Things to do in Melbourne this week

If you love a deal and the sound of a tropical vacation, then you’re in luck. Singapore’s lifestyle rewards and payment app, Kris+, is hosting a pop-up in Melbourne this May with major prizes up for grabs, including big savings on your next flight to the Garden City. Head down to Melbourne Central’s Shot Tower Square on Level One between May 15 and 17, where Kris+ is hosting a three-day event with themed zones, interactive experiences and tons of giveaways.  Try your hand at the claw machine, where you’re practically a shoo-in for a prize. We’re talking shopping bags, movie tickets and JB Hi-Fi gift cards. Plus, every attendee can put their name into the lucky draw and stand a chance to be the daily winner of 144,000 KrisFlyer miles, which is just enough to redeem a return trip to Singapore (in business class to boot). There’s also the chance to claim a promo code and save $380 (!) off your next Singapore Airlines flight. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, Kris+ also partners with more than 300 retail, restaurant and cafe brands where you can drop some cash and turn it into flyer miles. Every time you make a payment with Apple Pay or Google Pay through Kris+, you’ll earn up to 12 flyer miles per $1 that can be redeemed with Singapore Airlines and Scoot, starting from 6,500 miles from Perth to Singapore.  Sign up for free between May and June, and snag 50 per cent off dining deals from beloved eateries across Melbourne and Sydney as part of its ‘Feast to Fly’...

Fluffy marshmallows, chewy raspberry lollies, crunchy roasted peanuts and snowy flakes of desiccated coconut all smothered in rich couverture chocolate. Yep, we’re talking about rocky road.  This May, things are set to get sweet when the Rocky Road Festival returns for the entire month, transforming the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie into dessert havens Beyond the classic flavour combo, there's an inventive offering of 31 limited-edition flavours. Think Dubai Dream, Very Berry Tiramisu, Peanut Butter Pretzel, Cherry Pistachio Baklava and Matcha Strawberry Latte. There are also vegan, gluten-friendly and no added sugar options, so nobody misses out. And it doesn’t stop there. You can also treat yourself to scoops of freshly churned ice cream, velvety hot chocolates and old-school milkshakes. You can even roll up your sleeves to create your own custom block or book into a hosted tasting session ($28 per person) held on select dates.  Each of the stores also boast a mega pick'n'mix counter to create take-home packs of your favourite blocks. Hate making delicious decisions? Opt for the Ultimate Rocky Road Festival Box featuring all 31 festival flavours.  Entry is free, with plenty of tastings and a showroom stacked with hundreds of handmade chocolate treats. For those who can’t make the trip, don’t worry – Rocky Road Festival delights can be delivered to your door. Get all the details here.  Stay in the loop:...

Calling all NBA fans, your dream event is loading. Australia’s first ever NBA House lands in Melbourne this May, taking over one of the city’s biggest (and best) event spots.  It all kicks off on May 14 at The Timber Yard, with a jam-packed program that will unfold across four days. Expect live NBA playoff viewings, games of NBA 2K26, a 3-on-3 Celebrity game, top-notch food and drink offerings, family-friendly activities and the chance to show off your basketball skills.  Across the four days, there’s a stacked live music line-up to enjoy with sets from DJ Nino Brown on day one, Baker Boy on day two and Tye Turner on day four. Alongside these stellar artists, you can also catch performances from the uber-talented Sacramento Kings Dancers and dunk team. Plus, get the full NBA experience with an appearance from the team’s mascot Slamson (look out for the lion in a purple jersey).  Don’t leave empty handed when you can snag exclusive merch, snap a photo with the Larry O’Brien trophy and meet and greet with major NBA talent including Jaren Jackson Jr. and four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. Yep, you read that right. Keen? A standard ticket is $53.28 with discounts available to juniors and VIP packages available. Find all the details here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Melbourne is the most diverse food city in the world  Victorians to score free public transport for an extra...

Bernie Dieter and her band of legendary misfits have returned to Melbourne once again, to deliver a serving 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", has taken over North Melbourne's historic Meat Market until May 24. 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 little bit more...

Australians of a certain generation know all about the fractious debate surrounding the worth of abstract contemporary art. There was a national conniption when the Whitlam government cleared the then-record-breaking $1.3 million purchase of Jackson Pollock’s ‘Blue Poles’ for the National Gallery of Australia in 1973. Two years later, after a double dissolution election, Governor-General John Kerr notoriously dismissed the Whitlam government on November 11, 1975.  The vanquished Prime Minister took an immortal swipe at his political executioner on the steps of Old Government House: “Well may we say, ‘God save the Queen,’ because nothing will save the Governor-General.” With ‘Blue Poles’ now valued at around $350 million, you might say that Whitlam had the last laugh on that front. But the spiritual battle for the arts continues apace, with some of Australia’s most vital institutions subject to savage budget cuts that endanger their very existence and the cultural wealth of our nation.  This raging debate around artistic worth is captured on a much more intimate scale in French playwright Yasmina Reza’s 1994 work, Art. Translated by Christopher Hampton, it receives a rollicking Australian production at the Comedy Theatre directed by Prima Facie’s Lee Lewis. What’s Art all about? Art is a ferociously funny chamber piece in which three so-called best mates come to metaphorical blows over a plain white painting. Only it’s not plain white, according to Damon Herriman’s arty...

Melbourne Design Week will be back to celebrate its 10th birthday from May 14-24. Across 11 days of exhibitions, talks and workshops – yes, that's more than 400 events – Australia’s largest annual design event will showcase the future of food, fitness, furniture and more. With a call to action to 'design the world you want’, the 2026 program spans everything from experimental furniture and architecture to food design, sportswear and robotics. Events will take place in some of Melbourne’s most iconic cultural spaces, including the National Communication Museum, Melbourne School of Design, Abbotsford Convent and, of course, NGV International. A stellar line-up will take to the stage throughout the festival. Japanese industrial designer Shunji Yamanaka will deliver a lecture exploring his boundary-pushing work with robotics and prosthetics, while renowned architect, while Tom Kundig will discuss designing homes that forge deeper connections with nature. Australian design icon Mary Featherston will also appear in conversation with Grand Designs Australia presenter Anthony Burke, reflecting on the mid-century interiors she created with her late husband Grant. Food and design meet in a series of delicious events. One highlight pairs celebrated chef Hugh Allen with architect John Wardle to explore the craft behind Melbourne’s new fine-dining restaurant Yiaga. Elsewhere, exhibitions delve into the artistry of tableware, chocolate inspired by architecture and the design that...

Get ready, Frankston – your autumn social calendar has had a glow-up. The South Side Festival is back from May 8-17 for ten dazzling nights of art, culture and community spirit by the bay. Across the Frankston Arts Centre, Cube 37, Beauty Park, the foreshore and beyond, this festival blends free and ticketed events for locals and visitors alike. Think immersive light installations, live performances and hands-on workshops. Neon Fields returns for its third year, transforming Beauty Park into a glowing playground of light from May 8-10 from 5pm onwards. It’s free, it’s magical and it’s guaranteed to draw a crowd of after-dark adventurers. Other highlights include In Common by One Fell Swoop Circus, where six acrobats explore the limits of trust and tension in a breathtaking physical performance; and Human Love Quest, a hilarious live dating show at Cube 37. Families will love the enchanting shadow puppetry of Kiki and Zuki, while Shan Gao Shui Chang blends contemporary dance and Chinese water painting in an exploration of migration and identity. A unique event is Live Cinema by Michael Beets, where a feature film is created in real time on stage by the crew of talented local youth, guided by industry pros. Get your Speedos ready to dive into the South Side Sea Soak on May 9 at 7.45am. Yes, it will be freezing, but it will be fun and it’s taking place outside the Frankston Life Saving Club.  Other must-see, must-dos include a sustainable clothes swap; a mass crochet session...

There’s something special about sitting your kids down to watch the same show that you and and your parents did, decades ago. Believe it or not, Play School has been captivating little eyes since 1966 and ACMI is giving you the chance to come and explore the set brought to life, for free.  You can explore the Play School: Come and Play! exhibition at ACMI in Federation Square now until July 12. The perfect outing for two- to five-year-olds, little ones have the chance to check out the Rocket Clock, meet Big Ted, Jemima and Humpty Dumpty, sing songs and learn.  Kids can play presenter, camera operator or director – whatever tickles their fancy. The exhibition also includes Auslan translations throughout, with sensory-friendly, Auslan and audio-described sessions available. Plus, a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes and even hear from hosts like Leah Vandenberg and childhood experts in the Play School Talks series throughout April, June and September. Ready to come inside? Tickets to Play School: Come and Play! are free but make sure you book your spot here. Catch the exhibition at ACMI from 10am to 5pm until July 12.

Perhaps the most telling image in Megan Wilding’s magnificent Game. Set. Match., marking her mainstage debut as writer, is right there waiting as we sit down in the Malthouse’s Beckett Theatre. Crustless halves of a white bread sandwich are smeared over the eyes of an imperious figure, the late Betty Hughes. Blinded on her lofty pedestal, a monochrome photographic portrait perched on an easel, this white woman is no longer able to see. But would she have bothered to care about what we’re about to observe anyway? This tellingly tasty vandalism sits to one side of the austere, cream-and-teal-painted private room, conjured by set designer Isla Shaw, in which the tennis great is venerated, her white dress, rackets and a youthful portrait framed on the wall.  Wilding, who also stars as Ray, is tasked with tidying the clutter left behind in Betty’s literal wake, a celebration of her achievements on court and, latterly, as a power figure in the Australian Open organisation.  Clutching a bin bag, Ray’s startled by Joshua, a pale-blue-suited figure in a daze. Portrayed by Rick Davies, best known for TV shows including Offspring and Apple Cider Vinegar, he immediately insists he’s no threat to her. Odd first words called out by Ray.  Joshua missed the funeral, something of a big deal, we soon find out, and is more messed up, emotionally, than the room. Sounds like an intriguing set-up. But what’s it all about?  Well, I think that symbolism speaks for itself. Or rather, for the smart...

Spring, summer, autumn, winter – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ violin concertos have been enthralling music lovers for around 300 years. And now, there’s an enchanting new way to enjoy these classical pieces. The Immigration Museum is playing host to Eonarium Enlightenment, an immersive sound and light show from April 24 until May 31.  Dreamed up by Zurich-based art collective Projecktil, this globally acclaimed experience arrives in Melbourne for the first time, following an acclaimed run across Europe and the UK, and after making its Australian debut in Brisbane.  The majestic halls of the Immigration Museum's beautifully restored Old Customs House will come alive with sweeping 360-degree light projections as they dance across heritage walls and ceilings in awe-inspiring waves of colour – all set in time to Vivaldi’s iconic score. The cinematic visuals pull you right into the four seasons as spring blossoms, summer shines, autumn mellows and winter settles in. Equal parts meditative and mesmerising, this immersive sound and light show is perfect for the entire family. Whatever you do, make sure you arrive early for your booked time slot as the experience only lasts for 30 minutes. So, sink into a beanbag (premium seating) or a chair (standard seating) and look up! Find out more and get your tickets 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? These are the best exhibitions happening...