Things to do in Melbourne this week

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...

Pardon a moment’s naval-gazing here, but beyond the sparkly Instagram pics from glittering opening nights, the freelance writing gig can be tough. Despite powering through with optimism and encouraging others to follow their passions, I almost gave it all up this week. Or at least I thought about it. But I won’t. I can’t.  This life chose me. Writing’s inextricably bound up in my identity. I don’t know what else I could do. Even as the stress of making ends meet drives me to distraction, I know this is the calling I’ll die (perhaps in penury) on the hill for.  All of which brings me to Sybylla Melvyn, listlessly ranging round the parched-yellow grass of her family’s failing dairy farm, Possum Gully. It’s 1899, and she is a headstrong young woman with grand ambitions of becoming a writer at a time when society has no other expectations of her than being married off to a wealthier man.  The hero of Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin’s beloved debut novel, My Brilliant Career, published in 1901, the 15-year-old is a remarkable figure, a frustrated feminist who hasn’t quite figured it all out yet, but is innately unlike most other girls she knows, including her younger sister Gertie and her harried mother. In truth, Sybylla most closely resembles her author, sharing obvious similarities with the woman whose name would one day lend itself to our most prestigious literary prize, the Miles Franklin Award, plus the Stella Prize for best writing by an Australian woman. Together,...

Here's a guaranteed way to not cure your fear of flying: step inside a plane cabin recreated inside a 40-foot shipping container, don a pair of high quality binaural headphones and plunge headfirst into complete darkness. Flight – an immersive and truly terrifying Darkfield experience – returns to Melbourne by popular demand after a successful run in 2022. It takes you on a turbulance-filled journey through two worlds, two realities and two outcomes. Just know that there are many ways in which the plane lands safely – but will that be your final destination? Flight will run for a three-month season at the Art Centre Melbourne forecourt from December 13. Tickets are on sale now via the website. This review was originally written in 2022, when Flight was last in Melbourne – please be aware that some elements may have changed. You know the drill: check your boarding pass, find your assigned seat, stow your baggage in the overhead bin and fasten your seatbelt. Make sure your tray table is in the upright position, and make sure your window blind is open for take-off. On a monitor in front of you, a flight attendant in a blue uniform details the safety features of this aircraft. She explains that you should take a minute to find your nearest exit, bearing in mind it might be behind you. As she adjusts her pink scarf, she... wait a minute, wasn't her uniform blue? The screen flickers and she's back to blue, and you wonder if you imagined the pink. And then the lights go out. ...

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...

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 just dropped its first glimpse of the screening schedule, with blockbusters, nostalgic favourites and plenty of romcoms on the program. Highlights include Gladiator II, The Substance, It Ends With Us and Wicked. And the December line-up wouldn't be complete without a festive flick or two, so lovers of a Christmas film will be thrilled to see classics like The Holiday, Love Actually, Elf and Home Alone featured. 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.

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...

Love it or hate it, Christmas is almost upon us. And just as you can be sure that Michael Bublé is slowly defrosting and getting ready to croon the festive season away, and Mariah Carey is counting the fat stacks that pile up on cue as ‘All I Want for Christmas’ goes back on high rotation – you know that the battered DVD of one particular British rom-com at your mum’s house will also be back on steady rotation, actually.  Love Actually is the festive flick that never gets old, but if you want to fall in love with it all over again, grab a ticket for this special live viewing experience. Following sell-out tours across the UK and in Australia the last few years, Love Actually in Concert is coming back to Melbourne just in time for Old Saint Nick’s next whip around.  Pack the tissues, as this experience features a full live orchestra performing the hit soundtrack as the film is projected onto a screen. Love (and Christmas) will be all around you, and so the feeling grows. Get ready to question how many lobsters were present at the birth of Jesus Christ, get mad at Alan Rickman and his saucy secretary all over again (Emma Thompson’s cry to Joni Mitchell will really slap with an orchestral backup, to be fair), and question if in 2024 we would still be calling PM Hugh Grant’s love interest slash employee ‘fat’ – with live music!  Melburnians can get in on the holly jolly action on December 21 and 22 at Hamer Hall. For more information and to grab your tickets, head to the...

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...

Melburnians, it’s time to get dotty, because NGV International is playing host to the largest collection of Yayoi Kusama’s work ever seen in Australia. The exhibition (aptly named Yayoi Kusama) will take over the entire ground floor of the gallery, with works from the artist best known for her unique use of dots. Opening on December 15, this world-premiere exhibition will feature more than 180 works, including an NGV-specific piece transforming the iconic Waterwall and an installation of giant balloons in the Great Hall called 'Dots Obsession'. Many of the works coming to Melbourne for this impressive exhibition have never been seen locally before, including the Australian debut of 'Dancing Pumpkin', a towering five-metre-tall bronze sculpture that visitors can view by walking underneath. As if five metres wasn’t tall enough, Melbourne will also score the Aussie premiere of Kusama’s six-metre-tall tentacle-esque sculpture, named 'The Hope of the Polkadots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe'.  We’re particularly excited about the global premiere of a brand new Yayoi Kusama infinity room work, which will be part of a collection of immersive spaces included in the exhibition. Kusama’s infinity rooms employ the clever use of mirrors to create an illusion of never-ending space, making for a fun and mind-bending experience for visitors of all ages. Lucky for us, the artist has created a new room just for Melbourne!  Even more fortunately for Melburnians, it...

Dickens' A Christmas Carol is returning to the Melbourne stage. Set for a pre-Christmas season from November 22 to December 29, the smash hit staging of the timeless holiday story will be playing at the Comedy Theatre.  A Christmas Carol was the most-awarded play of 2021, sweeping the Tonys with five award wins. Two Tony Award winners themselves created the magical rendition: director Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) and playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). The production delivers striking staging, moving storytelling and 12 traditional Christmas carols, including ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Silent Night’. The cast announced for 2024 stars Erik Thomson as Ebenezer Scrooge, alongside an exceptional cast of sixteen performers including Tim Wright and Alison Whyte. 'A Christmas Carol' is showing at the Comedy Theatre until December 29, 2024. For more information and to book your tickets, head to the website. Read our four-star review of the 2023 production here: One of the defining aspects of Christmas that delights and frustrates, depending on your inclination, is its inexorability; it comes around again and again, like the white horse on a carousal. Maybe this will also be the case with the Old Vic production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which proved a great success last year and is back to spread its Yuletide cheer around the Comedy Theatre once more. The central change – in fact, the only significant change – is the casting of the villain who...