Things to do in Melbourne this week

Flowers can brighten up any day, but what can make it even brighter is the simple pleasure of getting to pick them yourself. Beloved community garden CERES is spreading this blooming joy throughout the warmer months, welcoming visitors every weekend to come and harvest a fresh bunch.  On Friday and Saturday mornings from 9.30am, head to the Coburg site for the Festival of Flowers, where you can pick your own blooms at Joe's Market Garden. There are blossoming sunflowers, zinnias and cosmos to choose from, and you'll be able to build a beautiful bouquet with up to ten individual stems. Sessions are $30 and while walk-ins are welcome, bookings are recommended. You can book a spot here.  Plus, there'll also be special floral events held on some Saturdays, including workshops on how to put together the perfect bouquet, flower vase arranging with floral experts and even eco-dyeing tote bag classes for kids. Book your place in an upcoming workshop here.  And because nothing says romance quite like a beautiful bouquet, CERES is also hosting some romantic floral-themed events. Weed Dating is back, with a session running on February 1. On Valentine's Day, there'll be a special evening flower picking session, as well as drinks, wood-fired pizzas and DJs creating a swoon-worthy vibe.  The Festival of Flowers will run until the end of April, with U-pick flower sessions happening every weekend. Find out more on the CERES website.  Are you a floral fanatic? Here's a guide on where to...

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 wine in hand, of course.  Australia's favourite outdoor cinema has dropped its summer screening schedule, with blockbusters, nostalgic favourites and comedies on the program. Highlights include Gladiator II, The Substance, Better Man, A Complete Unknown and Wicked (and yes, there's even a sing-along session). Starting from February 11 to coincide with Valentine's Day, there will be a string of romcoms that are guaranteed to warm your heart. Grab your beloved or your bestie and catch everything from classics like Notting Hill and The Notebook to new releases We Live in Time and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.  Those looking to splurge can opt for either the Platinum Experience, which includes a deluxe double bean bed (including a blanket you can take home!) for two with waiter service or the Singapore Airlines Gold Grass, with a prime position in front of the screen and an exclusive menu of delicious treats. The Official Aperol Spritz Bar is also returning, so you can sip on that iconic orange cocktail all summer long. Screenings kick off at sundown and even your pooch is welcome. Tickets are now available via the website. Want more fun in the sun? Here are the best things to do in Melbourne this December.

Midsumma Festival, one of Melbourne’s most loved celebrations of LGBTQIA+ communities, is returning once more in 2025 with an electric three week-long party. The festival explores and platforms queer culture, amplifying marginalised voices through visual arts, theatre, film, cabaret and much more.  From January 19 to February 9, Melbourne will come alive with around 200 performances and events held across the city, all responding to this year’s theme of ‘collective identity(s). Highlights of the 2025 program include Thirty-Six at Fortyfivedownstairs, Truth to Power Café at Theatre Works and Feeling Afraid as if Something Terrible is Going to Happen at Arts Centre Melbourne. Browse the full program here.  It all kicks off when the free Midsumma Carnival opens the festival on Sunday, January 19. Alexandra Gardens will play host to all sorts of performances, lip sync extravaganzas, a dog show, food stalls, pop-up bars and more. As the sun goes down, DJs will take over the entertainment stages to turn the carnival into one massive dance party.  Then, the signature Midsumma Pride March is happening on Sunday, February 2, which will see tens of thousands of marchers and onlookers gather in St Kilda in support of LGBTIQA+ communities. The parade, which runs through Fitzroy Street and Catani Gardens, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Closing out the festival is Victoria’s Pride, a massive, glitterific street party that will transform Fitzroy’s Gertrude and Smith Street...

Get ready to dive into the hottest season of the year at Le Splash – the swanky pool bar at Le Méridien Melbourne. Formerly only open to the five-star hotel's guests, Le Splash will welcome the public onto its stunning rooftop for the first time ever this summer.  Le Méridien's signature Au Soleil program is all about cool Euro summer vibes – think vibrant Mediterannean-inspired cocktails, live DJs and stunning 360-degree views of the prettiest corner of the CBD. Yep, we can't think of a sweeter spot to soak up the rays. And if the temps are too hot during the day? Luxuriate in the frosty delights of a Whispering Angel rosé sorbet or the exclusive Limoncello Drop from the comfort of your very own sun lounger by the pool. Maybe you'd also like to graze from the bar's sophisticated food menu (lobster rolls or pommes frites, anyone?), or head downstairs post-swim to elegant subterannean restaurant Dolly for a swish dinner. There'll also be poolside games like backgammon and a calendar of special curated experiences to make the most out of your summer in style. And don't forget a scoop of the hotel's famous gelato for dessert – after another year around the sun, you deserve it. The summer splash pass is available from Monday to Thursday all summer long. Each pass entitles you to pool access from 10am to 2pm (so that's four hours of sweet sun and swim time) and it's $70 per person – inclusive of a complimentary drink. And that aforementioned gelato? That's included in the...

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...

Arrive at the corner of Flinders Lane and Hosier Lane on pretty much any day of the week and you’ll run into a throng of tourists jostling to get ‘the shot’ of Melbourne’s ever-evolving street art hotspot. No two visits to this spray can alley are ever the same, but from December 12 there’ll be another more stable artistic delight to enjoy on the famous corner. To those in the know, Sandra Powell and Andrew King have become shining lights of the Aussie street art scene, known for supporting up-and-coming artists through acquisitions for their extensive private collection 15 years in the making.  Street art legend Rone says the pair, often known as ‘Sandrew’, have been “champions of Melbourne’s street art community for over a decade”. Now, they’re drawing on their personal collection to create a ripper of a free exhibition, running from December 12 until May 2025 at 167 Flinders Lane (right on the aforementioned iconic corner).  The Outsiders Melbourne will feature more than 100 works from Sandrew’s collection, including art never before displayed in public. Expect gems from local names like Rone, Adnate, Sofles, Vexta, Fintan Magee, Meggs, Kaff-eine and more.  On the international side, feast your eyes on art from Barry McGee, Vhils, Swoon, Invader, Shepard Fairey, Ron English, Elle and an entire room dedicated to Banksy himself. Fans of the mystery artist will be pleased to know that this exhibition will also see his new work ‘Firework’ on display in Australia for the...

Depending on who you ask, Evan Hansen, the neurotic heart of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s 2015 smash-hit musical Dear Evan Hansen, is either a manipulative megalomaniac or a stumbling spokesperson for mental health with the edgy appeal of an anti-hero. Following nine years as the go-to for theatre kids looking for an easy Halloween costume – chuck on a blue-striped polo and an arm cast – the divisive teen arrives at Melbourne’s Arts Centre in a beautiful production of an imperfect show. A stellar cast backed by creative technical design lands every tear-jerking ballad and pop-rock anthem with a skill sure to both thrill long-time fans and convert newcomers. But the elephant in the room is Evan (Beau Woodbridge), or rather it’s the show’s tonal problem that he represents. It’s a macabre story. Evan is that brand of socially anxious and self-deprecating anyone who grew up on Tumblr will immediately recognise. On the first day of his senior year he has an affirming letter he wrote to himself at the direction of his therapist stolen by resident high school loner with an incel vibe, Connor Murphy (Harry Targett). When Connor takes his own life soon after, the letter is found in his pocket, leading his family to believe that Evan was his friend. Cornered by the grief-stricken Murphys and craving connection, Evan leans into the lie. It's all very morally dubious, and the show works best when it leans into the darker, more cynical themes raised by Evan’s deceit. ‘Sincerely, Me’, a...

Tina Turner was the bread and butter of our household TV screen. She belted alongside Mick Jagger at Live Aid, leather-clad and big hair, raced her supercharged engine across Coober Pedy in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and assured the world that everything would be alright as David Bowie slipped out of the shadows during her Private Dancer Tour. She was one of music’s indomitable icons, a powerhouse; she was the Queen of Rock‘n’Roll. When Tina – The Tina Turner Musical finally rolled into Melbourne’s Princess Theatre after its West End debut and national run, it arrived with sky-high expectations. Having stacked up Tony and Olivier nominations as well as praise from Rolling Stone for its ability to simultaneously “entertain and enlighten”, I’m relieved to say that this Melbourne production did not disappoint. Leather, shoulder pads and sequins that would make Tina herself proud, danced across the red carpet on opening night with hundreds, including local Australian stars, paying homage. For someone like me, who never experienced Tina live beyond the glow of a television screen, the energy certainly made it feel like the real deal.  The musical, written by Katori Hall alongside Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by Phyllida Lloyd, stays true to Tina’s journey – thanks, in part, to Tina herself. From her early days in Nutbush, Tennessee, with gospel choirs and dusty churches, to the St. Louis blues scene where she met Ike Turner, across the globe to the soggy streets...

Werribee Open Range Zoo is bringing back its Sunset Safari for a seventh season, inviting visitors to embark on an immersive safari adventure at dusk when the animals tend to be at their most active.  Every Saturday until February 22, visitors can hop on a bus at the zoo and watch as the summer sun sets and illuminates the open range. You'll get to witness majestic animals like zebras, ostriches, giraffes and lions as they roam the savannah, and learn from zoo guides about efforts to protect them from endangerment and extinction. And for the first time ever you'll be able to spot a precious southern white rhino calf, with baby Jabulani joining the herd of adult rhinos. “Sunset Safari comes around just once a year and it’s getting better and better,” says Dr Mark Pilgrim, the Werribee Open Range Zoo director. “It’s a truly unforgettable experience and such a wonderful opportunity to see these iconic animals up close during Melbourne’sdazzling summer evenings.” In addition to the after-hours safari tour, you can also explore the walking trails (among meerkats, monkeys and wild dogs) at dusk and catch live performances of drums, song and dance. Food and beverage options include an African-inspired barbecue, à la carte dining and cocktails at Hippo Beach (these are all sold separately). The Sunset Safari experience runs from 5.30pm to 9pm on Saturday nights, and costs $62 for adults and $32 for children. Head to the Zoos Victoria website to purchase your tickets.  Looking for...

When the world lost its mind over Scottish comedian Richard Gadd’s Netflix show Baby Reindeer – a fusion of his solo show of the same name and its equally startling predecessor Monkey See, Monkey Do – for many, the mic drop was twofold. Not only was this an uncomfortably riveting and rarely told story centred on a male survivor of sexual assault and intense stalking, but it’s also mostly true with only minor tweaks. These twin catastrophes really happened to Gadd, who bears his wounded soul. The opposite’s true of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s similarly ‘confessional’ solo show-turned-TV sensation, Fleabag. While many of her unnamed character’s fears, hopes and failings are drawn from personal experience, Waller-Bridge has said she now regrets how many folks have mistaken her fictional family’s dysfunction for the real deal.  Hailing from Francesca Moody Productions, the same creative force helping drive both runaway success stories, Midsumma show Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen similarly muddies the waters between truth and fiction to backfoot audiences. Staged in the intimate Fairfax Studio, it looks for all the world like a Melbourne International Comedy Festival stand-up show, thanks to its simple stool, coiled long-cord mic and naught much else but an occasionally flashing lights set-up.  The resemblance is so uncanny that when Olivier and two-time Tony nominee Samuel Barnett bounds onto the stage and starts regaling us with his concerns over being...