Melbourne’s Australian Open season has gained a stylish new courtside attraction, with 1 Hotel Melbourne launching the 1 Hotels Open, a riverside pickleball experience set to become one of summer’s most in-demand bookings. Running throughout the Australian Open period, the half-sized outdoor pickleball court sits directly on the banks of the Yarra, offering the public a rare chance to play during the city’s biggest sporting fortnight. As the fastest-growing sport in the world, pickleball’s rise feels perfectly timed, and this marks the first large-scale, publicly bookable pickleball court in Melbourne during the AO. Created in partnership with Rodd & Gunn,…
Author: Melbourning
Melbourne commuters are edging closer to a long-promised upgrade, with contactless payments set to take their next major step on the myki network in the coming weeks. After the installation of nearly 3,000 new ticket readers across more than 280 train stations, testing is now entering a new phase. From early next month, controlled closed-group trials will begin, marking the final stretch before passengers can tap on with a credit card, smartphone or smartwatch. The initial round will take place behind the scenes, with Department of Transport and Planning staff testing the system in a laboratory environment over several days.…
Melbourne’s live music calendar scores a serious win this long weekend, with Wolfmother set to unleash a free show at one of the city’s most iconic venues. The legendary Australian rock outfit will take over the Gershwin Room at Hotel Esplanade in St Kilda on Saturday 24 January, delivering a rare no-ticket-needed set by the bay. Led by vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, Wolfmother have built a reputation for thunderous riffs, heavy grooves and an unmistakable retro-rock punch that feels right at home on a sweaty pub stage. While the band are no strangers to massive festival crowds at events…
Melbourne’s tennis obsession doesn’t stop at Rod Laver Arena, with the Australian Open inspiring a wave of citywide spin-offs that stretch well beyond the courts. This summer, Miilk Cake Studio is joining the festivities with a playful trio of tennis-themed drinks designed to cool down overheated fans navigating the CBD. A favourite for beautifully styled cakes and sweet treats, the Swanston Street cake shop is leaning into the AO energy with limited-edition iced fruit teas that look as good as they taste. Each drink is inspired by the bright colours of the court, including the Happy Slam’s signature sky blue,…
Brunswick’s streets, stages and parklands are set to hum again as the Brunswick Music Festival returns for its 38th year, taking over the suburb from 1 to 8 March 2026 with a stacked program that puts community and creativity front and centre. One of Melbourne’s longest-running music festivals, BMF is produced by Merri-bek City Council and curated by local icon MzRizk, whose vision this year leans hard into the rich mix of sounds and stories that define Brunswick. Across eight days, the festival spreads out through venues, galleries and public spaces, celebrating the suburb’s outsized contribution to the city’s live…
Few bands changed the direction of British music quite like Happy Mondays, and this September they’re bringing that legacy back to Australia and New Zealand. The Madchester pioneers are returning to celebrate 35 years of their era-defining album Pills ’n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, a record that blurred the lines between indie rock, funk, psychedelia and the rise of rave culture. Melbourne fans will be able to catch the show at The Forum on Friday 4 September 2026. Released in 1990, Pills ’n’ Thrills and Bellyaches didn’t just soundtrack a moment, it helped create one. The album spent more than six…
Melbourne football fans are getting a rare midweek treat this March, with AAMI Park set to host the Socceroos’ final home appearance before they head off to the FIFA World Cup 2026. The FIFA Series 2026 lands in the city as a one-night double header on Monday 31 March, bringing four international teams together under lights in the heart of Melbourne. The evening kicks off at 5.00pm with China taking on Cameroon, before the main event at 8.10pm sees the Socceroos face Curacao in what will be their last chance to play in front of a home crowd before departing…
A major new exhibition coming to Fed Square will put contemporary First Peoples fashion and textiles firmly in the spotlight. Treading Lightly, presented by the Koorie Heritage Trust, brings together more than 38 garments, textile works and accessories by seven Victorian-based First Peoples artists and designers. Running from Saturday 7 March to Sunday 17 May 2026, the exhibition marks the fifth iteration of KHT’s Blak Design program, a nationally unique initiative supporting First Peoples creativity through mentoring and studio-based learning at RMIT University’s School of Fashion and Textiles. The works on display offer a layered view of fashion as cultural…
Erykah Badu’s return to Australia in April 2026 is set to be one of the most significant live music events of the year, bringing one of contemporary music’s most influential artists back to local stages for a rare run of performances. A five-time GRAMMY Award winner and the defining voice of neo-soul, Badu’s live shows are celebrated for their depth, unpredictability and emotional pull. Emerging in the 1990s alongside artists like D’Angelo and Maxwell, Badu reshaped modern Black music with her genre-defining debut Baduizm, followed by era-shaping albums Mama’s Gun and New Amerykah. Drawing from soul, jazz, funk and hip…
Opera is once again stepping out of the theatre and into the heart of the city, with Opera for All returning to Fed Square on Saturday 14 March 2026. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the much-loved open-air concert promises a relaxed evening of world-class music, completely free and open to everyone. Presented by BMW Australia in partnership with Opera Australia, the concert is part of a global initiative that brings opera to public spaces in cities including Munich, Berlin and London. In Melbourne, Fed Square becomes the stage for an accessible celebration of one of the world’s most enduring…
One of Melbourne’s busiest CBD pubs is about to get a serious upgrade, with Garden State Hotel announcing plans for a sprawling new Rooftop Garden set high above Flinders Lane. The 300-seat space will transform the top of the venue into an open-air escape with sweeping views across the city skyline. Designed to feel like a natural continuation of Garden State’s upbeat, social vibe, the two-level rooftop is built for relaxed city drinking rather than flashy spectacle. Think greenery, soft lighting and plenty of room to settle in, whether it’s a quick after-work drink, a long afternoon with friends or…
Mornington is set to host one of the biggest outdoor music events of the summer, with the Red Hot Summer Tour adding a new Mornington date to its 2026 run. The much-loved touring festival will roll into Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, bringing a heavyweight all-Australian line-up led by Paul Kelly. The Mornington show marks a major addition to this year’s tour, giving locals and visitors a chance to catch one of the country’s most enduring singer songwriters in a relaxed outdoor setting. Victorian dates on the tour have previously been announced for Warrnambool, Wodonga, Werribee and Bendigo. Fresh from a sold-out…