Things to do in Melbourne in March

From the orchestral jump scares of Aliens to the lush classicism of Titanic and the trumpet flourishes of Avatar, composer James Horner is responsible for some of cinema’s most memorable scores. This March, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is bringing Hollywood to the laneway city, paying tribute to Horner's illustrious career with three live performances of Art of the Score: James Horner at Hamer Hall. The concert is led by conductor Nicholas Buc, and self-described “film score geeks” Art of the Score podcast co-hosts Andrew Pogson and Dr Dan Golding will be there on the night. They'll delve into the stories behind Horner’s most beloved works and long list of accolades, among which he claims 10 Oscar nominations, two wins, and holds the title for the highest-selling orchestral soundtrack in history — yes, we’re talking about Titanic. The MSO has previously collaborated with Art of the Score on sell-out concerts celebrating the great John Williams and Hans Zimmer. This year, audiences can expect an immersive journey through Horner’s musical universe and back catalogue. Expect songs from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Apollo 13, Aliens, The Rocketeer, Braveheart, Titanic, Avatar and more. The Music of James Horner is coming to Hamer Hall on Friday, March 27 at 7:30pm, Saturday March 28 at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 29 at 2pm. Tickets range from $93 to $150. Get yours here.  Better yet? Time Out readers can score 20 per cent off tickets with code TIMEOUT. Cha-ching!

Don't let the end of summer get you down – there's still time for one last hurrah as St Kilda bar Captain Baxter stretches out the season with a champagne-soaked send-off.  Across eight weeks, the beachfront bar will host Veuve Clicquot Sun Club – a sunset celebration of champagne and seafood set against uninterrupted golden-hour views from its rooftop, patio bar and floor-to-ceiling indoor dining room perched above the St Kilda Sea Baths. Head down from February 13 to April 5 where you can while away long afternoons at the Veuve Clicquot Sun Club, where cruisy DJ sets soundtrack the arvo and build in tempo as the sun dips. Snack on a Clicquot-inspired menu of shareable bites that pairs perfectly with a glass of champers. The ocean-centric offering includes a glass of Veuve Clicquot with three oysters for $35, or caviar to share for $50. Entry is free with the option to book a table for casual dining or a bungalow if you’re bringing your whole crew and want a cosy place to kick back. Bungalows are yours for three hours. Just a heads up: if you book a bungalow after 1 pm on a weekend, you'll need a package upgrade, which starts at $550. This covers up to 10 guests and includes glasses of Veuve Clicquot when you arrive, plus some beach-themed snacks to share. Veuve Clicquot Sun Club kicked off on February 13 with a sunset performance from Melbourne-based electronic duo SXNCELLO, who'll return to the deck to wrap up the affair with a final sunset set on Sunday, February...

Ready to laugh until you cry? The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is back from March 25 to April 19, serving up nearly a month of punchlines and pure joy in venues across the city. Since its inception in 1987, the festival has grown to become Australia's largest cultural ticketed event – and the third-largest comedy festival in the world, behind Montreal’s Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Fringe, luring the funniest peeps from around Australia and across the globe. The 2026 program opens on March 25 with the Comedy Allstars Supershow at the Palais Theatre. Get ready to LOL with homegrown faves like Celia Pacquola, Dilruk Jayasinha, Jenny Tian, Josie Long, Nazeem Hussain as well as international talent like Sam Jay (USA), Phil Wang (UK/Malaysia) and David O’Doherty (Ireland). From stand-up and sketch to improv, musical comedy and even film, this year’s line-up is stacked with hilarious heavyweights – think Josh Thomas, Gillian Cosgriff, Lizzy Hoo, Nat Harris, Wil Anderson, Lano & Woodley, Hannah Gadsby, Denise Scott, Urzila Carlson, Matt Okine and Sammy J, plus plenty more international acts. Championing First Nations storytelling remains front and centre, with a shows featuring Leon Filewood, Elaine Crombie, Steph Tisdell, Dale Woodbridge-Brown, Dane Simpson, Kevin Kropinyeri and Tarsh Jago. Beloved annual events also return like The 36th Annual Great Debate featuring six comedy superstars and one fearless moderator; Upfront featuring a line-up of the...

Colour and creativity will burst into bloom when the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show returns to the lush surrounds of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne from March 25-29. Just like this year’s theme 'Kaleidoscope', visitors will enter a world of shifting patterns and perspectives, and are invited to look at gardens from fresh angles of design and sustainability. From intimate urban retreats to immersive landscapes, the five-day event showcases how gardens continue to evolve as places of connection and creative expression. A major drawcard is the Show Garden Competition, where acclaimed designers transform ideas into living landscapes. Visitors can wander through these breathtaking installations before casting their vote for the coveted People’s Choice Award. This year's finalists include landscaping icon Jamie Durie with a visionary garden focused on sustainability, Matt York’s immersive native garden, Emma Doman’s resort-style retreat and Jason Hodges’ purpose-built wedding garden among others. Inside the Royal Exhibition Building, the breathtaking Great Hall of Flowers will once again bloom beneath the grand dome, transforming the historic space into a floral gallery. New for 2026, Growers Avenue will celebrate Australian-grown flowers while The Petal Project will hero a single flower through striking installations. The new Wildplace Children’s Garden offers an imaginative playground inspired by Indigenous perspectives...

The Dunnstown Sunflower Field is back in bloom for 2026 and it’s a sight to behold. Spanning an incredible 50 acres, millions of sunflowers are standing tall and turning their sunny faces towards the sky, creating a spectacular sea of yellow. Cameras at the ready – this is the kind of place that was made for the ’gram. Owned and operated by the Britt family, the farm is just 15 minutes from Ballarat and about 90 minutes from Melbourne, making it a fun day trip. Stretching row after row, the sunflower fields are perfect for wandering, snapping photos and breathing in that fresh country air. If you want to pick your own blooms ($2 per stem), bring your own secateurs (or hire a pair for $5) and a bucket to carry your sunny haul. While Eftpos is available, farm wi-fi can be sketchy, so carrying cash is a good idea. The fields are also a haven for busy bees, and the uneven paddock means sturdy shoes are recommended. Children under five enter free but should stay close to adults. New for 2026 is a giant hay bale maze, guaranteed to delight kids. The much-loved animal farm also returns, offering plenty of hands-on fun for younger visitors. Opening days and times are weather-dependent, so check the website or social media before visiting. Sunflower season only lasts a few magical weeks, so plan your trip here.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Melbourne has a new floral emblem that’s captured...

It's your last chance to power up, unlock that final level and beat the big boss, because ACMI's Game Worlds is about to be clocked (aka it's finishing up soon). So don't let it be game over before you get a chance to enter this immersive, fully playable exhibition. Perfect for fans of The Sims, Neopets or World of Warcraft, this blockbuster celebration of video games will transport you into the worlds of more than 30 iconic titles, including Final Fantasy XIV Online, Minecraft, Doom and Stardew Valley. Also featured are classics like Maze War and Zork, fan faves with cult followings like The Elder Scrolls Online, and new releases like Guardian Maia. Spanning games from the 1970s right through to this year, you'll be able to check out rare concept art, original design materials, early hands-on protoypes and so much more. There are 44 fully playable experiences (think Celeste speedruns on two huge screens), and four new microgames by emerging and established Aussie game developers have been specially commissioned for the exhibition.   “Our exhibition honours the real-life experiences that are made possible by and through videogames, highlighting the players and developers – and stories that bring videogame worlds to life,” said co-curators Bethan Johnson and Jini Maxwell. Want to take a part of the exhibition home with you? There's limited-edition merch and exclusive books available for purchase at the ACMI shop. Game Worlds is now on at ACMI until March 29. For more...

Want to frolic through a field of flowers? You don't have to wait until spring. Head to Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges to enjoy the Tesselaar KaBloom, Festival of Flowers this autumn. Open daily from Saturday, March 21 to Sunday, April 19, it's a perfect day trip to take during the Easter school holidays.  In case the name sounds familiar, it's because the Tesselaar team are the same peeps who bring us the beloved annual Dutch tulip festival. Wander through fields filled with sunflowers, salvias, marigolds, dahlias and more – just watch out for those snap-happy Instagrammers!   When is the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival on?  The festival runs every day between March 21 to April 19 – yes, even on the Easter weekend public holidays – and it's open from 10am to 5pm.  With more than a million gorgeous blooms across five acres, KaBloom invites visitors to wander through fields of diffferent flowers arranged in stunning designs that blend nature, art and creativity. What else does the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival offer? For something different, take a ride on the ferris wheel to get an aerial view of the floral arrangements. The festival also features a host of kid-friendly events among the flower fields with garden games, obstacle courses and hands-on workshops. Playful characters and storytellers will keep little ones busy and they're sure to love a ride on the tractor train. Add in a vibrant Market Faire that's brimming with handcrafted items, fresh flowers to take home and food...

It's officially that time of year again when the Moonlight Cinema returns to Melbourne for the summer. There's just something special about snuggling into a bean bag and catching a film under the stars in the Royal Botanic Gardens – with an ice cream or a wine in hand, of course.  Australia's favourite outdoor cinema has dropped its summer screening schedule, with tons of  blockbusters, nostalgic favourites and comedies on the program. February and March highlights include new releases like Wuthering Heights, Hamnet, Marty Supreme and a special screening of Charli xcx’s mockumentary The Moment. Those looking to splurge can opt for Singapore Airlines' Gold Grass that comes with prime viewing, express entry and food and drinks delivered to your seat. Anothere cool option is the Connoisseur Lounge ticket that includes a bean bed plus a yum Connoisseur ice cream. And did you know the Moonlight Cinema is pooch friendly? For the first time ever you'll also be able to order a doggie bag meal from the food menu thanks to Lyka. Doggy date night, anyone? Screenings kick off at sundown, so bring your picnic rug, your snacks and your friends. Tickets are now available via the website. Want more fun in the sun? Here are the best things to do in Melbourne this December.

When we first glimpse bone-wielding apes careening around a towering, dark monolith in the opening moments of Stanley Kubrick’s epic film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, we are awestruck and alarmed by its ominous presence.  So, too, the vast pier of the West Gate Bridge that dominates the Southbank Theatre’s Sumner Stage during labourer-turned-playwright Dennis McIntosh’s new work, West Gate. Simply but astonishingly realised by set and costume designer Christina Smith, the foreboding presence of this towering structure makes Cassandras of us all.  Even as the showering sparks of its creation pierce the dark, with lighting designer Niklas Pajanti working hand in glove with Smith to deploy the lighting rig as construction gantries, we are bitterly aware that it will fall, much like Troy. Is that a spoiler? Only if you’re oblivious to the tragic history of one of Melbourne’s darkest days.  Just before midday on October 15, 1970, a 112-metre, 2,000-tonne span of the under-construction steel box girder bridge twisted and tore free of its fatally flawed moorings. The cataclysmic plunge of steel and stone erupted in a quagmire of mud and flames.  Still Australia’s biggest industrial disaster to this day, the catastrophe claimed 35 lives, injuring 18 more. The subsequent Royal Commission identified the flawed design of Freeman Fox and Partners, the engineers responsible for another fatal collapse in Wales just a few months earlier, and the removed contractor, World Services and...

Calling all fashionistas! On March 21 and 22, the National Trust's beloved annual vintage sale is returning to the Abbotsford Convent. This year, the sale will be taking place at the massive Magdalen Laundry. You'll be able to peruse a huge selection of vintage and pre-loved designer clothing and accessories – in the past, brands like Armani, Alexander McQueen, Diane von Fürstenberg and Marimekko have been up for grabs. A lot of household linen, furnishings, dress fabrics, shoes, bags, jewellery and even haberdashery will also be on offer. New stock will be released on the Sunday morning (perfect if you’re planning a second visit) and from 3-5pm that afternoon you will also be able to take 50 per cent off all remaining items. Plus, if you're a member, you can score early access from 9-10am each day – you can join up here when allocations open in early March. Bring a gold coin donation for entry and prepare to refresh your wardrobe with fun new designer finds for a fraction of the price. Best of all, proceeds from the sale support the work of the National Trust in conserving our state's cultural and built heritage. Donations are also accepted in the lead-up to the event, so if you have some quality items you'd like to offload in the name of a good cause, now's your chance. For more information on donating and the event, visit the website here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want more...