehouse sale is making a comeback on 18 and 19 May in Brunswick East -everything is either $5 or $10.
    • IDAHOBIT Day is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, and is observed on Friday 17 May. To celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community Bunjil Place is presenting a series of short family friendly films curated by the Melbourne Queer Film Festival on Saturday 18 May in the Bunjil Place Plaza.
    • The Australian Heritage Festival is on until 18 May with a range of events on around Victoria.
    •  One of the most requested events at Collingwood Yards, Stay Soft’s iconic night market is returning on Saturday 18 May.
    • The Snow Travel Expo is on 19 May at MCEC.
    • The Box Hill Miniature Steam Railway’s May public running day is on 19 May.
    • The Lilydale Psychic and Wellbeing Expo is on at the York on Lilydale, Mount Evelyn, on 19 May.
    • I Wore It Once is a high quality, curated pre-loved fashion market that’s taking place in Mornington on 19 May.
    • Gather your botanica-loving friends and family: the Botanica Festival, the National Trust of Australia’s annual celebration of the natural environment, sustainability and gardening, is returning for its fifth year on Sunday 19 May at the iconic Rippon Lea Estate.
    • Experience the vibrancy of Southbank like never before on 19 May at Festival At Boyd (FAB) – an event organized by the Active Southbank Community Association Inc. With a mission to foster a sense of belonging and celebrate our multicultural community, FAB Southbank promises an inclusive experience filled with activities, music, dance, and delectable cuisine.
    • The annual Japan Festival is being held at the Box Hill Town Hall on Sunday 19 May.
    • 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.
    • The South Side Festival continues in Frankston until 19 May with exciting performances, raucous comedy, dazzling installations, striking visual arts and fun for the whole family.
    • 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.
    • Cinema Nova in Carlton is celebrating the films of the acclaimed American independent film studio A24 until 29 May.
    • The 2024 German Film Festival continues until 29 May at various venues.
    • Catch the South African Film Festival running at Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick until 30 May.
    • The Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Great Ocean Road chocolateries will showcase 31 different varieties of rocky road during their Rocky Road Festival running until 31 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.
    • Hair Pieces at the Head Museum of Modern Art opens o runs until ^6 October and explores the evocative and complex significance of hair in contemporary culture through a selection of recent Australian and international works of art.
    Share.

    Related Posts

    Comments are closed.