Nicola Dowse

Dreaming of your next island getaway? Check in and fully check out by booking a stay at one of Australia’s most dreamy resorts and lodges. These postcard-worthy destinations offer more than just a place to stay; they’re where you can connect with the very best of Australian culture, take in our country’s most stunning landscapes and embark on some of the nation’s top bucket list experiences. You can soak up the scenes from an outdoor bathtub in the Kimberley wilderness, get up close to wildlife from a fancy suite at Canberra’s zoo, relax at a secluded hilltop escape on the Tasmanian coast, or swim in crystal clear waters at a private island resort on the Great Barrier Reef. Here are all the resorts and lodges to book for your next Australian getaway.  ✨ The best luxury hotels in Australia🤩 Australia's hottest new hotel openings🌏 All the best places to visit in Australia

Long gone are the days when caravan parking was reserved for the Aussiest of ockers. Caravan parks are having a bit of a revival with their swanky done-up cabins and powered sites for the humble mobile home. Whether camping beachfront is a little bit of you, or you’re looking for a scenic detour from your Great Ocean Road adventure, these caravan parks around Australia are pulling out all the stops. 🌞 The best family-friendly resorts in Australia🚘 All the best day trips to take from every capital city⛺️ The best and cheapest camping spots in Australia

If you think the main streets of Melbourne are passé, we've got good news: you can traverse a good part of the CBD via hidden laneways and thoroughfares without ever setting foot on a street in the Hoddle Grid.  But with more than 40 laneways and arcades in Melbourne, how can you efficiently distinguish the coolest ones from the ones filled with garbage? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Whether you're entertaining out-of-towners or keen to revisit some old favourites, consult this guide to the best laneways and arcades in Melbourne. Get out there and poke your head around corners to find graffiti-laden lanes filled with boutique shops, high-end restaurants and a few dozen hidden bars. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Plus, here's where to find the best street art in Melbourne.

Victoria is home to natural wonders galore, including many that exist beneath our feet. Our state's cave systems are filled with everything from limestone stalactites to phosphorus glow worms, and offer a quiet change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of city living. These serene, subterranean spaces make for a great day trip – after all, who doesn't want to feel like they've stumbled on an otherwordly grotto? So if you're feeling adventurous, go underground and discover some of Victoria's coolest caves. Prefer to venture forth above ground? These are the best day trips from Melbourne. Plus, check out these 12 epic day hikes.

It's hard to remember a time when there weren't super-fun puzzle rooms throughout Melbourne, but can you believe the first one only opened in 2014?! Now there are escape rooms scattered right across the city, covering everything from haunted houses to a zombie apocalypse. Yes, they really do cater to all manner of phobias and fears. Luckily for anyone feeling nervous (or jsut after some insider tips), the Time Out team took on the challenge of visiting as many escape rooms as possible – but did we make it out? You'll just have to read on to find out... Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for more city news, straight to your inbox. Need a drink to calm the nerves? These are the best bars in Melbourne. After something a little less stressful? Discover the best places to play mini golf in Melbourne. 

Camping is a fantastic way to get out into nature and relax, but the traditional tent-pitching method isn't for everyone. If the idea of lugging a whole heap of camping gear around sounds like the opposite of a fun time, then glamping is definitely the answer. There's a number of businesses around Victoria that provide spacious, comfortable and (importantly) already set-up tents for folks to hire out.  Amenities can vary from site to site, but glamping tents often entail everything from proper beds and gourmet hampers to air-con and full plumbing. Whether your ideal outdoor getaway involves exploring gorgeous gardens, waking up to ocean views or even glamping at a zoo, there's something for everyone on this list.  For more fun getaway options, check out these quirky Airbnbs in country Victoria. Or treat yourself to a stay at one of the best luxury hotels in Melbourne.

While we may not be as well-known for our sandy shores as some other cities (cough *Sydney* cough), we've still got a couple of solid options that have have Melburnians flocking – towel, hat and beach cricket set in hand – when the weather heats up.  So in the name of research, we've beach-hopped across the city to find the best spots where you can soak up the sun, sand and surf. Whether you're into 'grammable locations, secluded gems or somewhere you can partake in water sports (Melbourne editor, Leah Glynn, is a big fan of stand-up paddle boarding at St Kilda Beach), these are our picks of the best beaches in Melbourne. Keen to eat beachside? Here are Melbourne's finest waterfront restaurants. Want to hit the beach, sans clothing? These are Melbourne's best nudist beaches.

Melbourne is blessed with a wealth of theatres, from the grand old dames like the Princess Theatre to the kooky hidden gems like the Motley Bauhaus; no city in Australia can lay claim to as many in as good a condition as ours. But inside those venues, not all seats are created equal. Sure, there are some shows so spectacular and unmissable you’d happily sit anywhere, but most experiences in the theatre can be augmented by the best seats in the house. And occasionally ruined by the worst. So, without further ado, we give them to you. RECOMMENDED: How to score cheap theatre tickets in Melbourne.

The Sunshine Coast truly does have it all – sparkling beaches, peaceful national parks, exhilarating adventures and delicious dining. This tourist haven in Queensland stretches from the super-chill beach town of Caloundra through the resorts and national parks of Noosa, all the way up to the postcard-perfect Great Sandy National Park.  Adventurous travellers flock here to swim in the wild with whales and go hiking in rainforests – but there’s no need to work up a sweat if you’re here to wind down. You can also explore the region’s food trails, hunt for treasures at charming markets or enjoy a sunset dinner with an ocean view. Dive into our guide on the best things to do on the Sunshine Coast right now. ☀️ The best things to do in Noosa🍹 All the greatest restaurants on the Sunshine Coast🌴 Australia's top beach towns in Australia

At the feverish heights of the Victorian Gold Rush, Ballarat was considered the richest city in the world. While more than 150 years have passed since those heady days of yore, it remains a magnetic place to visit for weekender tourists and seachange seekers alike. From historic sites, wineries and natural wonders to daring restaurants and buzzing bars, there’s no shortage of treasures to discover in Victoria’s third largest city. The last few years in particular have seen a large number of Melburnians make the move out west, with Ballarat's population climbing by almost 6,500 between 2020 and 2023. Thanks to this new wave of young artists, chefs, winemakers, artisan tradespeople, families and professionals, Ballarat today is brimming with more life than ever before.  This itinerary guides you through some of the highlights of the inland city, including where to explore, eat, drink and stay. Whether you’re arriving by car or via the convenient V-Line train, we’ve got your Ballarat getaway sorted. Check out our other weekend getaway guides to South Gippsland, the High Country, the Great Ocean Road and the Mornington Peninsula.

It can be tempting to skip eating before a show, but that's a rookie error. There’s nothing quite as embarrassing as your stomach growling during a particularly silent scene, or being too hungry to appreciate your favourite band. And there’s nothing unusual about wanting to take the edge off your day before the show goes on. Save yourself the pain of having to buy plastic cups of beer or survive on box office peanuts: hit up one of these restaurants or bars before your next show. Spent all your money on the show? Here are some of Melbourne's best cheap eats. 

When you live in a city, you tend to avoid the popular tourist traps and attractions in favour of things that are off the beaten path like hidden bars or secret gardens. And while a lot of tourist attractions are simply money sinks, many of them are popular with visitors for a reason.  That's why we've rounded up 27 experiences that we think are actually worth your while and showcase the best that Melbourne has to offer.  For more inspo, work on your bucket list with 100 things to do in Melbourne before you die, or munch your way through the city with the 50 best restaurants in Melbourne.

They say you should never speak 'Macbeth' while in a theatre, lest you invite tragedy. The cast of the Australian Shakespeare Company's latest foray into the Scottish Play need not worry about that particular superstition, however, as they will be performing William Shakespeare's Macbeth outside in the Royal Botanic Gardens this summer. From January 31 until February 28, Melburnians are invited into the gardens to see the Shakespearean tragedy unfold among the trees. Steeped in witchcraft, murder and the lust for power, Macbeth has become something of a timeless, cautionary tale for those who would blindly and ruthlessly chase ambition.   The Australian Shakespeare Company's production stars Hugh Sexton as Macbeth and Nicole Nabout as the real power behind the throne, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is being held at night on the Royal Botanic Gardens' Southern Cross Lawn, to take advantage of the balmy summer evenings.  In the words of Australian Shakespeare Company artistic director Glenn Elston, Macbeth’s “themes of power, politics, and corruption remain as prevalent today as they did 400 years ago”. The play runs for an hour and 50 minutes, including an intermission. You’re encouraged to make yourself comfortable by bringing blankets, cushions, beanbags or camping chairs. Limited chair hire is also available for $5, while A reserve tickets come with pre-allocated low-rise chairs. Find out more and get tickets over at the Australian Shakespeare Company website. After more must-see s

One of the northside’s favourite food markets is throwing a giant fiesta this November. After a five-year hiatus, Preston Market will once again host Latin Day – a celebration of all things Latin American. The free, one-day festival has lined up loads of family-friendly activities, traditional entertainment and food to ensure all visitors have a bueno día. There’s no passport needed for this international adventure: countries represented in the day’s events include Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia and more. Colourful Brazilian samba dancers will take to the stage just like a real Carnivale and salsa dancers will put on a show that's truly fuego. Plus, a three-piece mariachi band will bring plenty of musical fun to the event that will get crowds moving.  And of course, expect to feast on authentic Latin American dishes like Brazilian barbecue, Colombian pandebono, churros, Venezuelan pastelitos and tequenos and lots more delicious and authentic fare.  So for a fun-filled day that's free to attend, head to Latin Day on Sunday, November 17 at the Preston Market from 10am to 3pm. Find out more here. Looking for more things to do? Here is what's on this week in Melbourne. 

After a few location changes, Lost and Found have settled into Fitzroy's Brunswick Street. Vintage lovers across Melbourne lust after Lost and Found, a huge 900 sqm cavern of pure vintage heaven drawing in second-hand fans like moths to a flame. There's clothes of course (men and women), as well as furniture, books, lights, toys, records and bric a brac. In many ways, a trip to Lost and Found is like an inadvertent visit to the Lost Dogs Home: it's packed with precious little things hoping for a warm, loving home. Maybe you weren’t expecting to leave with a fuzzy orange armchair, but you really didn’t have a choice, did you? Just like back in the good old days there's no online shopping available, so you'll have to go into the store to find your next retro treasure.  Love hunting for special secondhand pieces? Here are the best vintage shops in Melbourne. 

Younger Melburnians have fond memories of Scienceworks. It's not surprising – the interactive science and technology museum is geared towards getting children excited about science through first-hand experiences. But that doesn't mean that grown-ups can't get in on the excitement too.  There are guided tours, changing exhibitions, demonstrations and special activities daily. The Planetarium, with its huge domed ceiling replicating the night sky, is always a huge hit. On Friday nights the planetarium transforms into a domed cinema for adults, with films transporting viewers to outer space, coral reefs and black holes. You can even set yourself up with a sneaky drink to accompany your film.  For a shocking experience check out the lightning room shows – there's nothing like man-made thunderbolts to make science fun. Over in the Sportsworks exhibit kids can try to beat Cathy Freeman or try out what it's like to snowboard. Scienceworks is also an autism friendly museum with social scripts and maps showing high and low sensory spaces in the museum available on their website.  Have a curious mind? These are the best museums in Melbourne. 

For those unfamiliar with Clothing the Gaps, the social enterprise was started by Aboriginal health professionals with the aim of improving the life expectancy of First Nations people across Australia (where there remains a significant gap between the life expectancies of non Indigenous and Indigenous people in Australia). Now, Clothing the Gaps has grown so much that it’s had to expand its operations, opening a retail store in December 2020. “We’re really excited to have what we call a 'Blak shop' and that we’re able to create that street front visibility,” says Thompson. The store is a modern space where you can discover Clothing the Gaps' range of products, such as hats, jumpers, accessories and T-shirts, all of which are created with purpose and to start conversations. Unlike online, the retail store will also be a number of seconds and sample items, with Thompson encouraging everyone to visit in person. “Have the experience of what a Blak shop looks and feels like and to have those conversations in-person about what the T-shirts represent.” Shoppers will notice symbols on products to indicate which items can be worn by anyone (“ally friendly”) and which products have been designed specifically for First Nations people to wear (“mob only”). Thomspon adds: “The other important thing is that if someone is wearing a ‘not the date to celebrate’ T-shirt and there are no Aboriginal people at the barbecue or on the beach that day, those conversations are still happening in our a

Smash Splash comes basically as advertised. It’s a venue where you can smash things, or you can splash things, namely paint. The 20-minute splash sessions give you the chance to get messy and splatter a room with paint.  After suiting up, up to three people enter the splash room where you can paint the walls red, blue, green or whatever colour. Smash Splash provides paint balloons which you can throw or smash at the wall with a bat, or you can go old-school and just use brushes or your hands to get creative. You can play your choice of music while splashing away plus you’ll have the chance to photograph your masterpiece once finished. The venue also operates as a break room, a place where you can go and (safely) destroy things to vent a little steam. You can throw glassware, smash items with baseball bats and sledgehammers, and really work out your repressed rage in a healthy way. All protective gear is provided and Smash Splash provides a special selection of items (like TVs) you can purchase to smash. RECOMMENDED: How to let off steam in Melbourne with these alternative stress relief activities.

You’ve had lunch by the river, now try lunch on the river. GoBoat is an electric boat hire service currently running in Melbourne that makes it super easy to have picnics at sea (well, a river in this case). GoBoat’s five-metre-long boats seat up to eight people and don’t need a boating licence to operate. The best part? They come equipped with a built-in wooden picnic table in the middle of the boat. The boats are pretty darn environmentally friendly as well. GoBoats are designed and built in Denmark (which is where they first launched) from recycled PET bottles and salvaged timber. They’re powered by super quiet electric motors and are easy to drive. Would-be salty sea dogs can hop aboard from GoBoat's berths at Sandridge Wharf on Southbank. Looking for must-do activities in Melbourne? Check out this list of the 100 best things to do. 

Inside what was once was an old medical centre on Brunswick’s busy Sydney Road is a warm, inviting space lined with shelves of books and magazines. It’s not a library, though. In fact, one look at these books would likely make a librarian faint. Because these printed works aren’t for reading – they’re here to be snipped, sliced and torn up to be turned into artworks as part of Melbourne’s first studio dedicated to collage. That Paper Joint is a purpose-built and sustainable studio all about paper collage, running workshops to get people cutting and pasting together their own masterpieces. The venue is run by Maximillian Malone and Zoe Crook, who have made a hybrid space that’s part art studio and part creative workshop. “'Joining people through paper’ is the motto here,” says Malone. “Collage can be quite an introverted, diary-like and sentimental process, but we really want to create a super fun, exciting place for people to sit alongside one another creating in small, intimate groups.” Malone comes from a background in art design and like many, used his time in Melbourne’s lockdowns to reconsider what he wanted to do in life. “I've always felt creative [but] not necessarily had the natural talents to paint or draw,” he says. “What I've always found fascinating about collage is that you can create something amazing in a matter of minutes. Or you can spend a lot of time and hunt for interesting materials and build something over a number of weeks.” The threshold for engaging

Op shops in Melbourne are as common as sleeve tatts on baristas. But Swop is a little different to your standard Salvos or Vinnies. The store styles itself as a clothing exchange, a place where you can buy great-quality, fashionable second-hand clothes as well as drop off clothes for cash or Swop store credit. So far it sounds basically the same as an op shop, right? The difference is that the stock in Swop is curated – you can’t drop off any old clothing (take that to your regular op shop). Swop only accepts vintage and current season items that are in good condition and (most importantly) not fast fashion. Unlike some second-hand boutiques where you have to wait for the clothes to sell to get paid, Swop will reimburse you on the spot (keep in mind the store will only buy items between 10am and 4pm). If you're looking to sell your pre-loved pieces, you can walk-in or book to make an appointment online.  Looking for more retail therapy? These are the best vintage shops in Melbourne. 

While the capital cities have Mardi Gras and Midsumma, out in regional Victoria, Daylesford has ChillOut. The festival is Australia's premier and longest running regional LGBTQIA+ pride festival, taking place on the March long weekend every year.  This year the theme is 'Boots and Bling', and we can picture all the glittery cowboy-esque cozzies. The festival will host more than 50 fabulous events, with drag queen darling Courtney Act headlining. Highlights of the five-day celebration include the iconic pride street parade, multiple massive dance parties complete with drag queen stars and DJs, a pool party and a community carnival. The ChillOut festival has been going for more than two decades thanks to the work of its parent organisation, also called ChillOut. The festival aims to reduce homophobia in regional schools and groups as well as instil a sense of pride throughout the community regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Thousands of people are expected to flock to Daylesford for the celebrations, so if you're keen to join the party, check out the full program and book tickets here.  Looking for queer parties in Melbourne? Here are the best gay bars in the city. 

Piccolina Gelateria is a cute pastel green gelato shop sitting pretty on Smith Street, Collingwood. They’re just up from Gelato Messina, but a little competition never hurt anyone. They don’t have the cultish following of Messina, but their gelato is just as tasty. Plus it’s made in the traditional Italian way and with natural ingredients. All flavours are made from scratch – everything from jam to nut butters to chocolate sauce. They’ve also got four vegan gelato flavours to try: passionfruit, strawberry, lemon and chocolate brownie. If you find yourself in Hawthorn you can also pick up some gelato from their Glenferrie Road store. Season three of Piccolina's much anticipated The Piccolina Gelato Project has just begun, an 8-week collaboration with some of Melbourne's most exciting chefs. Until August 15 2023, the gelateria will churn out 24 limited edition flavours, showcasing each chef's culinary ethos, creative flair and style of cuisine. Expect plenty of whimsical combos throughout the weekly menu rotation, with unconventional ingredients and fresh new takes on everyone's favourite ice cream.  Taste creations from Ross Magnaye (Serai), Nornie Bero (Mabu Mabu), Charlie Snadden-Wilson (Clover), chef and food writer Ella Mittas, Nagesh Seethian (Manzé), Ellie Bouhadana (Hope St Radio), Coskan Uysal (Tulum) and Brigitte Hafner (Tedesca Osteria). To find out which flavours are available this week, visit Piccolina or check out the website.

It's been a hot minute since Lorde last graced Australian shores, but the wait is almost over. Lorde's rescheduled Solar Power tour brings her to Sydney this month (Mar 13-14) to showcase her distinct pop ballads at the Aware Super Theatre at the ICC Sydney. While Lorde may have burst onto the scene with a dark and almost melancholic style of pop with Pure Heroine and Melodrama, the star's Solar Power album is more sanguine. Lorde has said: "The album is a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalising the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors. In times of heartache, grief, deep love or confusion, I look to the natural world for answers. I’ve learnt to breathe out, and tune in. This is what came through.” See Lorde as part of her Solar Power tour in Sydney on March 13 and 14, 2023. Want an affordable bite to eat on your way to the theatre? Here's our guide to the best cheap eats in Sydney.

The Easter long weekend is approaching, and a good proportion of Sydneysiders will find themselves on the road this weekend. To spice up the journey, you might want to consider making a detour via one of our state’s big things – the absurd novelty sculptures scattered across NSW and beyond. Australia is home to more than 150 “big things”, and around a third of them are here in NSW – making ours, arguably, the patron state of oversized sculptures. To bring a little brightness to your weekend away, we’ve rounded up five of our favourites. 1. The Big Merino Photograph: Mattinbgn | Wikimedia Commons   Location: Goulburn, NSW The story: Like many big things, the Big Merino is a testament to the prime industries of its locale. Goulburn is known for its wool industry, and the giant Merino ram was built in 1985 and modelled after a stud ram of the time called Rambo. After the Goulburn bypass was completed in the early 1990s, the sculpture became cut off from the bulk of the Hume Highway’s traffic – consequently, the Big Merino was moved almost a kilometre in 2007 to make it more accessible to passing travellers. The Big Merino also has a gift shop where you can buy locally grown wool items.  Relative size: The Big Merino is 15.2 metres high, 18 metres long and weighs 97 tonnes. Your standard Merino ram is around 1 metre tall and 80 to 100 kilograms, making the Big Merino 15 times larger and around 970 times heavier than the real thing. Realism: Pretty good! This big woolly boy real

ICYMI, the Queen Victoria Market precinct is undergoing a major redevelopment (a fancy food hall just opened) and now you find a cosy nook to devour a good book there too, as a brand new community library is now open to the public.   The Narrm Ngarrgu (meaning 'Melbourne knowledge' in Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung language) library is part of a $500 million development on Therry Street, and it's the first new library in the City of Melbourne in the last decade. Three floors of the building make up the 3,100m2 library, including a dedicated children's library with unique carpet artwork designed by Aboriginal artist Maree Clark.    Photograph: Supplied   The $15.7 million state-of-the-art facility also has a family services centre (with maternal health consulting rooms and a playgroup area), podcast and audio recording studios, event spaces, meeting rooms and a creative makers' hub complete with 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines and paint booths. It's pretty much a one-stop shop for community services.  Melburnians can enjoy more than 80 heritage and never-before-seen artworks throughout the building, as well as a rooftop terrace featuring lush lawn areas, native plants and stunning views of the market precinct.  "Using the lure of literature, we’re attracting more city workers and residents to the Queen Victoria Market precinct – with a library, community spaces and essential family services in the heart of the city," said Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp. "We’re expec

Melburnians will soon have an extra transport option to zip around the city. From February 1, Melbourne is teaming up with Lime and Neuron Mobility to provide residents and tourists with 1,500 e-scooters to ride on.  The e-scooter rollout is part of a one-year trial that will place the vehicles in three inner-city council areas: Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip. Should it prove successful, the trial could  be extended.  The new low-emission e-scooters can travel up to 20km per hour and can be accessed via the Lime and Neuron apps, similar to how you might hire a Lime e-bike. The vehicles can be used in bike lanes, shared paths and low-speed roads but not on footpaths – riders also must wear a helmet while riding and give way to pedestrians on shared paths.  Photograph: Supplied / Lime Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp said: "The trial will provide another fun new way to get to your next meeting, meet people after work or explore our stunning city." "It’s going to be exciting seeing flashes of neon orange and green on our streets, and we can’t wait to see people safely scooting about." The Lime and Neuron e-scooters begin rolling out across Melbourne from February 1. This grocery (and RAT) service can deliver your order in just 15 minutes.

In 2016, Carlton lost one of its oldest buildings when two developers illegally demolished the Corkman Irish Pub (formerly the Carlton Inn). While we can't bring the pub itself back, we can remember it with a new public artwork memorialising the 160-year-old pub.  'Distant Things Appear Suddenly Near' is a new public art commission from Melbourne city council that recreates the façade of the Corkman hotel. Created by Irish artist, Sean Lynch, who says the artwork directly speaks to the notorious demolition of the building. "'Distant Things Appear Suddenly Near' places an emphasis on objects and understandings of spaces that have been marginalised in the continued growth of the contemporary city," said Lynch. The work also interweaves elements of another pubic work (specifically Hossein Valamanesh’s 'Faultline') and has an accompanying voiceover. The public work will live for the next 18 months at University Square in Carlton, just around the corner from where the pub itself once stood.  Here are more public artworks that you should know around Melbourne.  

Travelling into the Melbourne CBD is about to get a lot cheaper, with the state government giving away 250,000 free public transport vouchers this summer. To encourage people back into the city over the festive season and summer holidays, 50,000 public transport vouchers are up for grabs across five event categories. Those categories include Christmas, performing arts, galleries and attractions, dining, and shopping.  The vouchers are available from the PTV website from Thursday, December 16. Those successful in securing a voucher simply need to show it to staff when entering or exiting their station (or if stopped by a ticket inspector) while travelling on the valid voucher date. Vouchers can be used from December 18 onwards. Even if you miss out on a free travel voucher, you can still take advantage of free public transport across the network on Christmas Day and on New Year's Eve. The free holiday travel periods run from 3am December 25 to 3am December 26, and from 6pm December 31 until 6am on January 1. No special ticket is required on metro transport, simply don't use your Myki during those periods. If you're catching a V/Line service you'll still need to make a free booking to secure a spot. Metro trains and most trams will run all night on New Year's Eve as well. It's not all good news, however, with metro public transport fares increasing an average of 2.3 per cent from January 1, 2022. That rise means that daily fares in zone 1, zone 2 and zone 1 and 2, will be 20 ce

Circus Oz has announced today that it will cease operating following a poll that had company members reject reforms laid out in a government review.  Over the last two years, Circus Oz has undergone an internal assessment that looked at different artistic and business models that would allow the company to prosper, support performers and the art form, and entertain audiences. A vision to achieve these goals was confirmed by the Circus Oz board. This year, Circus Oz underwent an independent review commissioned jointly by Creative Victoria and the Australia Council for the Arts. This review highlighted "systemic issues holding back the company" and asked for certain reforms to be made (such as broadening membership criteria and introducing an entirely skills-based board) if Circus Oz wanted to continue to receive public funding.  Following this, Circus Oz company members (a body that is made up mostly of former Circus Oz employees) were anonymously polled to indicate whether they would support the proposed reforms. The poll indicated that a formal vote to accept the reforms would fail – meaning the company would lose vital government funding, leading to the decision to close Circus Oz for good after more than 40 years of operation. Circus Oz was launched in 1977 and had only recently announced its first show post-lockdown, an innovative city-wide production called Everything but the Circus. The board has released a statement stating: "After surviving the pandemic challenges and

The Earth’s environmental issues have been given the back seat in the face of the current coronavirus pandemic and after years of discouraging single-use items, they’ve made a roaring, necessitous comeback in the form of masks, face shields and gloves.  But UK designer Alice Potts is proving that the two issues can work together, creating 'Dance Biodegradable Personal Protective Equipment (DBPPE) Post Covid Facemasks', a series of 20 “fully degradable” face shields out of sustainable bioplastics as part of the blockbuster NGV Triennial exhibition. While the face shields really capture the 2020 zeitgeist, they aren’t what Potts originally planned to present for the blockbuster exhibition. Potts was approached to take part in the Triennial prior to lockdown, and the idea was that she’d present one of her sweat crystallisation works – where she turns literal sweat into crystals and crystalline objects. “Then Covid happened and I think that changed everyone’s work and everyone’s practice,” says Potts. “I had a massive fear that if I used people’s sweat and crystallised it, would Covid still be able to survive as a crystal?” With that in mind, Potts turned her attention to the bioplastics elements of her practice – material that looks and feels like plastic but is made out of organic matter like algae and seaweed (and in Potts’s case, made from discarded food waste). “I made it a challenge for myself, to develop materials with all the restrictions that were going on. So the [UK's]

Subscriptions are out but performances are back on at Malthouse Theatre, with the company shifting to a new model for its 2022 season. Those keenly awaiting the annual season launch are out of luck, with Malthouse moving away from disclosing all its secrets at once in favour of rolling production announcements throughout the year – the first of which have just been revealed.  In 2022, Malthouse presents ten new Australian productions, shepherded in by the company's summer outdoor stage program that's on from now until April. Lockdown-proof, digital productions that have been in the works while theatres were shut in 2021 are also in the works, including a massive, user-friendly and innovative archive of Malthouse's history called M Stories and an incredibly in-depth and interactive digital version of Because the Night that essentially turns the watershed production into a video game that can be played anywhere with an internet connection. Photograph: Supplied / TS Publicity That's before we even get to the indoor, in-real-life productions that are planned, the first of which is comedy Stay Woke (Feb 25-Mar 13) by Aran Thangaratnam. The work revolves around brothers Niv and Sai, who head off on a ski trip hoping to resolve their lifelong rivalry. But the holiday chit-chat turns political, with Sai's girlfriend Kate ending up in the middle of it. Malthouse artistic director, Matthew Lutton, calls Stay Woke an "astonishingly good and addictive comedy", with the work featuring G

Melbourne's annual New Year's Eve midnight fireworks have a little competition this year. To help ring out 2021, Melbourne is hosting Australia's largest ever drone display, with 350 drones taking to the sky to wow audiences with a dazzling aerial performance.  The seven-minute drone swarm will take place over Dockland's Victoria Harbour twice on New Year's Eve, before both the 9.30pm and midnight fireworks displays. Melbourne lord mayor, Sally Capp, said: "With 350 drones lighting up the sky – this will be one of the first drone shows of this scale to ever take place in the southern hemisphere." The show comes from international drone art organisation Celestial, which has previously provided a drone performance for Edinburgh's 2020 New Year's Eve celebrations, as well as for Amnesty International's 60th anniversary. Take a look at the Edinburgh performance below to get a sense of the scale and spectacle of the Melbourne event.  Melbourne will once again instate ticketed celebration zones for the New Year's Eve displays, with zones planned in Alexandra Gardens, Docklands, Flagstaff Gardens and Treasury Gardens. These areas will feature family-friendly entertainment, food trucks, music and amenities, and you must be fully vaccinated to attend.  The New Year's Eve Street Feasts are also back for 2021, with eight precincts around Melbourne (including in Russell Place, Cohen Place and at Fed Square) to host food pop-ups from favourite local restaurants as well as live musi

Renowned Australian entertainer Bert Newton will be honoured by Melbourne's east end theatre district tonight in memory of his contribution to the city's performing arts community. At 7.30pm on Thursday, November 11, some of Melbourne's most famous theatres will dim their lights for one minute as a tribute to Newton. The dimming of the lights is a tradition reserved only for those who've gone above and beyond in contributing to the theatre industry, with participating venues (such as the Princess, Regent, Athenaeum and Comedy theatres) unanimous in their decision to grant this honour to Newton.  Born in Fitzroy in 1938, Bert Newton entered the entertainment industry at the age of 15 working for radio station 3XY which was based out of the Princess Theatre. During his career Newton was also part of the great revival of Melbourne's theatre industry, and has performed most of the city's major theatres in productions of Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, The Producers, Annie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Wicked. CEO for the Marriner Group, Jason Marriner, said: "Bert made an enormous contribution to the theatre, and we should be forever grateful that so many of his iconic performances were on the stages of Melbourne’s east end theatres.” A state funeral service for Bert Newton AM MBE will be held at St Patrick's Cathedral in East Melbourne on Friday, November 12 and will be live-streamed. 

If you've been hankering to see the full mammoth magical production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne, you better book your tickets ASAP. From March 27 2022, the original five-hour, two-part production will close to be replaced by a one-part, reimagined production that will reopen at the Princess Theatre in May.  The one-part, reimagined production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child comes from the play's original creatives, including Jack Thorne, John Tiffany and (of course) J.K. Rowling. Thorne and Tiffany said: "Revisiting the play has been an illuminating process of rediscovery; we challenged ourselves to find a new way to distill our story in the simplest and most truthful way possible." While not as long, the new version still follows the same story, in which audiences return to Hogwarts 19 years after the seventh book ended.  Melbourne isn't the first city to debut the condensed version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, with the Broadway production reopening with the world premiere of the new one-part play on November 16, 2021. Toronto and San Francisco will also host the reimagined play, while the West End and Hamburg productions will continue with the original two-part format.  Those wanting to see the original two-part production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child can book tickets now for performances until March 27, 2022. Tickets for the reimagined one-part play go on sale November 19 for performances from May 2022 – or you can sign up for th

Been missing family and friends in NSW? From November 1, fully vaccinated Victorians can freely travel to Sydney and regional NSW. That means you can hop on a plane or in the car from today and travel to NSW without having to quarantine. Previous to November 1, all Victorians (regardless of vaccination status) were required to spend 14 days in quarantine if entering NSW. However, Victorians aged 16 and over who are not fully vaccinated cannot enter NSW for recreation purposes or a holiday from November 1. All travellers must apply for a permit to enter or re-enter Victoria, with different restrictions in place depending on your vaccination status. From November 1, Victoria (as well as NSW and the ACT) is also allowing fully vaccinated Australian citizens or permanent residents to return from overseas without having to quarantine. You can also depart Australian for international destinations from the same date, so long as you are fully vaccinated and get tested and receive a negative result within 72 hours of your departing flight.  Confused about what's currently open in Melbourne? Here's everything you need to know.