Things to do in Melbourne this week

Let's be honest, we'd be lying if we said we didn't have to fight the urge to peer obnoxiously through the windows when we find ourselves strolling past Melbourne's most architecturally impressive homes. Thankfully, for one weekend every year, we don't have to. Open House Melbourne Weekend is back from July 24-26, and it's once again throwing open the doors to some of Victoria's most fascinating spaces. Returning for its annual city-wide celebration of architecture, design and urban life, the beloved festival will feature more than 180 tours, talks, workshops and special experiences across Melbourne and beyond. As the largest architecture and built environment festival in the Asia-Pacific region, Open House Melbourne attracts tens of thousands of curious visitors each year – and the 2026 program is looking solid. This year's theme, 'Generous City', explores how thoughtful design, creativity and architecture can create spaces that are more welcoming, inclusive and connected. But if you're simply here for the stickybeak opportunities, there's plenty to get excited about. Among the headline attractions is a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre, where visitors can explore rehearsal studios and the costume department that helps bring performances to life. Coffee lovers can step inside the iconic St Ali Coffee Roastery to see how some of Melbourne's favourite brews are made, and music nerds can tour Thornbury's Rock Posters printing factory...

NGV Friday Nights is back to kick-start your weekend with a glamorous glow-up. Taking place every Friday night until October 2, the National Gallery of Victoria will become the ultimate after-dark destination with the arrival of Cartier, the 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition – yes, that's the same French luxury brand known for its designer jewellery and watches. Adding to the experience, ticket holders will also get access to Ragnar Kjartansson: Mercy, a new exhibition showcasing eight distinct video and film works from the Icelandic artist. NGV Friday Nights is your chance to wander through the gallery and enjoy a rotating line-up of live music, film screenings, food and, of course, Champagne. Each Friday brings a completely different vibe, with music residencies hosted by some of Melbourne’s biggest cultural names including the MSO, Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Wax Museum Records. Expect everything from jazz and soul to classical performances and DJs, with artists including Marley Del Prete, Yunior Terry Quartet, Raleigh Williams, Plexus and the MSO Cello Quartet taking the stage. Opera lovers are also in for a treat. On July 24 and September 11, Melbourne Opera will present Diamonds for the Diva – a special tribute to legendary Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba GBE, who was one of Cartier’s early clients. Some of Melba’s Cartier jewels and memorabilia are also featured in the exhibition. Adding to the glamour are film screenings of classics...

The curse of the Kennedys hangs heavy over the sorry tale of Grey Gardens, the bittersweet and sour musical with a score by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and a book by Doug Wright.  The resplendent, 28-room mansion was once a jewel in the East Hampton crown, snapped up by Wall Street lawyer Phelan Beale in 1924. It stayed in the family for just over half a century, during which time its lustre would dull disastrously.  Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, the future First Lady herself destined for tragedy, would often stay there as a child with her little sister Caroline ‘Lee’, as guests of their musically inclined socialite aunt, Edith ‘Big Edie’ Ewing Bouvier Beale, Phelan’s wife. The girls were fast friends with Big Edie’s daughter, later dubbed ‘Little Edie’. The oft-absent Phelan sent word to Big Edie of their divorce by telegram shortly after the cessation of WWII, leaving her the house but very little means to maintain it. Little Edie left to pursue a showbusiness career in New York City but soon returned with her tail between her legs, her once-luscious hair lost to alopecia totalis.  Together they huddled, bickering in co-dependent disharmony as Grey Gardens gradually crumbled around them, filling up with festering rubbish as the water and heating failed, with the health department on the warpath alongside a cornucopia of cats, rats, raccoons, lice and fleas who promptly moved in. Yikes, this sounds like it’s too sad to handle?   Look, you will feel the feels...

There’s something so comforting about a pie. What’s not to love about the flaky, flavour-packed pocket of joy, warmed to perfection and slathered in tomato sauce? It’s little wonder, then, that one of the region’s most beloved winter drawcards is all about the hearty pastry. Returning for its fourth year this August 1-31, Ballarat’s Best Pie will see 30 bakeries, cafes, restaurants and pubs battle it out for the coveted title.  Take your pick from savoury and sweet (or both), with twists on traditional favourites and brand-new creations competing for the crown. This year’s line-up might be the most inventive yet, featuring everything from a chicken parma pie to a cheeseburger pie and an ice-cream pie inspired by Wagon Wheels.  Judging will take place on August 1, with a panel awarding winners across six categories before the full line-up is made available to the public, who have the entire month of August to try them out and vote for the People’s Choice. Better still, anyone who casts a vote will go in the draw to win a getaway to Ballarat.  Whether you’re a pie connoisseur or simply looking for a foodie getaway, there’s plenty to do in Ballarat this winter as the city warms up with a jam-packed program worth rugging up for. From a short film festival to a jousting championship, it's easy to see why Ballarat was recently named Australia’s happiest place with so much fun to be had. You can view the map of participating venues and follow the pie trail here.

Even though temperatures are dropping, Melbourne’s culture calendar is just heating up. This winter, two of the city’s biggest cultural institutions, ACMI and Rising, are teaming up for a multi-sensory exhibition, celebrating music’s cultural impact and paying tribute to vinyl. From May 22 to August 31, The Vinyl Factory: Reverb will bring together some of the leading figures working in video and sound to deep dive into different eras of music, through large-scale moving image works, immersive sound installations and interactive vinyl experiences.  Spanning the early days of techno to contemporary digital art, you’ll see work from celebrated artists including Canadian media artist Stan Douglas; British-Nigerian filmmaker and visual artist Jenn Nkiru; American fashion visionary Virgil Abloh; US filmmaker and music video director Kahlil Joseph; London-based photographer and video artist Gabriel Moses; South African artist William Kentridge; Turner Prize-winning British artist Jeremy Deller; British poet and sound artist Julianknxx; Argentinian performance artist Cecilia Bengolea and German electronic music and sound art innovator Carsten Nicolai.  Highlights include hands-on access to Technics turntables with remixable loops; a fantasy rap battle; and access to The Vinyl Factory’s archive, which features 100 vinyl pressings with works by Marina Abramović and Thom York.  There’s also the chance to pick a record and take it into the Listening Room, which by day functions as a...

Melbourne's favourite illuminated event is back again in 2026, with 15 new and returning dazzling light installations to meander through in wonderment. From June 12 to August 2, take a nighttime stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens and experience luminous pathways, lit-up tree canopies, soothing soundscapes and more sparkly sights. This year, highlights of the 2.1-kilometre trail are set to be the Australian premier of Bifröst by French studio Pitaya, which boasts a 20-arch tunnel of flowing light that you can walk through; and Firefly Field by Dutch studio TOER, where 200 glowing points of light will dart like fairies above the grass. Returning faves include a reimagined 30-metre Winter Cathedral, plus the epic Fire Garden installation, which will include a circular spiral of 150 candles. Plus, there's plenty more to discover by more local and international artists alike.  Most importantly, you'll also be able to grab a bite to eat and warming drinks, like hot chocolate and mulled wine, at the Welcome Zone or dotted along the trail. If you ask us, Melbourne is at its best in winter and events like Lightscape (which now holds two consecutive Gold wins at the Victorian Tourism Awards), where you can rug up and join friends for a magical experience, are a big reason why. Adult tickets start at $36 and are available through Ticketek – be quick as they tend to go fast.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city,...

Mark your calendars and grab your warmest winter woolies, Melburnians: Queen Victoria Market's beloved Winter Night Market is back. From June 3 to August 26 you can spend cosy Wednesday evenings enjoying live entertainment, huddling around open fires and feasting on goodies from a selection of global street food stalls, carts, trucks and festival bars. In 2026, expect to see beloved traders from previous years, as well as a number of new and exciting additions across the market's roaring 13-week season. Highlights include piping hot soup served in a bread roll by the Soup Factory (lobster chowder, anyone?), crispy fried pasta cups at Frasta Fried Pasta, Berlin-style doner kebabs loaded with meat from Oh My Doner and hot jam doughnuts courtesy of everyone's favourite American Doughnut Kitchen.  As always, you can expect plenty of roving performers and pop-up activities. This year also sees the introduction of Keys to Winter, a brand new series of piano performances throughout June. After sipping and snacking, be sure to explore the dozens of stalls selling locally sourced and handmade products including jewellery, art, skincare, books and homewares.  Find out more at the Queen Victoria Winter Night Market website. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Looking for more things to do? Check out our round-up of the best things happening in Melbourne this week.

Every year, the Yarra City Council puts on a beloved music festival focused on showcasing and supporting local artists and venues during the quieter winter season. It’s no secret that things are tough for musicians at the moment, so this year’s festival is a great opportunity to get out and support Melbourne's musos, venues, DJs and music producers. This year, the Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is taking place across ten massive days and nights from July 16–26. Anticipate parties and performances to suit all ages and budgets, including plentiful free and family-friendly gigs. It's all happening in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Abbotsford and Richmond. Some of the standout moments include major venue takeovers like In Motion as part of High Ground, which brings a rotating line-up to the Night Cat, the Evelyn Hotel and the Punters Club. Over in Collingwood, the converted train carriage venue Trainscendence hosts Loco Motion – a weekend-long mash-up of music, arts and creative culture. Elsewhere, the Gem’s free Stone Fest Sunday session and Equaliser: A Disability Pride Party at the Leadbeater Hotel add to the festival’s inclusive, community-driven feel. From Afrofusion to First Nations storytelling and experimental club nights, the festival leans into music as a shared language. You’ll also find punk showcases, live radio broadcasts and immersive AV parties dotted throughout the program, reflecting the diversity of Melbourne’s independent music scene. As always, the Leaps and...

As Jane Austen wrote in Northanger Abbey, “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” So bookworms and bibliophiles, this one's for you. World of the Book, Australia’s largest and longest-running rare book exhibition, returns to State Library Victoria with more than 300 extraordinary works spanning from around 2000 BCE to the present day. This year's exhibition shines a spotlight on some of literature's most influential women writers. We're talking rare and remarkable editions by Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Octavia E. Butler, Virginia Woolf and the Brontë sisters, including a newly acquired first edition of Jane Austen's Emma (1816) in its original Regency-era binding. You'll also be able to admire special versions of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion, alongside rare editions of Agatha Christie's best-loved mysteries featuring her legendary detectives, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Head to the beautiful domed La Trobe Reading Room to check out everything from intricate miniature books to Australian punk music fanzines, early comic books and centuries-old treasures. One must-see is The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886) – Melbourne's first publishing blockbuster, which famously outsold Sherlock Holmes. “The Fund’s first ever purchase, A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, will be displayed in a space intentionally designed to celebrate extraordinary women writers,” said State...

If you thought history class was boring, Six the Musical is here to change your mind. Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, this high-energy musical returns to Australia and will be at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from July 24. In this foot-tapping show, the six wives of King Henry VIII are reimagined as modern-day pop stars out to reclaim their stories. One by one, Catherine of Aragon (Sarah Murr), Anne Boleyn (Mia Paris Scalise), Jane Seymour (Cara Bessey), Anna of Cleves (Kadesa Honeyhill), Katherine Howard (Angela Brischetto) and Catherine Parr (Lorinda May Merrypor) take the mic, wowing you with their power ballads and rock anthems. Since its breakout debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, the show has become a global sensation thanks to its infectious songs, sharp wit and empowering message. It’s making a triumphant return to Australia, so get ready to say “Yasss Queen”. For more info and to secure your tickets, head to the website.  Read on for our five-star review of Six the Musical from 2024. *** Divorced, beheaded… live? This unconventional pop rock musical takes a dry historical topic and turns it into a rowdy 80-minute concert to rival the Spice Girls themselves. Everyone knows that King Henry VIII had not four, not five, but six wives – enough to require a mnemonic technique to keep track. History has reduced the legacies of these ladies to little more than singular words in a rhyme detailing their fearsome fates, but what if we carved out space to...