Bianca O'Neill

Looking for something fun to do now the temperature is dropping? There's an illuminated collection of winter light festivals spread across regional Victoria. See glowing sculptures, arty light installations and more at some of your favourite regional destinations. Hop in the car, plan a weekend away, and check out the best our great state has to offer at night. Here is our list of gorgeous, glowing, winter light events in regional Victoria this cold season. Want to see the winter lights in Melbourne instead? Here's our list of everything illuminated and glowing in Melbourne this month.

Do you love anything sparkling, glowing or illuminated? You've come to the right place – there are plenty of gorgeous light-up events to discover in Melbourne. From digital exhibitions and sparkling light shows to a Harry Potter-themed immersive experience (complete with a life-size hippogriff), it's time to get your glow on. Want to explore regional Victoria? Here's our list of winter light festivals outside of Melbourne.

Sydneysiders are experts when it comes to how to nail a day at the beach, but not so much when it comes to hitting the slopes. Should you snowboard or ski? How do you buy and use your lift passes? Where should you stay – on the mountain or at the base? We've got all the tips, tricks and hacks, so get your lecture pad out and settle in for Skiing and snowboarding 101.   Should I ski or snowboard? It's the big question everyone asks the first time they head to the mountain. How can you know which one you're going to like more before you've even tried it? Well, there are a few factors that go into deciding whether you're going to be a skier or snowboarder. Skiing is generally easier for a newbie – let's get that out of the way first. A lot of people think snowboarding is going to be easier, but in my experience, I've been able to teach someone to ski a green run in a matter of hours, while friends trying snowboarding for the first time are still spending a lot of time on their butts by the end of the first day. Snowboarding takes more time to master the balance and turns. However, once you're up and running, snowboarders tend to be able to scale up much more quickly – while even quite competent skiers can still find those black runs quite challenging on skis, as it requires a much higher level of technique and refinement to master. In the end, it comes down to how often you're hitting the slopes, and how quickly you'd like to be ready to go it alone. If you're not going to go of

Spring is around the corner, and what better time to venture outside of the city and explore all the art Victoria has to offer. After all, Melbourne likes to think of itself as the cultural capital of Australia, but in reality, the crown should go to the entire state because we truly are spoiled for choice with the abundance of must-see regional galleries. From Geelong to Bendigo, you can find a regional art gallery in every corner of the state showcasing art spanning Australia's colonial and Indigenous history, through to works from the country's most exciting contemporary artists – not to mention the frequent travelling exhibitions. No car? No problem. Several of these galleries are also accessible by V/Line trains.  Do you know where to find Melbourne's best street art? We do.    

Wine and art: can you think of a better pairing? So it's no wonder that the last few years have seen an abundance of new galleries and art spaces pop up at some of our favourite wineries. Make a weekend of it and pop a few locations on your list; head into the cellar door for a taste of world-class wine, and then wander through the exciting Australian and Indigenous Australian art collections housed at some of Victoria's best regional outposts. Here's our list of six of the best wineries where you can grab a vino with a side of art. Looking for more art? Check out the best art and exhibitions on in Melbourne this month, or read our run down of the best regional art galleries in Victoria.

Remember being young, naïve and convinced that you were immune from hangovers? You could knock back a disgusting mix of cheap vodka, goon and tinnies of VB with zero consequences – and oftentimes, you could do it again the next night, no problemo. If you're reading this wistfully, it's safe to assume those days are long behind you and your hangovers are now leaving you incapacitated for the next two business days. You've probably tried every hangover cure under the sun – hair of the dog, sculling a Berocca, eating a greasy breakfast, shooting back some pickle juice... the list goes on, and nothing seems to do the trick. Well, there's a new hangover remedy on the block: Tend-2, a 100 per cent natural and organic supplement that's TGA-approved and has been tested, manufactured and formulated right here in Australia. The capsules are the result of a three-year development process by co-founders Josh Samweil and Jake Boyle, who have been mates since high school.  A box of two doses will run you $20, and it works like this: take two pre-drinking capsules before heading out on the town, and then two post-drinking capsules before going to bed. The duo is so confident in their product that they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all orders. To see if this hangover remedy cuts the mustard, our team of editors bravely put their livers on the line with a booze-filled evening – here's how they fared.  Photograph: Tend-2 Adena Maier, lifestyle editor What did I drink: Rum Manhattan,

I'm not sure what to expect, as I wander down Little Bourke Street towards an abandoned carpark filled with four white shipping containers. The steel boxes are labelled with four names: Coma, Flight, Seance and Eulogy. They're part of Darkfield – an immersive sound-driven experience in total darkness, each of which evokes a different part of your innermost anxieties. Fancy experiencing a plane crash in surround sound? Or perhaps a spirit-filled seance, or a mind-trapping coma? All in pitch black? Well, I, for one, said yes. As I entered the shipping container marked 'Flight', I was met with a disturbingly accurate portrayal of a real plane cabin – the space kitted out with reportedly real seats, cabin windows and overhead bins sourced from an actual plane. (Hopefully still intact...) A set of drop-down screens feature a flight attendant, who welcomes me with a kind of manic energy that sets the tone for what's to come. This is a spoiler-free space, so I won't go into the specifics of the 27-minute experience so as not to ruin the surprise – but I will say it's a pretty terrifying ride through time and space, with an ear-splitting soundscape that mimics the experience of screaming through the void as you hurtle toward the Earth... or do you? And that's the thing about Darkfield; the company likes to play with your mind. If you thought this was straight-up terror porn about a plane crash, you'd be wrong. Instead, it dances the lines between reality and fantasy to leave you pond

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following article contains the name of someone who has passed. The family of Ningali Lawford-Wolf has given the media permission to use her name. Stephen Page, artistic director of Bangarra Dance Theatre, is sitting in the belly of the Sydney Opera House looking out over the beautiful bay of water of the Eora Nation when we speak. He’s thinking about his late brothers Russell and David, and all that they gave to building the First Nations-led dance company that has woven so much richness into the cultural fabric of Australia; their presence is always felt in every work produced by this troupe. Russell lives on in the flickering shadow of his silken moves, and David's life's work assembling a vast audio vault informs the company's musical direction to this day. The twin tragedies of their loss reverberate in the magnificent documentary Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra. As does the strength and joy Stephen Page still draws from them every day. If he feels their loss keenly, he can always step into Bangarra's archive, a living monument to 35-plus years of brilliance, and play something from the files that will remind him of them. "I can go in there and listen to a wet season coming from a distance for about four minutes in this beautiful soundscape,” Page says. “It’s great that we can still have those inspirations, and you know, they’re cheeky buggers, those two boys. They stir me up all the time to ke

Aussies are experts when it comes to the beach, but not so much when it comes to hitting the slopes. So if you've never skied or snowboarded before, and you're not quite sure where to start, consider this your complete guide to looking like an expert from day one. Should you snowboard or ski? How do you buy and use your lift passes? Where should you stay – on the mountain or at the base? We've got all the tips, tricks and hacks, so get your lecture pad out and settle in for Skiing 101. Ski or snowboard? It's the big question everyone asks the first time they head to the mountain. How can you know which one you're going to like more before you've even tried it? Well, there are a few factors that go into deciding whether you're going to be a skier or snowboarder. Skiing is generally easier for a newbie – let's get that out of the way first. A lot of people think snowboarding is going to be easier, but in my experience, I've been able to teach someone to ski a green run in a matter of hours, while friends trying snowboarding for the first time are still spending a lot of time on their butts by the end of the first day. Snowboarding takes more time to master the balance and turns. However, once you're up and running, snowboarders tend to be able to scale up much more quickly – while even quite competent skiers can still find those black runs quite challenging on skis, as it requires a much higher level of technique and refinement to master. In the end, it comes down to how often

Dolly Parton would agree she has "little feet", but it's hard to dispute that she has created a pair of very big shoes to fill. This is the task faced by musical theatre star Erin Clare, who is playing the role of Doralee Rhodes in the Australian stage musical version of 9 to 5 – a role played by Parton herself in the hugely successful 1980 film of the same name. Clare spoke to us about the themes, the songs and slipping into Dolly Parton’s “teeny, tiny little shoes”.  Apart from playing a lead role in the film, Parton wrote the iconic theme song for the movie and has also written all the songs for the musical. The country star clearly casts a long shadow over the 9 to 5 brand, and it's something that’s very present for Clare.  “Doralee Rhodes, she’s a bright and beautiful country girl, obviously made famous and iconic by Dolly Parton herself," she says. "And she really is the essence of Dolly without actually being an autobiographical character of Dolly Parton.”  The performer, who recently starred in the hit production of American Psycho the Musical, watched a lot of interviews with Parton, trying to glean her essence in portraying Doralee without creating a caricature.  “[Doralee] is often undermined and underestimated because of the way she looks, but she is smart as a whip and she stands up for what is right. So she really brings a fun, comedic, country element that is so reflective of the score and this whole piece in general, and of Dolly,” she explains.  Clare is one

Now that Neighbours is ending its mammoth 37-year run on television, you might be wondering the best way to celebrate its most iconic moments, like that time Susan slapped Dr Karl because he was cheating, or that other time that Delta graced our screens by singing her classic track 'Innocent Eyes' in her bedroom as Nina. Surely at the top of your Neighbours bucket list is an overnight stay at 28 Ramsay Street with Dr Karl himself? Well, good news! You can book the original house from the show on Booking.com for only $28 – and the lucky punter who nabs the booking will even get to hang out with the philandering doc, enjoying some backyard beers with Karl Kennedy (AKA Alan Fletcher) before a screening of the final episode. To snap up the lucky booking, set your alarm for Tuesday, July 12 at 11am AEST. The first person to book the singular two-night booking – including the Neighbours finale night, from Wednesday, July 27 to Thursday, July 29 – will be jetting to Melbourne with flights for two, premium car rental, Champagne on arrival, a swag bag of Neighbours memorabilia, and the all-important backyard barbie and beers with Karl Kennedy himself, before settling in to watch the finale (July 28) on a suitably huge plasma TV. Bookmark the official link, work on your quick-draw clicking finger, and get ready to rumble. Sad that 'Neighbours' is ending? Book in for a tour of the studio backlots.

Melbourne's winter arts festival, Rising, has been cancelled the past two years due to Melbourne's lockdown restrictions, but with the city open for business again, it's hoped this year's festival will finally be able to bring its program of ambitious arts and culture offerings to Melbourne. There are 225 events, including 22 commissions and 14 world premieres, taking place across the 12 nights of the festival. In typical Rising fashion, these won't be staid and static art pieces on bare gallery walls. Instead, the festival will take over Melbourne's streets, gardens, car parks, waterways and rooftops. Although it's impossible to pick a favourite show, The Wilds is one of the most hotly anticipated elements of this year's program. The Wilds will take over the Royal Botanic Gardens in a riot of colour, sound, art, music, food and even ice skating.    Here are our picks of the festival. 

Melbourne's much-loved arthouse movie complex, Cinema Nova, boasts a whopping 16 screens devoted to new release arthouse and upmarket commercial films, plus regular films events, special screenings and festivals. It has been around since 1992. If you arrive early, take in the view over Lygon Street with a coffee or cocktail in hand at the Cinema Nova bar, or make a whole night of it with dinner at one of the many nearby eateries, drinks and a flick. Monday is their famed discount day – regular tickets are $7 for sessions before 4pm and $10 for sessions after 4pm, except on public holidays. You can check out weekly session times here.  Looking for more movie ticket deals? Here's where to find bargains every day of the week.   

The Hubert Gallery of Art is part of a new era for St Hubert's wine: an architecturally designed (and very Instagrammable) series of buildings that forms the recently opened Hubert Estate. The gallery, set on Wurundjeri Country, can be found by descending down a dark, aesthetically pleasing staircase inside the swanky cellar door – but that's where the darkness ends. The light and bright space, flanked by an expansive, curved glass wall looking out onto the estate, is the perfect backdrop for a range of colourful and exciting works sourced from over 20 Australian Indigenous Communities. Adam Knight and Gerry Ryan have overseen the curation of a range of excellent Indigenous art housed in the gallery – a passion of the pair, who also established the Gallery of Aboriginal Art at Mitchelton.  The new Hubert Estate complex was designed by notable architectural and interior design studio, Cera Stribley, and also houses a Modern Australian, European-inspired restaurant, function venue, revamped St Hubert’s cellar door, and a boutique wine store. There are also plans for a hotel and wellness centre, set for opening in 2024. 

Back in 2018, the little Ripponlea restaurant that could rose to a surprise #20 entry on the much-debated (and occasionally controversial) World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It overtook Brae’s entry the year before at #44 and set Attica firmly in the minds of the international jetset.  Ben Shewry’s experimental and unflinchingly Australian ten-course degustation has since tumbled out of the top 50, this year not even making the cut in the top 100. So what does this all mean for one of the most loved and well-known restaurants in the country? Does it still live up to its original hype years later, in 2022?  I’m happy to say, it certainly has – and that the list’s snub in favour of another, more hyped Melbourne restaurant for me, misses the mark, because Attica is still one of the most innovative, experimental, and more importantly, delicious fine dining experiences to be had in Melbourne. But, my rapturous superlatives aside, it’s almost not enough to explain why Attica is so important to Melbourne’s dining scene – so, let me explain. We start our Attica journey greeted by the friendly, approachable staff, one of whom explains that they’ll offer us a series of dad jokes throughout, to accompany the meal. Although the first never materialises, what does is a simple dish of 'First Nations finger foods'; including a simulated bush tomato – a hard to source native ingredient – recreated here with a cherry tomato, stuffed with raisin and coated in bush tomato powder. It’s sweet, sou

Try as you might, it is awfully hard to see every single comedian at Melbourne International Comedy Festival (though comedian Blake Everett really gave that a red hot go one year, tweeting about more than 100 shows he saw). The good news is you've been given a second swing at the best of the fest, with Comedy Republic's Replay Festival. From July 4-23, Replay Festival is bringing some of the top MICF shows for a second round on stage. Included in the line-up are Nath Valvo, Geraldine Hickey, Guy Montgomery, Lloyd Langford, Lizzy Hoo, and a one-off performance by the Most Outstanding Show Award winner Gillian Cosgriff. Most Outstanding Show nominees Tom Ballard, Emma Holland, Guy Williams and Hannah Camilleri are also featured on the line-up.  All that and so much more. The Best Newcomer nominees Sashi Perera, He Huang, Ray O'Leary and winners Aiden Willcox and Isaac Haigh will appear. Directors' Choice Award winner Takashi Wakasugi will also perform his coveted show Japanese Worry.  You can buy tickets and discover the full line-up for Replay Festival 2023 here. Keen to keep laughing? Here's where you can see regular comedy in Melbourne.

Blink-182 are back, and what's our age again? It must be getting up there because it's been nearly ten years since they toured – and this time around, they're reuniting to bring the original threesome of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker to Australia. Kicking off the tour in Perth on February 8 and 9, 2024, Blink-182 will then head to Adelaide on February 11 before hitting Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on February 13, 14, 26, 27 and 29. After we've had our fill of their stacked back catalogue, including 'All The Small Things', 'Adam's Song' and 'I Miss You', they'll head to Sydney on February 16, 17, 23 and 24, and Brisbane on February 19, 20 and 21. Although 1997's Dude Ranch was a lot of our first introduction to Blink-182's attitude-filled punk rock, they truly hit the mainstream with their third album Enema of the State in June 1999, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide and propelled them to pop-punk stardom off the back of huge singles like 'What's My Age Again?'. The following years saw DeLonge exit the band twice, Barker experience a life-changing plane crash, and Hoppus a cancer diagnosis. Since then, they appear to have made amends, with these Australian dates a stop on a huge world tour. General public tickets go on sale for Blink-182's final Melbourne show on Monday, June 19 at 12pm at Live Nation. Get in quick, because if you miss out, you'll surely be singing 'Dammit'. Looking for more gigs in Melbourne? Check out our list of all the best gigs on

Monet and Friends features dreamy landscapes and moving imagery by ground-breaking Impressionist artists, including Monet, Cézanne, Renoir and Manet. It features more than 800 individual artworks, with the centrepiece of the exhibition an immersive, entire-gallery takeover of Monet's renowned painting, ‘Woman with a Parasol’ and a room dedicated to his 'Water Lilies' series. Over a year in the making, Monet and Friends aims to drench guests in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this revolutionary time in modern art. A signature scent has been created to complement the artist’s celebration of the outdoors, while a thoughtfully curated soundtrack will also accompany the immersive experience. There's even an on-site café – aptly named Café de Flore – which will serve up light meals inspired by the flavours of 19th century France. The 3,000 square-metre gallery opened with a vibrant exhibition on famed post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh, and featured some of his best-known works, including 'The Starry Night' and his series of sunflower paintings.  Sessions run from 10am weekdays and 9am on weekends, almost every day of the year. Prices start at $39 for adults and there's free admission for kids under four. You can book tickets to Monet and Friends here.  Love art? Check out the best art exhibitions happening in Melbourne this month. 

Bon Iver – originally a solo project from Justin Vernon, which has now evolved into a band with a revolving lineup of collaborators – is heading to Melbourne for the first time in 11 years for one night only at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Bon Iver's debut album For Emma, Forever Ago introduced Vernon to a generation of indie-folk lovers back in 2008, and since then we've seen three more critically acclaimed albums, including 2019's i,i. By channelling more of a lush, ambient soundscape vibe than a traditional indie-folk album, Bon Iver's success has delivered multi-Grammy award wins and collaborations with everyone from Kanye West to James Blake. In addition to headline performances in Sydney and Brisbane as well as Melbourne, Bon Iver will be playing a swag of much-loved festivals including Mona Foma, Perth Festival and WOMAdelaide. Buy tickets via the website. After more live music? Here are the best gigs happening in Melbourne this month.

Blackpink is coming Down Under! Start your K-Pop engines, fire up your best singing voice, and get ready to dance the night away as the Korean megastars hit the Harbour City for two nights only in June 2023. Their 'Born Pink' world tour, kicking off in Seoul in October and continuing into 2023, was unveiled via an announcement on their Instagram page. The epic global lineup includes two nights in Melbourne (June 10-11), two nights in Sydney (June 16-17), and one night in Auckland (June 21). Venues for the tour, including the Australian leg, have not yet been released but will be updated in the coming months. Ticket details also remain a mystery for now, but stay tuned for more information on ticket pre-sales and release. The South Korean pop group made a huge splash six years ago when they debuted back in August 2016 with their single album Square One, which featured smash hits 'Whistle' and 'Boombayah'. Blackpink is the highest-charting female Korean act ever on the Billboard Hot 100, hold the record for the best-selling album by a Korean girl group of all time, and their music video for 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' was the first to surpass one billion views on YouTube for a Korean artist. Find out more about their upcoming 'Born Pink' world tour at the official website.

Blackpink is coming to Melbourne's Rod Laver! Start your K-Pop engines, fire up your best singing voice, and get ready to dance the night away as the Korean megastars hit our fair city for two nights only in June. Their 'Born Pink' world tour will tour through Asia before arriving on Australian shores. The announcement was unveiled on their Instagram page earlier this year and their epic global lineup includes two nights in Melbourne (June 10-11), two nights in Sydney (June 16-17), and one night in Auckland (June 21). The most-subscribed music act on YouTube with over 84 million followers, the South Korean pop megastars made a huge splash six years ago when they debuted back in August 2016 with their single album Square One, which featured smash hits 'Whistle' and 'Boombayah'. Blackpink is the highest-charting female Korean act ever on the Billboard Hot 100, hold the record for the best-selling album by a Korean girl group of all time, and their music video for 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' was the first to surpass one billion views on YouTube for a Korean artist. They have since stormed stages around the world, from London's legendary O2 Arena to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Falloon and Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Frontier Members pre-sale begins on Wednesday, February 8 (1 pm local time) and the general public sale starts on Thursday, February 9 (2 pm local time). Find out more about their upcoming 'Born Pink' world tour at the official website.

English rockers The 1975 are heading to Melbourne as part of an Australian tour next April. For the first time in three years, they're heading to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on a muti-date tour to celebrate their forthcoming album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language, to be released on October 14. The run of shows will see the band hit Melbourne on April 11 and 12, to perform recent singles like ‘All I Need To Hear’, ‘I’m In Love With You’, ‘Happiness’ and ‘Part Of The Band’, as well as past hits and tracks from their previous album, 2020’s Notes On A Conditional Form, which hit #1 in Australia. Tickets for The 1975's Aussie shows go on sale to the general public from 11am local, Friday October 14. Stay tuned to the official website for all the details, or to enter the pre-sale. Looking for more music? Check out our latest gig guide.

Ever thought about what it would be like to be a ghost? Floating around, haunting a hotel ravaged by fire?  Eulogy is the latest immersive sound experience from Melbourne company Realscape Productions, the team behind the brilliantly scary Séance, which has had two successful runs in Melbourne. That experience was legitimately terrifying, conjuring up nefarious spirits inside a shipping container using nothing but cutting edge 3D sound design and some lowkey seat vibrations.  This time around, the creators ask you to be plunged into darkness to explore "the relative merits of an embodied human conscious experience, versus one that only exists in the imagination." We don't know exactly what to expect from Eulogy, and that's part of the fun. What we do know is that the shipping container has been fitted out with a scary-looking line of transparent caged sections, each with a set of headphones. All we can really hope for is that we can emerge safely, back in our corporeal body when it's all over, but judging by past Darkfield experiences, anything is possible. Read about the three other Darkfield experiences you can try in Melbourne..

Are you scared of the idea of being trapped inside your body? Hearing people around you making decisions, talking about you, without being able to respond? Well this may (or may not) be your next opportunity to confront your fears. Coma is the latest immersive sound experience from Melbourne company Realscape Productions, the team behind the brilliantly scary Séance, which has had two successful runs in Melbourne. That experience was legitimately terrifying, conjuring up nefarious spirits inside a shipping container using nothing but cutting edge 3D sound design and some lowkey seat vibrations.  We don't know exactly what to expect from Coma, and that's part of the fun. What we do know is that the shipping container has been fitted out with medical-style bunk beds, and we're told that "the moment of waking is actually when your dream begins". All we can really hope for is that we're alive when we emerge, but judging by the recommendation to "take your body with you when you leave," we're not exactly hopeful. Read about the three other Darkfield experiences you can try in Melbourne..

Following a sell-out season in Melbourne, uber-popular Australian street artist Rone will bring his latest multi-sensory installation to the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth this July. The immersive art experience, titled Time, will encompass 12 themed rooms, all featuring Rone's distinctively haunting murals, which are always centered around an image of a beautiful woman. The grand-scale works will be accompanied by meticulously-recreated period objects by interior set decorator Carly Spooner and a set-building team led by Callum Preston. Evocative lighting and sound design by composer Nick Batterham will tie it all together, offering a reflection on a long-forgotten era of mid-century Australia.  Over the past 20 years, Rone has garnered an impressive international reputation for his immersive large-scale artworks, often staged in abandoned buildings. His previous projects have drawn major crowds, including Empty (2016), The Omega Project (2017), and Empire (2019). In 2022, the Time installation even popped up in the enigmatic ballroom space above Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. Photograph: Tony Mott AGWA Director Colin Walker said: “Time broke all expectations with more than 100,000 visitors to the space for a limited season event in Melbourne. This is Rone’s only exhibition in 2024, and we know it will be an absolute hit”. The reincarnation of Time in Perth will see the semi-hidden and historic Centenary Galleries fully opened for the first time in almost

A reimagining of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens has opened up in the NGV garden. 'Temple of Boom', by Australian architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, has replaced the incredibly popular 'Pink Pond', which has been the centrepiece of outdoor events at the gallery for the past year. The Greek-style temple features overlapping large-scale artworks (like floral motifs and optical illusions), which are evocative of the vibrant colours long since lost from the facade of the original building from over two thousand years ago. Taking its name from the vibrations of music, 'Temple of Boom' will act as a meeting place and colourful centrepiece for all of the upcoming NGV summer events, including a series of curated performances, programs and live music. The NGV has recently unveiled new vibrant works by Melbourne-based contemporary artists Aretha Brown, Creature Creature, Manda Lane, Chuck Mayfield, and Resio on the temple. In this second phase of painting, Temple of Boom – a contemporary reimagining of The Parthenon on the Acropolis - has been adorned with large-scale works inspired by Greek mythology and diverse connections to culture and nature.  Photograph: Sean Fennessy "One of the most famous examples of classical architecture, the Parthenon in Athens, is often viewed as a potent symbol of Western art and culture," says Tony Ellwood AM, director of the NGV. "This thought-provoking work by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang invites us to consider how we create and imb

In breaking news today, Time Out can exclusively reveal that fashion icon, Elaine George – who made history as the first First Nations woman to cover Vogue back in September 1993 – will walk in the ganbu marra runway at Melbourne Fashion Week tomorrow.  George, a proud Arakwal woman from the Bundjalung nation in northern New South Wales, who grew up in Brisbane, was discovered by a model scout at the age of 17 during a family trip to the Gold Coast. A resulting photoshoot led to her famous image on the September cover, which became the highest-selling issue of all time (until Samantha Harris’ subsequent 2010 Vogue cover). And now, 29 years later, she will make her MFW debut on Saturday night’s runway. Despite the crazy weather lashing Melbourne over the last few days, Melbourne Fashion Week continues across the city – but alas, Time Out’s exclusive interview with Elaine George ahead of her first-ever walk for MFW took a hit when a planned trip to Mitchelton Estate in Nagambie was cancelled due to weather warnings. (Mitchelton Estate are the official wine partner for MFW, for the second year running.) Instead, George and I relocated to the chic Prince Hotel and bunkered down with a glass of wine in Little Prince Wine’s cosy underground cellar as it bucketed down outside. We chatted about her historic 1993 cover, her important work in child protection, representation in the fashion industry and her tentative return to the world of modelling at the age of 47. Photograph: Nicole

Time Out has released its annual list of the 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world, with inner north mainstay Fitzroy nabbing the highest Aussie spot on the list, coming in at #27. It beat out both Sydney's Marrickville at #33 and Brisbane's Fortitude Valley at #47. The rankings were based on the Time Out Index survey, which this year polled 20,000 city-dwellers on their favourite local suburbs. To come up with the final ranking, our global network of local editors narrowed down the selections – delivering Fitzroy as the top spot down under. The artsy and eclectic heart of the inner north beat out Richmond, which came in at #10 last year. Previous years have also seen Melbourne suburbs hit the top Aussie spot, with Yarraville at #5 in 2020 and Footscray at #13 in 2019. It's no surprise Fitzroy has risen in the ranks after leafy Gertrude Street was bestowed the honour of being named the second coolest street in the world earlier this year. From the bars and pubs of this well-trodden thoroughfare, like the much-loved Builders Arms, to the buzzing cafe culture (just cop a gander at Archie's line each Saturday morning), and the excellent boutique shopping, Gertrude is fast becoming an enduring Melbourne hotspot. Add the nightlife of Brunswick Street, and Fitzroy hits all the cool points. Our Lifestyle Editor, Adena Maier, had this to say about the officially cool suburb: "Pick up some handmade fashion, food and curios at Rose St Artist’s Market, then make your way to Naked for

Queen Victoria Market has announced it will ban all inauthentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products sold at the market within the next year. The market decided to take a proactive approach, with encouragement from Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp, after the Productivity Commission signalled new laws to protect authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products back in August. The laws are likely to come into effect in late 2023. The commission found that a whopping two in every three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-style souvenirs sold in Australia are inauthentic, and have no connection to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. QVM did not include any stats on what percentage of its own products are inauthentic. “Many people would be surprised that this kind of thing is going on right across Australia in 2022,” says Queen Victoria Market CEO, Stan Liacos. “Selling inauthentic products isn’t just disrespectful to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and dishonest to customers, it also undercuts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and legitimate artists who are trading in authentic items and trying to make a living." “We’re not waiting for new national laws to come into place - we’re acting now.” Liacos announced that the market will work with traders over the next year in order to phase out the sale of inauthentic products, starting from July 1, 2023. The announcement appears to be in line with a broader strategy to imp

Melbourne street artist Rone will be taking over the Flinders Street Station Ballroom in October this year. Following a successful season of Patricia Piccinini's hyperrealist installation, 'A Miracle Constantly Repeated', which was part of this year's Rising program, it is uber popular street artist Rone who will be the second artist in residence in the enigmatic ballroom space above Flinders Street Station. The immersive installation, titled 'Time', will encompass 11 themed rooms, all featuring Rone's distinctive female figures accompanied by meticulously recreated period objects by interior set decorator Carly Spooner and a set building team led by Callum Preston. Evocative lighting and sound design by composer Nick Batterham will bring it all together to create a haunting reflection on a long-forgotten era when Melbourne's most mysterious heritage building hosted more than just a train station. Photograph: Rone In a chat with the artist (real name Tyrone Wright) yesterday, he told Time Out that the new exhibition has been three years in the making. Battling heritage overlays, government red tape, the strict requirements of international consortium Metro (who own the building), and all the restrictions that came with the pandemic, 'Time' hasn't been an easy ride for Wright, who calls the Flinders Street Station Ballroom his "white whale". "The pandemic actually caused the entire thing to collapse – I lost all my funding and had to start again, essentially. But before that

Uncle Jack Charles' family has given the media permission to use his name and image in relation to this news story. Boon Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung and Yorta Yorta actor and musician, Uncle Jack Charles, has passed away in Melbourne this morning. According to a statement from his publicist, Charles was sent off with a smoking ceremony at the Royal Melbourne Hospital after suffering a stroke. "We are so proud of everything he has achieved in his remarkable life," said the statement. "Elder, actor, musician, potter, activist, mentor, a household name and voice loved by all — as is demonstrated by his numerous awards, including this year's NAIDOC Male Elder of the Year." "He will live on in our hearts and memories and through his numerous screen and stage roles. May he be greeted by his Ancestors on his return home." Uncle Jack Charles was a Victorian legend of the stage and screen, beginning his career in the 70s by co-establishing Australia's first Indigenous-led theatre group, which was based in Melbourne. He went on to feature in a raft of critically acclaimed roles in films including The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), Bedevil (1993), Blackfellas (1993), Tom White (2004) and Pan (2015). His earlier life was marked by the trauma of abuse, drug use and incarceration, and he was a Stolen Generation survivor who dedicated his later life to supporting Indigenous youth caught in the prison system.  In a tweet earlier today, prime minister Anthony Albanese said: "J

Last night, Port Phillip councillors voted to consider a revised plan for transforming the carpark next to the Palais Theatre – dubbed the "St Kilda Triangle" – into a refreshed cultural precinct, adding a brand new music venue right next door to the famous theatre. Long the subject of debate, the Triangle has been the centre of various contentious plans, including a proposed $400 million lifestyle precinct dubbed "Chadstone by the Sea". The 2016 St Kilda Triangle masterplan also proposed a green space replacing the current carpark, sinking the carpark and adding an underground 'cultural space', as well as tacking a hotel and additional performance space on the back end of the current Palais building. It was also considered as a potential location for the NGV Contemporary, now set to be located in Southbank's Arts Precinct. Photograph: Port Phillip government website, 2016 St Kilda Triangle masterplan |A map of the St Kilda Triangle, currently a carpark     Photograph: Port Phillip government website, 2016 St Kilda Triangle masterplan |The proposed plan in 2016   The Age reports this morning that Port Phillip councillors voted in favour of a basic feasibility study into the idea last night, noting that they've spent millions of dollars investigating the potential for the public space, but have only "achieved a carpark so far". Councillors voted in favour of the $378,000 study, to be delivered mid-next year, looking into the feasibility of developing a live music or perfo

This year is shaping up to be a formative one in Melbourne's theatre scene. No little than a week or so after the Victorian Opera announced a new artistic director in Stuart Maunder, we've seen two key staffing announcements that are set to deliver a more diverse focus on our city's stages. It's perfect timing, following the release of 2021 Census data that shows we're the first English-speaking country in the world to achieve a 50% migrant population – with India set to overtake British migrants as the biggest group, and China dropping to third. First up, Melbourne Theatre Company announced that director, writer and dramaturg Tasnim Hossain – 2018 Women in Theatre Program participant, and director for MTC's 2022 First Stage writers’ program – has been appointed as the Company’s new Resident Director.  "Tasnim is a brilliant mind and a talented artist," says MTC artistic director and Co-CEO Anne-Louise Sarks. "She brings with her broad experience developing new works, a deep network of artistic collaborators nationally and demonstrated leadership within the industry. She is a sought after director, dramaturg and writer for screen and stage so it's a total coup to have her join the Company." Hossain recently won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Direction of an Independent Production for Yellow Face, and was shortlisted for the 2022 Griffin Award for her script Bombay Takeaway. "I am thrilled to be joining Melbourne Theatre Company’s artistic team under Anne-Louise’s leaders

Do you like a side of fear and frights with your live stage play? Well the upcoming Aussie premiere of West End hit, Ghost Stories, is for you. Billed as equal parts live horror and humour, with a little magic thrown in, it's set to take over Melbourne this September for four weeks – and now the Australian cast has been revealed. Play School favourite and Star Wars' Captain Typho, Jay Laga'aia, is taking a break from Big Ted in order to scare the living daylights out of us, and he'll be joined by much-loved playwright and actor Steve Rodgers, actor-magician Darcy Brown, and Winners and Losers' Nick Simpson-Deeks. "I’m hugely excited to join the cast and creative team of Ghost Stories," says Simpson-Deeks, "and thrilled to be able to bring such a unique and rich theatrical experience to Australian audiences. It’s going to be phenomenal.""I saw Ghost Stories in London eight years ago," says Brown, "and thought it was terrifying and fabulous. Andy Nyman’s work as an actor and magician has inspired me for years. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this production." Ghost Stories is a British horror-themed play written by Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen) and Andy Nyman (Derren Brown TV and live shows, Peaky Blinders) that has played in London for many years, including in the West End.  The producers are keeping their spooky surprises a secret, but there will be scares aplenty – the show comes with a warning label that it's not for the faint of heart or those with nerve

The Victorian Opera is today looking toward a bright future, with the brand new appointment of opera and theatre veteran Stuart Maunder AM to their artistic director post. Maunder has worked with the Victorian Opera on multiple productions in the past, as a director on Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and A Little Night Music, as well as co-producing productions with State Opera South Australia and New Zealand Opera. Maunder is well known for his prolific three decades in the opera and theatre arena. Between administrating and directing on Australian stages and holding senior positions at various opera companies, he has built an excellent reputation for championing Australian repertoire and talent. He served in senior management roles at Opera Australia from 1999 to 2008, before being appointed General Director of New Zealand Opera in 2014. He was appointed Artistic Director of State Opera South Australia in 2018. "I feel like I've come home," says Maunder. "How humbling and thrilling to be joining this great Victorian company. I've long admired Victorian Opera's bold repertoire choices, championing of new Australian work, formidable record of collaborating with other arts companies, commitment to showcasing Australian artists, and for pushing the boundaries of our extraordinary artform." "We will continue to build on the company's history of nurturing and premiering new Australian works and acknowledging and incl

This year's MPavilion design has been revealed, ahead of its 2022 program of events, commencing in November. The sweeping net-like design of Melbourne's ninth MPavilion was designed by Bangkok-based architecture practice All(zone), led by internationally acclaimed architect Rachaporn Choochuey. The bright orange canopy will be made from layers of bespoke nets and architectural fabrics and will be covered in a tech-forward, lightweight waterproof membrane made by French manufacturer Serge Ferrari. This groundbreaking mesh is as transparent as glass but 10 times lighter, allowing light to filter through the membrane while keeping punters under the canopy dry. Photograph: all(zone) “After being confined for such a long time, we began the project with the idea of celebrating ‘outdoor living’," says Choochuey. "We visualised rays of light flickering through layers of leaves that give a very relaxing ambience — like being under a big tree. We wanted MPavilion to be a place where people could meet, enjoy and live in the moment freely." "In a world where we increasingly encounter a shortage of resources and ever-changing social conditions, the lifespan of architecture in relation to its materiality should be reinvestigated. The intent of our design for MPavilion is to explore the potential of architecture to embrace a lighter and more casual spirit, and become even more sustainable and engaging.” Choochuey's design continues All(zone)'s work playing with transparency and light, an