Three popular Port Phillip piers are a step closer to a major revamp as part of the Victorian Government’s plan to make popular piers and jetties safer and stronger across the state. Detailed designs to rebuild Dromana Pier, Hampton Pier, and Mornington Fishermans Jetty are now underway following a competitive tender process. These projects will revitalise the precincts, reinstate access for fishing, boating and on-water sports, support local tourism and create local jobs during construction. Dromana Pier, originally constructed in the 1860s, has been partially closed since 2021. Designs will incorporate feedback from community consultation conducted in 2020. Community and…
Author: Melbourning
Margaret Court Arena (MCA) will undergo a transformation from tennis arena to a grand opera house this May when Opera Australia (OA) presents the Australian premiere of Edward Dick’s acclaimed Opera North production of Giacomo Puccini’s gripping thriller Tosca opening Friday 24 May for six performances only. For this first ever staging of an opera at the MCA, the usual opera house set up will be turned on its head with the orchestra to perform on an elevated platform behind the singers on stage. A proscenium arch and raked stage will be constructed, taking up half the arena space and transforming it…
In 2016 Roxette performed what was believed to be its last ever concerts. Now, the duo’s frontman, songwriter, and founder Per Gessle picks up the torch and takes this bundle of worldwide hits on the road again. It’s almost five years since Roxette lost Marie Fredriksson to cancer. A devastating loss that left family, friends, and fans in grief. Their legacy of songs has continued to thrive, being constantly streamed, played, and enjoyed by old and new supporters around the world. The super Swedes were a hit-making machine in Australia achieving four x Top 3 albums with Look Sharp!, Joyride, Tourism and Crash!Boom!Bang!, hit…
The legendary Joanna Lumley will embark on her first ever live tour of Australia, Me & My Travels, in October 2024, performing at major venues around the country throughout October. This includes a date at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Friday 11 November. Me & My Travels, will take audiences through Joanna’s hilarious and interesting adventures from her incredible career spanning more than four decades, recounting some never heard before stories. Later in the show, she will be joined on stage by friend and producer Clive Tulloh, who will put to Joanna the questions that you’ve always wanted to ask – submitted by the audience – making…
Museums Victoria has partnered with Orygen, Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, to deliver a series of Climate Cafes at Melbourne Museum beginning in June 2024. The Cafes will offer safe spaces for young people affected by climate-related concerns to come together with science and mental health experts to have open conversations about the climate crisis in our shared world. The impact of climate change is one of the megatrends driving the youth mental health crisis, with Orygen’s 2023 report ‘Climate of distress: Responding to the youth mental health impacts of climate change’ finding that two-thirds of Australians…
The Federal Government has announced it will give $100,000 to help restore the majestic Rippon Lea House and Garden, which is proudly included on Australia’s National Heritage List. The restoration of the grand estate in Elsternwick, just 20 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD, will include repairs to the ceilings of the mansion and garden structures, and access and safety improvements. Rippon Lea House was completed during the gold boom in 1868, which led to the development of numerous estates in Victoria, often known as ‘Boom-style’ mansions. This funding is part of the Government’s $30 million investment to protect, restore and manage…
Experience the iconic Irish Tenors live at Hamer Hall, Melbourne this September as they celebrate 25 years of musical mastery The Irish Tenors have been the acknowledged Celtic music kings since they burst upon the scene during a 1998 special. With ten best selling CD’s to their credit, they share company with the likes of The Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli amongst the most successful classically trained vocal artists in the world. Comprising John McDermott, Anthony Kearns, and Ronan Tynan, the Irish Tenors are renowned for their emotive renditions of traditional Irish songs, operatic arias, and contemporary tunes. They’ve captivated audiences worldwide with their stirring…
In a ‘mega rarity’, an American Golden Plover has taken up residence at Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant (WTP). A long way from its usual breeding ground of the Alaskan tundra, the shorebird’s stunning breeding plumage has caught the eye of many bird-watching enthusiasts who have flocked to Werribee in recent days. A ‘mega rarity’ is bird-watching slang for ‘very rare bird’. This is the first time the American Golden Plover has been recorded in Victoria and only the sixth time it’s been officially sighted in Australia. “Every year the WTP plays host to a variety of shorebirds that migrate…
Experience the Magic Duo of Luke Blaze and Jay Cristo, in their critically acclaimed five-star show “SAINT” as part of the 2024 Melbourne Magic Festival on July 9 and 10 at the Arrow on Swanston, Carlton. After taking the Melbourne Magic Festival by storm in 2023, Luke Blaze and Jay Cristo will once again have audiences on the edge of their seats as they present their most daring act yet – a dangerous stunt that will have you ‘hooked’, even after the curtains have closed. Luke Blaze and Jay Cristo, both renowned and respected performers in their own right, have…
Bass Coast Shire Council is excited to announce the upcoming “Unseen” Exhibition series by internationally acclaimed artist Matthew Bagley. This innovative series delves deep into the impact of human consumption on our oceans, offering a captivating blend of art, technology, and education “Unseen,” takes viewers on a mesmerising exploration of forgotten and discarded ocean debris being reclaimed by Mother Nature. Using ultraviolet photography, Matthew has captured the beauty and devastation of discarded manmade objects found during his nighttime free diving adventures on the San Remo coastline. The “Unseen” Exhibition series invites visitors to interact with the photographs using their smartphones,…
Monstrous Theatre is premiering celebrated Australian playwright Ron Elisha’s new comedy Rootless Cosmopolitans at Chapel Off Chapel starting 15 May 2024. A dangerous comedy about not going quietly, Elisha’s new work is a timely, thought-provoking black comedy piece that explores the polarising power of social media, anti-semitism and the minefield of identity politics. It follows Ira Brot, an acclaimed artistic director whose life is upended by a single tweet, amid tensions with his Jewish convert wife, an antagonistic theatre company Chairperson, and an ambitious assistant director. The narrative also explores Ira’s complex relationship with his deceased mother. “In recent times,…
One of the most influential bands of their generation and beyond, The Jesus and Mary Chain mark their 40th anniversary in 2024 with a return tour to Australia and New Zealand this July/August! They’ll be playing at The Forum in Melbourne on 4 August. From the moment brothers Jim and William Reid first pressed the record button on their Portastudio in the early 1980’s, the intense, sometimes brutal, often darkly romantic music they made has always felt like past, present and future smashed together, alchemising into something startling. Consistently defying musical boundaries, blending intense melodies with raw emotion to create a mesmerising sonic experience, JAMC anthems such as Just Like Honey, April Skies and Happy When…