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What’s new? And what to do? 9 October 2023

MelbourningBy Updated:No Comments10 Mins Read

 I subscribe to all the things so you don’t have to. This is a curated list of what’s been announced over the past week so you can save the date, or swoop on tickets, and also a list of what’s coming up soon if you’re looking to make last-minute plans.

What’s new?

Major Titanic exhibition heading to Melbourne Museum

More than 200 artefacts recovered from the famed Titanic are set to captivate audiences across Melbourne, with the TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition taking over Melbourne Museum for an Australian exclusive. 

The immersive exhibition will run from 16 December 2023 to 14 April 2024, direct from sold-out seasons in Paris and the USA. It is the world’s preeminent Titanic exhibition, affiliated with RMS Titanic – the only company permitted by law to recover artefacts from the wreckage. 

The Wicked musical is coming to Melbourne in March

The hit Broadway musical Wicked is headed to the Regent Theatre in March. You can join the waitlist now – tickets go on sale on 20 October.

Marysville Music Weekend lineup announced

The full lineup for this year’s Marysville Music Weekend – to be held from 24-26 November – has been announced. Kate Ceberano, William Crighton, Frank Sultana and Cats Eager head a bill full of Americana, blues, folk and classic Oz rock. Tickets are on sale now.

25th anniversary Riverdance tour headed down under

The critically acclaimed Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show has been touring the world since 2020, enjoying sold-out runs in the US, UK, Dubai, and a triumphant return to Dublin, Ireland in 2022 and 2023, setting new records. It will be coming to Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on 6-8 April 2024.

2024 Tent Pole Musical Jamboree announced

Tent Pole: A Musical Jamboree will return to Victoria’s Mt Duneed Estate on Saturday, 17 February 2024. The lineup will feature Dinosaur Jr. Mogwai, Calexico and Cash Savage and the Last Drinks.

Aussie legend Ian Moss bringing his tour to Victoria

Mossy is bringing his Rivers Run Dry tour to a whole bunch of places across the state over the next few months:

  • Friday 27 October 2023 – Warrnambool
  • Saturday 28 October 2023 – Hamilton
  • Saturday 4 November 2023 – Bendigo
  • Friday 8 December 2023 – Wangaratta
  • Saturday 9 December 2023 – Swan Hill
  • Friday 15 December 2023 – Sale
  • Saturday 16 December 2023 – Traralgon
  • Friday 23 February 2024 – Frankston
  • Saturday 24 February 2024 – Geelong
  • Friday 12 April 2024 – Wendouree
  • Friday 19 April 2024 – Mildura

Save the date for these:

What to do?

Never mind the naysayers, Melbourne is not dead! Here’s a round-up of things happening in and around Melbourne this weekend and over the next few weeks:

  • The skies above the Birrarung Marr come alive with Sky Symphony, an extraordinary sound and light installation from 11-15 October. 
  • The Melbourne Dog Lover’s Festival is on at Jeff’s Shed from 13 to 15 October. 
  • The Finders Keepers Melbourne/Naarm Spring/Summer markets are on at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton from 13 to 15 October 
  • The Pregnancy, Babies and Childrens Expo is on at Jeff’s Shed from 13 to 15 October 
  • The Beaumaris Modernist Festival is being held on 13-15 October 
  • Catch Disney Princess – the Concert live on stage on Saturday 14 October,performed by Broadway stars, at the Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. 
  • The community of Rochester is preparing for ROCHELLA – an epic day of live music, food, family fun and more in the name of recovery and resilience. At the Rochester Recreation Reserve on Saturday 14 October.
  • Australian Mushrooms and The Australian Mushroom Growers’ Association will be hosting their first Mushroom Festival at Queen Victoria Market on 14-15 October. 
  • The Melbourne Meccano Club’s annual exhibition showcasing the work of its members is on Saturday 14 October in Gardenvale. 
  • Meander through the hidden gems of the Yarra Valley with two days of wine-tasting, live music, delicious bites and stunning scenery over a dozen participating family-run wineries at the Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries Shed Fest, on 14 and 15 October.
  • Enjoy a rare insight into the private creative spaces of local artists at the Banyule Open Studios on 14-15 October.  Art forms on display include installation, performance, video, photography, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery, drawing, painting, printmaking, mosaics, textile and fibre art.
  • There will be a melting pot culinary flavours to sample as the Dandenong Market holds its Street Feast event on Saturday 14 October and carefully curates Melbourne’s finest street food traders, creating a mouthwatering medley of tastes, flavours, aromas, and cultures. 
  • The Whitehorse Spring Festival is on Sunday 15 October. The theme for the festival this year is “Let’s Play” and celebrates the community coming together and having fun through play. 
  • Australia’s premier marathon festival – the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival – is on 15 October.
  • The Knox Stringybark Festival is a free community event celebrating homegrown creativity, sustainability, education, play and all things local. It’s on 15 October in Rowville.
  • Banyule’s annual “Breakfast with the Birds” is on 15 October, featuring a guided walk with bird sighting, breakfast and refreshments. Breakfast with the Birds Tickets, Sun 15/10/2023 at 7:00 am | Eventbrite
  • Shantaram: the Journey from Punishment to Peace is a free immersive exhibition at Pentridge Prison until 15 October. Experience the captivating story of Gregory David Roberts, the renowned author of Shantaram and former inmate who transformed his life from punishment to peace.
  • Head up to Silvan for the annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival, until 15 October. More than a million flowering spring bulbs are on show. There’s also live entertainment, delicious food and more. 
  • The Chinese Museum presents Dusk Till Dawn – 14 Nights at the Museum as part of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.  Suitable for young and old, including families looking to experience Chinese culture – it runs until 15 October. 
  • Experience wonder, joy and boundless curiosity with Geelong Arts Centre’s Wonder Children’s Festival! From 16 – 21 October, immerse your little ones aged up to 12 years, in an incredible lineup of free and ticketed events!
  • The Greek Film Festival is being held at the Astor Theatre and the Palace Cinema Como from 19-29 October.
  • Join the Astronomical Society of Victoria at a stargazing evening at Westerfolds Park, Templestowe on Friday 20 October. ASV astronomers will be on hand with telescopes and demonstrators.
  • Junipalooza Melbourne – the hottest ticket in the Australian gin scene – is on at the Melbourne Showgrounds from 20-22 October.  Featuring dozens of gin makers in one room who you can meet and sample from.
  • The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix 2023 is on at Phillip Island from 20 to 22 October. /
  • The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is on 20-29 October.
  • Down the hills and round the bends of the Dandenong Ranges is where you will find Thomas and his engine friends this October, with the return of a Day Out With Thomas at Puffing Billy Railway’s Lakeside Station. From 20-29 October.
  • Pinot Palooza – a celebration of Pinot Noir – is back after an 18 month hiatus, with a lineup of pinot noir producers from Australia, New Zealand and beyond. It’s on at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton on 20 and 21 October.
  • Join in festivities, fun and frothies at Oktoberfest in the Gardens on Saturday 21 October, Catani Gardens St Kilda.
  • Join in the Heathmont Centenary Celebration on Saturday 21 October at Heathmont Village Shopping Centre as part of the Centenary celebration of Heathmont’s naming 1923-2023.
  • The inaugural Westie Beer Festie hosted by Old Habits CBW is on at the Werribee South Marina on Saturday 21 October.
  • Melbourne’s long-anticipated Monopoly theme park finally has an opening date. Monopoly Dreams will open at Melbourne Central on 21 October 2023.
  • Experience the  Art in the Vines Sculpture Exhibition at Hanging Rock Winery. Wander through a trail of contemporary outdoor sculpture and see more than 20 artworks from Australia’s most highly-acclaimed sculptors. It opens on 21 October and runs until 30 April 2024.
  • Merri-Bek council is celebrating the re-development of Fleming Park in Brunswick East with a family fun day at 10am-12pm on Saturday 21 October.
  • The Round She Goes Market is a curated event for women’s vintage and pre-loved fashion. It’s on at the Coburg Town Hall on Sunday 22 October.
  • The 20th annual Somers Art Fair is on Sunday 22 October.
  • The popular family friendly outdoor event at Werribee Park, the Children’s Week Picnic is back again on Sunday 22 October.
  • The 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival runs until 22 October with three massive weeks of comedy, cabaret, theatre and more from independent artists. 
  • nightshifts – a contemporary art exhibition that considers the importance of solitude is on display at the Buxton Contemporary Art Museum until 29 October. The exhibition shifts in and out of focus like a dreamscape and features works from the Michael Buxton and University of Melbourne collections alongside new commissions.
  • A series of five exciting free fashion displays will be popping up around the city until 29 October, creating a buzz in the lead up to and during Melbourne Fashion Week. 
  • Catch the Archibald Prize Exhibition at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Art Gallery until 5 November. 
  • “Smells Like A Song” an improvised musical performed by the Impro Melbourne players who pull an entire musical together out of thin air and audience suggestions. Playing various Friday nights until 10 November. 
  • The immersive Friends experience is on in Docklands until 26 November. Recreate your favourite scenes and celebrate some of the most iconic moments from the beloved sitcom at this truly unique interactive experience. 
  • Elvis: A Musical Revolution is on at the Athenaeum Theatre until 26 November, celebrating the life and music of Elvis Presley and featuring more than 40 iconic songs.
  • Mamma Mia the musical featuring 22 of ABBA’s greatest has opened at the Princess Theatre and runs until 3 December
  • Moulin Rouge the Musical has returned to the Regent Theatre, running until 24 December. Get your tickets here.
  • Consisting of over 850,000 items, a significant portion of the Australian Performing Arts Collection (APAC) is now available to the public via behind-the-scenes tours of the Collections Store, located at Hamer Hall. Tours are on Sundays until 31 December.
  • The Castlemaine Art Museum will present an exhibition of the finalists in the 2023 Experimental Print Prize, running until 28 January 2024.
  • Relics: A New World Rises at the Melbourne Museum runs until 28 January. Set in a future long after humanity’s reign, RELICS tells the story of a world where LEGO® minifigures have risen from the debris to craft intricate civilisations in discarded human artefacts, each one inspired by the object they now call home.
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