Things to do in Melbourne this week

Are you ready to laugh so hard it hurts? One of the largest comedy festivals in the world, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) returns next month with a program that promises to be as entertaining as it is expansive.  Since being launched in 1987 by Barry Humphries and Peter Cook, the festival has since grown to become Australia's largest cultural ticketed event offering both family entertainment and show-stopping adult performances. After Montreal's Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Fringe, MICF is the third-largest comedy festival in the world and attracts the crème de la crème of comedians from across Australia and around the globe.  In 2025, you can expect a mammoth line-up of international performers such as Ruby Wax (UK/US), Amy Gledhill (UK), Jin Hao Li (Singapore/UK), Ahir Shah (UK), Melanie Bracewell (NZ), Anirban Dasgupta (India), Schalk Bezuidenhout (South Africa) and more.  As for local acts, you can see the likes of Bron Lewis, Claire Hooper, Geraldine Hickey, Gillian Cosgriff, He Huang, Jenny Tian, John Safran, Lous Wall, Nazeem Hussain, Zoë Coombs Marr and so many more. Much-loved annual events such as the 35th Annual Great Debate and Upfront return, alongside the Raw Comedy competition, Deadly Funny and Class Clowns. The new Asian Allstars Gala will return for a second edition, showcasing extroadinary talent from Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore and more. Running from March 26-April 20 2025, the program is chock-full of stand-up comedy,...

Put Legoland Discovery Centre Melbourne on your radar for a pit stop because the Lego F1-themed Build the Thrill event has rolled into town just in time for the Australian Grand Prix.  From now until April 27, your ticket purchase to the brick wonderland includes a pit pass to some wheel-y cool Lego of epic proportions. Check out a 3D Brick-built Lego F1 car made from more than 21,000 bricks and then build your own version.  You’ll get to choose an F1 team, build your own Minifigure driver and then pop your driver into a custom-built race car. Race on the track, claim all the glory of pole position and celebrate on the Build the Thrill podium. The fun doesn’t stop there. Guests can enjoy interactive challenges, epic photo opportunities, and an exclusive Lego F1 display in Miniland The kids-at-heart can get in on the action too, with an adults-only night on Friday, March 14. Enjoy all of Legoland kid-free and really let your competitive side loose on the track from 6pm to 9pm.  The Build the Thrill event is running at Legoland Discovery Centre Melbourne until April 27. Your pit pass is included in entry, which starts from $36 per person and is free for little ones under two. Purchase your ticket here.

Wyndham Park is getting a literal glow-up this March with a dazzling after dark experience returning to the Werribee recreation area. Lit at Wyndham Park is a free, after-hours art experience that turns the space into a glowing wonderland through a number of immersive attractions.  This year, highlights include several large-scale installations, including more than 50 gigantic, iridescent bubbles, a 27-metre illuminated skink sculpture representing the culture of the First Nations Kaurna people and an interactive artwork that allows you to create a holographic projection of yourself. Plus, there's a light trail and a colourful installation celebrating Australian wildflowers.  To make a night of it, there's plenty of restaurants, bars, pubs and more within the city centre of Werribee.  Lit at Wyndham Park is free to enjoy and will run nightly Thursday to Sunday from March 27 to April 13, open between 7pm and 11pm. There will also be sensory friendly nights on April 2 and 9. Head to the website for more information about the event. Looking for more fun? Here's our guide to what's on in Melbourne this weekend.

You don't have to wait until spring to enjoy the delights of frolicking through a field of flowers, because autumn will bring the arrival of the KaBloom Festival of Flowers. Head to Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges for a festival that combines fields of flowers with spectacular circus art, from the Tesselaar team who also bring us the beloved annual Dutch tulip festival.  Wander through fields filled with sunflowers, salvias, marigolds, dahlias and more, arranged in enchanting intricate patterns. It's an Instagrammer's dream, but don't forget to bring some allergy medication if you're prone to hay fever. This year is the first that the Kabloom Ferris Wheel will allow floral fanatics to see the flower arrangements from above, making for a beautiful view. The festival also features a host of kid-friendly events among the flower fields. Keep an eye out for the flower fairies and pixies who will entertain the masses among the colourful blooms every day. Talented performers from Circus Oz will showcase jaw-dropping circus acts and lead workshops for the little ones. There'll also be a bubble show, with jaw-droppingly huge floating bubbles, and scenic rides on a tractor train.    When is the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival on?  The festival runs every day between March 29 to April 27, even on the Easter weekend public holidays. Its opening times are 10am to 5pm.  How much are tickets to the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival? Kids under 16 get free entry into the festival when accompanied by...

In 1984, director Trevor Nunn was doing press for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express when he offered the perfect maxim for a Webber fan: “Here is my money. Hit me with the experience.” Arguably none of Webber’s shows have hit harder than his 1971 rock-opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, which arrives at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre after a much-lauded run in Sydney. First revived at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2016 for the show’s fiftieth anniversary, it’s been restaged in Australia by director Timothy Sheader. Sheader favours a ‘more is more’ approach, leaning into every ‘Webber-ism’ that made the show a success in the first place: rock'n'roll maximalism, near-inhuman vocal lines, emotional spectacle. No crucifix is too glittery or top note too loud. Megawatt vocals and an electric ensemble cast make it a cut above the other Webber revivals we’ve seen in the last couple years. Yet its heavy-handed approach also exposes the limits of spectacle for spectacle’s sake, even when it comes to Webber. It’s a dazzling experience, but ultimately soulless.  The curtain rises on a disassembled rock concert: amps, concert speaker boxes and microphone stands peppered around a set of towering balustrades, exposed steel beams and grating that hide the band. Set and costume Designer Tom Scutt puts us somewhere between Rent’s gritty urbanism and the steampunk simplicity of Hadestown. Meanwhile, lighting designer Lee Curran adds a splash of Mad Max to things by throwing dirty...

From the story’s origins hundreds of years ago, to its transformation into the classic 1991 Disney film, Beauty and the Beast really is a tale as old as time. In its musical form, the production hasn’t been seen in Melbourne since the ’90s, when Hugh Jackman famously performed as Gaston in his first professional role. Fast forward three decades and we’re once again seeing a Melbourne stage transformed into the provincial town and Baroque castle we know so well. Only this time round, the lavish set design is augmented with cleverly integrated digital screens. It’s just one of several updates that ensure this reimagined production of the beloved fairytale keeps up with the times. From the moment the curtain rises, it’s clear this is a large-scale musical with all the belles, whistles and big bucks. Visual splendour is the MO here – think kaleidoscopic costumes, gasp-inducing illusions and spectacular lighting – and it’s easy to see why this show broke box office records at Brisbane’s QPAC.  However, all that Disney investment would be useless without the gifted cast. Shubshri Kandiah exudes whimsy-with-a-backbone as bookworm Belle, charming us with her sweet songs and sassy moments – though the folks in her provincial town just don’t get it.  Brendan Xavier’s beast is alternately ferocious and boyish. His startled squeals and hair-twirling moments help make Belle’s dramatic change in feelings a touch more believable. Both leads shine in their solo numbers, with Xavier’s ‘If...

Fifty years ago, David Williamson’s The Removalists barrelled onto the stage at Melbourne’s La Mama. Though loosely based on a true story, one can only imagine the reaction back then – gasps? Walkouts? Even now, in 2025, the play’s brashness hasn’t dulled. Police brutality, domestic violence, unchecked misogyny – it’s all still here. Director Anne-Louise Sarks (My Brilliant Career, A Streetcar Named Desire) stages this revival with a sharp eye for Williamson’s absurdist cynicism. The audience is seated in traverse – on both sides of the stage – as implicit witnesses. Sarks doesn’t try to modernise the text; instead, she leans into its 1970s setting (Matilda Woodroofe’s period-perfect costume design includes mustard dresses and flared jeans). The opening scene, set in a sterile police station cluttered with bureaucratic paperwork and buzzing under fluorescent lighting (a little too bright, perhaps), introduces Steve Mouzakis’ Sergeant Simmonds breaking in new recruit Ross (William McKenna). Ross rolls on his heels like a kid who’s wandered into the wrong classroom, while Simmonds mocks and steamrolls him – it’s classic schoolyard bullying. Just when the berating gets old, Eloise Mignon’s Fiona arrives, bruised and hesitant, with her sister Kate (Jessica Clarke), to report her husband’s latest assault. Now, suddenly, Simmonds is all charm. Of course, he’ll help. Of course, he’ll retrieve Fiona’s furniture. But, naturally, there’s a cost.  The set transitions cleverly – a...

Update: due to popular demand, the season for this production has been extended until May 3. Tickets for the extra shows are available to buy online now.  Step into the scandalous world of Manhattan’s elite for a night of drama, decadence, iconic pop hits and ’90s nostalgia at this immersive show/party experience – inspired of course, by the cult classic movie, Cruel Intentions. Featuring a cast of bonafide triple-threat performers, Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical Party promises to be an all-singing, all-dancing, 360-degree experience complete with a killer setlist of non-stop '90s bangers from icons like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, *NYSNC, Boyz II Men, The Verve, The Goo Goo Dolls, Natalie Imbruglia, R.E.M, and more. Blurring the lines between theatre and nightlife, this wild event is taking over St Kilda’s newly re-opened Alex Theatre. If you loved the production of Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical that previously toured the country, then you won’t want to miss this. This is an entirely new interactive experience – come prepared for some wild surprises.  With themed cocktails (iced tea from Long Island, anyone?) and options to either sit and watch from a premium seat or sing and dance along in the ‘party zone’, you can choose your own adventure on a seductive night out with the iconic ’90s characters that you love to hate. Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical Party is now playing at the Alex Theatre, St Kilda, for a strictly limited season. Tickets start at...

The Makers and Shakers Market is back for 2025, showcasing a host of established and emerging designers at Carlton's Royal Exhibition Building on April 5 and 6. Bring your bags and nanna trolleys, because this is a great opportunity to stock up on one-of-a-kind presents while also supporting local artists and creatives.  The market is a curated event that will feature more than 175 stalls run by independent Melbourne makers selling homewares, food and drink, art, accessories, ethical fashion, beauty products and more. It's also the only local makers market where the stallholders sell 100 per cent Australian-made products!  You won't go hungry, either – this year's tasty line-up of snack vendors includes Rocco's Bologna Discoteca, Gigi's Gelato, Taco Truck, Cobb Lane Bakery, Sebby's Scrolls, Pasta Face, Subtle Tea and heaps more. There will also be all-vinyl DJ sets, plus kids activities, tastings and creative workshops. Adult tickets are $5 and kids under 12 enter for free. You can pre-purchase tickets via the website.  Want more? Discover the best markets in Melbourne.

Bernie Dieter and her band of legendary misfits are descending upon Melbourne once again, to deliver a whole month of debaucherous fun and frivolity. Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett, starring the legendary queen of Weimar punk described as an "electrifying cross between Lady Gaga, Marlene Dietrich and Frank-N-Futer in sequins", will take over North Melbourne's historic Meat Market from April 3 to May 11. Audiences can expect riotous original songs, immense vocal talent and a jaw-dropping line-up of contortionists, sword swallowers, fire breathers and aerialists. For more info and to secure your tickets, head to the website. Read on for our five-star review of Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett from the 2022 Melbourne Fringe Festival. *** It’s easy to see why Dieter’s award-winning show has garnered such esteem since touching down in Australia earlier this year. Less than two minutes in and our M.C., Bernie has thrown off her tartan dress to reveal glittery tights and feather-tipped shoulder pads. Soon after, she’s straddling an audience member and enlisting the help of two others – lovingly named ‘Shaven Haven’ and ‘Silver Fox’ – to carry her back to the stage in the splits. The fourth wall is not so much brought down, as elegantly side-stepped by her sky-high stiletto heel. All the while, Bernie’s quick-wit and dirty mouth find comedic beats in the unlikeliest – or, as it were, the most unwilling – of audience members. "Tonight is about letting loose, letting go, and getting a...