Things to do in Melbourne this week

Wednesday nights in Melbourne are known for one thing and one thing only: Queen Victoria Market’s legendary Night Market. With the summer night market officially finished for the season, Queen Vic has announced it will be bringing back its insanely popular Asian night market to tide you over until the warmer months return. The Hawker 88 Night Market brings Asian tastes, sights and sounds to Queen Vic’s sheds. Running every Wednesday night from April 9 until May 7, a tasty variety of stalls and trucks will be set up to sell authentic street food direct from China, India, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia and Japan. While the full line-up of more than 20 vendors is yet to be announced, some of the tasty eats (and drinks!) you can expect include Filipino barbecue bowls, Singapore noodles, crispy rice sandwiches, frozen watermelon shochu cocktails and lots and lots of bubble bubble tea. If you're down for a curry eating competition, don't miss Bollywood Night! Across the five-week stint there will also be lion dances, K-pop crew performances, live bands, martial arts demonstrations, taiko drumming, Squid Game-inspired DJ sets and a traditional Chinese costume parade. For more info on the event, check out the website. Craving a bargain feed? These are the 50 best cheap eats in Melbourne. Thirsty? Hit up Melbourne's 50 best bars.

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...

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...

Despite the Holocaust occurring halfway across the globe 80 years ago, its lessons continue to be crucially important to Australians today. Melbourne Holocaust Museum’s Hidden: Seven Children Saved exhibition is focused on educating Melburnians on the Holocaust experiences of seven (now-local) children, to inspire greater understanding of these vital lessons. Interactive displays show visitors what it would have been like for a child to hide in such a volatile time, and how acts of kindness from the community made all the difference. Replica rooms, mini towns, soundscapes, moving images and projections make it an interesting and educational display for families (with kids ten years plus) to visit during the school holidays. The immersive storytelling of the exhibition is so powerful that it won the esteemed Victorian Museums and Galleries Award and the Social Impact Award from the Australian Museums and Galleries Association in 2024. You can find the Melbourne Holocaust Museum in the vibrant suburb of Elsternwick, just 15 minutes from Flinders Street Station. Child and concession tickets are just $10, and adults $12. Book yours here.

From April 1-30, the picturesque region of the Macedon Ranges will play host to a huge celebration of all things autumn. The Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival features a program of more than 60 events, workshops, markets, exhibitions, live music, foraging sessions and even paranormal investigations. Eat your way through 50 heavenly pastries as part of the Autumn Pie and Tart Trail – aka Australia's biggest known pie trail. Both savoury and sweet pies will be available, including offerings like a butter chicken pie, American cherry pie, banoffee pie and a beef bourguignon pie. Yum! Feeling thirsty? Take your pick from the new Tipple Trail, which will give you a taste of the best craft brewers, ciders, gin distillers, country pubs and winemakers. Or you could try the Edgy Veg Trail, which will see local pubs, cafés and restaurants create innovative plant-based dishes. And be sure to pick up your festival map and passport – solve the mystery pie recipe and you will go into the draw to win a massive prize. Many of these events are free, but to find out more and book tickets where appropriate, head to the website. After more autumnal fun? Here are the best places to see autumn leaves in Victoria.

Get your wands at the ready, because Melbourne is set to play host to the Australian premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition. This behind-the-scenes extravaganza will leave Potterheads spellbound, and features interactive recreations of famous film scenes, props and costumes from the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a multimedia experience featuring the Whomping Willow, dementors, the Marauder's Map and the chance to conjure a Patronus charm. Budding witches and wizards will be sorted into Hogwarts houses and earn points as they explore the exhibition – it could be through a potions class, predicting the future à la Professor Trelawney in Divination or defeating a boggart in Defence Against the Dark Arts. There will also be opportunities to practice spell casting and Quidditch skills, plus win golden snitch medallions to become a model student. Each experience comes with plenty of photo ops and, of course, magical interactive moments. There's even a recreation of the Great Hall for visitors to enjoy in all its splendour, complete with floating candles.  This official Harry Potter exhibition is part of a global tour, previously selling out in cities like Boston and Madrid. It will be apparating into Melbourne on April 4, with tickets on sale now. You can find out more about this enchanting experience via the website.  Looking for more family-friendly things to do? Here's our guide to the best activities for kids in Melbourne. 

Nestled in the foothills of surrounding mountain ranges, the Grampians Grape Escape is taking over the beloved regional town of Halls Gap with a weekend-long program of world-class wines, gourmet food and live music.  It all kicks off with a 'feel-good Friday' session before the festival fully opens on Saturday, a night celebrating local music talent from with a line-up of all homegrown bands like The Settlement and No Mistake. The weekend program will feature more than 90 exhibitors, including wineries, food trucks, creators and makers. There will be cooking demonstrations and masterclasses by guest chefs like MasterChef Australia favourites Dani Venn and Justine Schofield, plus a wine auction (with funds raised to be put back into the local community) and tastings from more than 30 local wineries and entertainment. If you're bringing the kiddos along, there will be plenty of activities to keep them going including rock climbing, herb and flower planting, and more. And you'll be able to shop up a storm with stalls showcasing everything from candles and jewellery to art and condiments. After the region was devastated by severe bushfires over summer, this event is the perfect way to support the local community and its small businesses to recover with a much-needed economic boost.  There are a variety of ticketing options available now (including single and multi-day passes), and you can find out more at the Grampians Grape Escape website.  Exploring the Grampians? Check...

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...

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...

Effervescence enthusiasts and bubbles buffs, it's time to whip out your flutes. A popular festival entirely dedicated to sparkling wine and Champers is returning to Melbourne this year, and yes, we'd like a top up, please. Melbourne first hosted the Bubbles Festival in 2017, and since 2021 it’s cemented itself as a national festival, with this year’s shindig landing in a swanky new venue overlooking the Yarra and city skyline. Gather your fellow bubble-loving friends: the event is taking place on May 3 at Rivers Edge Events. Sparkling wines from Victorian producers will be showcased at The Bubbles Festival, as will bubbles from across Australia, and international sparkling wines including Champagne. Each ticket includes a two-hour tasting session where you’ll enjoy more than ten types of sparkling in a Riedel Champagne tasting glass, and get to meet and chat to the growers and producers. Plus, tasty canapés will be available to pair with your glasses. There's even an option to bump up your experience to VIP, offering you priority access with a private tasting of a special cuvee prior to doors opening and a Riedel Extreme Champagne glass twin pack (valued at $85). A small portion of every VIP upgrade ticket is donated to the Dine with Heart program with Sacred Heart Mission for Melbourne. Whether you’re a fizz connoisseur or looking for something fun to do with a fellow wine-loving pal, it's sure to be a luxe day out. Tickets to the fizz fest start at $129 per person, plus...