Marvel Stadium is set to draw big crowds this December as Stadium Square transforms into The North Pole featuring Pixar Putt, creating a major new Christmas destination for families and holiday visitors. The free live site runs from 11 to 23 December and will operate daily from 10am, turning the Gate 2–3 precinct into a large-scale festive playground. The centrepiece is a nine metre Pixar inspired Christmas tree surrounded by character statues and a dedicated activity zone. Visitors can also wander through 18 AFL club themed trees and enjoy seasonal food and drink from local favourites 8Bit and Friends of…
Author: Melbourning
Victorians are being urged to plan ahead, with a packed schedule of road and rail works set to reshape travel across the state as the Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel edge toward opening. The Metro Tunnel’s Summer Start program begins on 30 November, giving passengers early access to the new stations, extra services and free weekend travel until the Big Switch on 1 February. To reach that milestone, crews will continue around-the-clock upgrades across the network. Buses will replace trains on the Sandringham and Frankston lines from the night of 7 January through to 11 January, with additional night-time…
Melbourne food lovers and winter wanderers will have a new reason to head east in 2026 with the launch of the Noojee and Neerim Truffle Festival. Running from 11 July to 2 August, the festival will celebrate West Gippsland’s French black truffles and the region’s growing reputation for cool-climate produce. The program will stretch across four weekends and include truffle hunts with expert growers and trained dogs, chef-led long lunches and dinners, cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, farm tours and artisan markets. Families can also enjoy hands-on activities and relaxed food events designed to showcase the area’s winter charm. Visitors will be…
The National Gallery of Victoria will unveil the most expansive exploration of motherhood ever presented by an Australian art institution when MOTHER opens at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia on 27 March 2026. Featuring more than 200 historical and contemporary works from the NGV Collection, the exhibition charts how the experiences of being and having a mother have shaped artistic expression across centuries, cultures and mediums. Drawing on one of the oldest themes in art history, the exhibition traces depictions of mothers and children from cave walls and ancient Egyptian tombs to Renaissance frescos and contemporary practice. It investigates…
The Australian Music Vault is honouring ARIA Hall of Fame inductees You Am I with a brand new display that brings together rare posters, archival gems and striking contemporary photography. Now open within Arts Centre Melbourne’s Theatres Building, the installation shines a light on one of Australia’s most influential rock bands and their three decade legacy. At the centre of the display is a collection of original material from the 1990s, including a media release and a newspaper clipping from Juke Magazine, the beloved Australian rock and pop publication of the era. These historical pieces sit alongside contemporary photographs by…
Internationally celebrated choreographer and dancer Aakash Odedra will return to Australia in 2026, bringing his acclaimed solo work Songs of the Bulbul to the Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne from 3-7 February. The production arrives with an impressive reputation, having won the Best Show Award at the Edinburgh International Festival and earning widespread praise across Europe. Songs of the Bulbul weaves together Kathak dance and Sufi storytelling, forming a physical and spiritual conversation that unfolds across the stage. The work is inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul, or nightingale, held in captivity. Its song becomes both a…
Village Cinemas Fountain Gate is levelling up the moviegoing experiencein Melbourne’s south east, with tits brand new IMAX opened this week – perfectly timed for the advanced screening and release of Wicked: For Good. The upgrade marks a major moment for the long-standing cinema, bringing one of the world’s most immersive film formats to Westfield Fountain Gate. Wicked: For Good has been digitally remastered using IMAX DMR technology, a process that enhances the film frame by frame for sharper detail, brighter images, deeper contrast and richer colour. The soundtrack is also remixed to match the scale of the visuals, creating…
Prahran’s hospitality scene is about to welcome a major revival, with the reopening of High St Hotel after a full transformation by hospitality duo Nic and Bianca Gordon, former owners of Blue Tongue Wine Bar, alongside Executive Chef Sebastian McQuarrie. One of the suburb’s most recognisable corners has been reimagined as a community-first local, blending polished design with a warm, neighbourhood feel.Nic and Bianca have rebuilt the venue as a contemporary multi-space pub designed for locals, workers and weekend visitors alike. “Our vision is to reimagine a once iconic venue into a vibrant and multi space destination, catering for all…
New York’s Postmodern Jukebox are set to bring their time-bending take on pop music back to Australia and New Zealand in 2026, returning with a packed run of shows across June and July. The musical collective, founded by New York pianist Scott Bradlee, has built a global following by transforming well-known hits into jazz, swing and vintage-era arrangements performed by a rotating cast of singers, dancers and instrumentalists. “In the midst of the AI hype all around us, some folks have gone so far as to proclaim that in the not-so-distant future, all of the music that we listen to…
Daniel’s Donuts has teamed up with Universal Pictures to celebrate Wicked: For Good with two limited-edition donuts available only at 7-Eleven stores nationwide. It is a collaboration built for fans, inviting them to step into Oz through flavours that nod to friendship, courage and the joy of doing things your own way. Available now for a short time, the donuts are easy to pick up on the go, whether you are heading into a screening, grabbing something sweet on the way home or sharing a treat with your best friend. The Emerald Glow Donut channels Elphaba with emerald peppermint icing…
Port Fairy Folk Festival has turned up the volume on its 2026 program, unveiling a fresh wave of international and local artists that cements its reputation as one of the country’s most adventurous music gatherings. The seaside festival is already known for discovery, but this new announcement widens the lens even further, pulling in sounds from Oakland blues to Catalan folk and Moroccan trance. The latest additions include Fantastic Negrito, the three-time Grammy-winning blues artist celebrated for his raw, shape-shifting sound, along with singer songwriter Hannah Cohen. Morocco’s all-female gnawa ensemble Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou join the bill, as…
Bunnings is doubling down on its unexpected rise as one of Australia’s most entertaining pop-up venues, returning this weekend with another stunt that’s set to get Melbourne talking. After last year’s viral Bunnings Warehouse Party with Peking Due stopped Melburnians in their tracks, the hardware giant is again swapping drills and decking for live music and festival energy. This Saturday, Bunnings Port Melbourne store will team up with Beyond The Valley for a one-night-only takeover, transforming the store into a temporary music hub. Mallrat and DJ Cooper Smith, both on this year’s Beyond The Valley line-up, will hit the stage…