Motorists are being urged to plan ahead as major traffic disruptions are expected this weekend on the West Gate Freeway with outbound lane and ramp closures in place to remove a huge tower crane in the middle of the freeway. The 50-metre-high tower crane has been pivotal in the construction of the outbound tunnel exit, between Williamstown and Millers Road and will be dismantled piece by piece. The crane has been lifting pieces of the tunnel ventilation structure into place over the past two years, including the steel frame and cladding. Motorists are advised to avoid the West Gate Bridge…
Author: Melbourning
Fresh from the success of Counting and Cracking and The Jungle and the Sea, playwright S. Shakthidharan brings his latest work, The Wrong Gods, to Australian stages. This powerful new play, co-produced by Belvoir and Melbourne Theatre Company, explores the tension between tradition and progress through the intimate lens of a mother-daughter relationship. Set in a remote Indian valley, The Wrong Gods follows Nirmala, a farmer rooted in ancestral ways, and her daughter Isha, who dreams of education and opportunity in the city. Their already strained bond is tested further when a large-scale dam project threatens their land and way of life. The play poses urgent…
Hikers and cyclists can now explore Victoria’s Goldfields with greater ease and deeper cultural insight, thanks to major upgrades along the iconic Goldfields Track. The 210-kilometre trail, stretching from Ballarat to Bendigo, has been revitalised with new visitor hubs, enhanced signage, and a stronger focus on Indigenous heritage—just as the region eyes UNESCO World Heritage status. Two new ‘Rest and Recovery’ Hubs now provide safe midway stopping points, while updated signage shares stories of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung peoples alongside Gold Rush history and local ecology. These upgrades invite visitors to connect with Country and appreciate the land’s…
Renowned Grammy Award-winning bluegrass artist Billy Strings is set to make his highly anticipated Australian debut in July 2025. The tour will feature three major performances along the east coast. Melbourne fans will be able to catch him at Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday 15 July. Strings will be showcasing his latest album, Highway Prayers, released in 2024. Produced in collaboration with Jon Brion, the album achieved a historic milestone by debuting at number one on Billboard’s all-genre Top Album Sales chart—the first bluegrass album to do so in 22 years. Hailing from Michigan and now based in Nashville, Strings has garnered significant…
Iconic Aussie band The Clouds are celebrating their 35th anniversary with a trio of exclusive headline shows this November in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The original lineup—Jodi Phillis (Guitar/Vocals), Trish Young (Bass/Vocals), Dave Easton (Guitar), and Raphael Whittingham (Drums)—will hit the road for a short but sweet east coast run. The tour kicks off on Saturday, November 8th at The Metro in Sydney, then heads to Melbourne’s Croxton Bandroom on Saturday, November 14th, before wrapping up on Sunday, November 15th at Brisbane’s The Triffid. Pre-sale tickets will be available Thursday, April 10th at 10am (local time), with general tickets going…
Victorians will be able get to the footy faster and easier with more frequent tram services to run from Monday, 14 April. Passengers on routes 48, 70 and 75 will benefit from increased services on Friday and Saturday nights – with trams arriving every 15 minutes until 11pm along the entire route. The routes pass by the MCG and Melbourne Park, complementing the additional special event trams that run when major events are on. Getting to these events will be made easier with services set to be increased on Sunday mornings for routes 70 and 75 to provide more options…
Experience the vibrant flavours and cultures of Asia at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market as the Hawker 88 Night Market returns for its 2025 season. Running every Wednesday evening from 9 April to 7 May between 5 PM and 10 PM, this five-week festival offers a sensory journey through the bustling street markets of Asia. Each week, the market showcases a diverse array of authentic street food from countries including China, India, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, and Japan. Visitors can indulge in Filipino barbecue bowls, Singapore noodles, crispy rice sandwiches, and frozen watermelon shochu cocktails. Beyond the culinary delights, the Hawker 88 Night Market…
The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (MPRG) is set to host “Skywhales Across Australia,” featuring Patricia Piccinini’s renowned hot air balloon sculptures, Skywhale and Skywhalepapa. This free community event is scheduled for Saturday 26 April 2025, from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM at Dallas Brooks Park in Mornington. Skywhale (2013) and its companion Skywhalepapa (2020) are breathtaking hot-air balloon sculptures that blend art, science, and fantasy. These enormous floating artworks—stretching 34 and 37 metres long respectively—reimagine whales as celestial creatures, with Skywhale featuring ten pendulous breasts and Skywhalepapa displaying striking, sperm-like forms. Commissioned for Canberra’s centenary and later expanded into a “family,” these surreal sculptures challenge perceptions of nature…
This May, Ballarat’s historic CBD will become an open-air gallery after dark as the HIDDEN micro arts festival illuminates the city’s hidden corners. On Friday, 16 May, from 6pm, art lovers can embark on a secret trail to eight heritage locations, where stunning projections by local artists will bring forgotten stories to life. Curated for the curious, HIDDEN features works by Ballarat’s most exciting creatives—including Annelise Belladonna, Spencer Harrison, and Stefanie Petrik—who have reimagined the city’s heritage through light and digital art. Mentored by projection art expert Yandell Walton, their pieces will transform facades, alleyways, and overlooked spaces into a…
The thunder of Irish dance is coming back to Australian stages as Lord of the Dance makes its triumphant return in August and September 2025. The global phenomenon, which hasn’t toured Australia since 2015, will kick off at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena before dazzling audiences in Brisbane, Newcastle and Sydney. Created by dance icon Michael Flatley after his Riverdance breakthrough, Lord of the Dance has become the most successful dance show in history – performing for over 60 million people across 60 countries. The production holds records including 21 consecutive sell-outs at London’s Wembley Arena and Flatley’s Guinness World Record for fastest tap dancing at 35…
Melbourne will be the first city to experience Tim Minchin’s highly anticipated Songs The World Will Never Hear tour when it kicks off at the Palais Theatre on 31 October, 2025. The tour celebrates 20 years since Dark Side—the breakthrough show that catapulted the multi-talented performer from cabaret stages to global acclaim. Fans can expect a night of musical brilliance and razor-sharp storytelling as Minchin revisits three decades of genre-defying work—from comedy anthems to poignant ballads. “20 years ago, Dark Side took me from tiny cabaret rooms to the West End of London,” Minchin reflects. “I’m the luckiest artist on the planet and I…