This winter, Elwood’s iconic Riviera Beach Club will undergo a spectacular transformation into Riviera Winter Wonderland – a frosty paradise complete with real ice skating, snow blizzards and private igloos, running from 1 June to 3 August 2025. In partnership with Happen Group, the waterfront venue will offer family-friendly daytime adventures featuring a custom ice rink with skate aids, snow cone stalls and face painting. As night falls, the space evolves into an adults-only playground with disco skating, mulled wine stations and premium igloo packages overlooking Port Phillip Bay. “We’ve created something special for both families and adults to enjoy Melbourne’s winter…
Author: Melbourning
Scottish rock royalty Franz Ferdinand are set to electrify Australian stages this November and December, marking their first visit since 2018. Frontier Touring has announced their triumphant return in support of The Human Fear, the band’s sixth studio album and a bold leap into upbeat, life-affirming pop rock. Renowned for their high-octane performances and genre-blending innovation, the multi-platinum outfit will play five headline shows across the country. Audiences in Perth, Brisbane, Thirroul, Melbourne, and Sydney will experience Franz Ferdinand’s signature sound live — from early hits like Take Me Out to new anthems Audacious and Bar Lonely. Produced with Mark Ralph, The Human Fear delves into deeply human emotions, embracing…
After more than a decade away from Australian stages, global R&B powerhouse Usher is making his highly anticipated return in 2025 with the Usher: Past Present Future tour — his first solo headline tour in Australia since the OMG Tour in 2011. In Melbourne, he’ll be playing four shows at Rod Laver Arena on 19, 20, 22 and 23 November. The announcement follows a massive North American run and a triumphant return to Europe, with fans and critics alike calling it one of the most electrifying live shows of the year. Produced by Live Nation, the Australian leg of the tour will showcase…
Cinnabon is making a sweet return to Victoria, unveiling a new store at Watergardens Shopping Centre in Taylors Lakes on Saturday, 10 May. This marks the brand’s first Melbourne location in several years as part of a broader expansion plan for the chain, with two additional Victorian stores slated for later this year In celebration of the launch, the first 50 customers on opening day will receive exclusive Cinnabon goodie bags, featuring items like reversible scarves, takeaway cups, and fridge magnets . Cinnabon’s signature cinnamon rolls, renowned for their rich Makara cinnamon and cream cheese frosting, will be baked fresh on-site…
Legendary Scottish Celtic rockers Big Country are storming back to Australia for the first time since 2019 with The Greatest Hits Tour, bringing their unmistakable sound and timeless energy to fans old and new. Melbourne fans will be able to catch them at Max Watts on 11 October. With a setlist packed with anthems like In a Big Country, Chance, Fields of Fire, Look Away, and Wonderland, the tour is a celebration of a band whose sound helped define a generation. Rising to fame with their 1983 debut album The Crossing, Big Country carved a unique niche in rock history by fusing post-punk power with Celtic-influenced guitar textures.…
Melbourne’s most elegant after-dark experience returns this winter as NGV Friday Nights transforms the gallery into a vibrant hub of art, music, and indulgence. From 6 June to 3 October 2025, visitors can explore the blockbuster French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston exhibition after hours, surrounded by an eclectic soundtrack and luxurious pop-up bars. The 2025 season brings an intimate yet lively atmosphere to NGV International, where more than 100 masterworks by Monet, Renoir, Degas and more are displayed within immersive period-style interiors. Late-night access to this landmark exhibition is paired with live performances spanning jazz, R&B, electronic and contemporary classical.…
After two decades, Melbourne’s iconic Rialto Run Up is back! On Sunday, May 18 2025, fitness enthusiasts, charity supporters, and stair-climbing fanatics will conquer 1,240 steps across 54 floors of the Rialto Building—all to raise vital funds for Giant Steps, a specialist school supporting autistic children and young adults with complex needs. Inspired by New York’s Empire State Building Run-Up, the Rialto Run Up was Australia’s first stair-climbing event when it launched in the 1980s. Now, after a 20-year hiatus, participants will once again push their endurance to the limit, finishing at the award-winning Vue de monde on the 55th floor. The event supports Giant Steps, a Melbourne-based charity…
Australia’s longest-running short film festival, the St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF), returns for its 41st year with its most ambitious program to date, screening more than 150 films across 10 days from June 5-15, 2025. Presented by the City of Port Phillip, the festival will take over iconic venues including the Palais Theatre for Opening Night, the Astor Theatre, South Melbourne Market, and the newly reintegrated St Kilda Town Hall as its central hub. “This year’s program reflects an astonishing creative surge in Australian short filmmaking,” says Festival Director Richard Sowada. “We received a record number of submissions and are…
Melbourne is about to experience a delightful surge of cuteness as the Hello Kitty and Friends Café opens its doors at Melbourne Central on Friday, May 9, 2025. Following the success of its 2024 pop-up at Chadstone, this marks Australia’s first permanent Sanrio-themed café, offering an immersive experience that brings the whimsical world of Hello Kitty and her friends to life. Located on the Ground Level of Melbourne Central, the café is divided into four uniquely themed spaces: The menu features a delightful array of Japanese-inspired treats such as strawberry sandos, themed bento boxes, poke bowls, and strawberry iced matcha lattes. With its pastel…
Get ready to have the time of your live when Dancing in Concert comes to Hamer Hall on 9 October. This unique live experience combines a screening of the digitally remastered 1987 film with a live band and singers performing the iconic soundtrack in perfect sync with the movie. Following the film, the performers will host an electrifying encore party, inviting the audience to sing and dance along to beloved hits like “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” and “Hungry Eyes.” This immersive event offers fans a chance to relive the timeless romance of Baby and Johnny in a…
Get ready to step into a world of wonder as Electric Wonderland transforms Bendigo’s Rosalind Park into a glowing playground of light, colour, and imagination during the winter school holidays from July 4 to July 20, 2025. This year’s event promises even more awe-inspiring installations and hands-on experiences. Families can look forward to flowers that fall and bloom from the sky, giant pin-boards for creative expression, a dazzling mirror ball laser alley to explore, and dance walls where visitors can get their groove on. In addition to these new attractions, some of the event’s most popular installations will return, including…
Canadian rocker JD Fortune is set to make his triumphant return to Australia this October for his first-ever headline tour, performing the greatest hits of INXS – the legendary Australian band he fronted for seven years. After winning the 2005 reality show Rock Star: INXS, Fortune became the new lead singer of the iconic group, recording their eleventh studio album Switch and touring the world. Now leading his own band, Fortune will treat Australian audiences to unforgettable INXS classics including Need You Tonight, Never Tear Us Apart, New Sensation, and Suicide Blonde, as well as songs he co-wrote with the band like Pretty Vegas and Devil’s Party. His tour will…