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?
First 15 acts for Queenscliff Music Festival announced
The organisers of the Queenscliff Music Festival have announced the first 15 acts who will be performing at this year’s event on 22-24 November on the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula. Kasey Chambers, Xavier Rudd, Cash Savage & the Last Drinks, Grace Cummings, The Wiggles featuring DJ Dorothy the Dinosaur spinning tunes as part of a set called the Wiggles Sound System and Marlon Williams are some of the acts announced today. They join Michael Franti & Spearhead who was revealed as the headline act for the festival a few weeks back.
Now or Never 2024 program announced
The City of Melbourne’s newest major festival, Now or Never, is set to return this August following its debut last year. The festival will run from Thursday 22 to Sunday 31 August with a program of more than 100 free and ticketed events and sessions exploring art, ideas, sound and technology.
See Roxane Gay in conversation with Jan Fran this August
Revered cultural commentator Roxane Gay returns to Melbourne for one night only to share a decade’s worth of opinions, in conversation with Jan Fran at Melbourne Town Hall on 27 August as part of the Now or Never Festival in conjunction with The Wheeler Centre.
The Teskey Brothers to headline A Day On The Green
The Teskey Brothers are gearing up to headline their inaugural A Day on the Green tour across Australia in January 2025. You can catch them at Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong, on 11 January 2025.
Dan Sultan to perform on Phillip Island
Dan Sultan is one of Australia’s most loved singer-songwriters boasting numerous accolades to his name, including 7 ARIA Awards, NIMA Awards, Top 5 ARIA-charting albums, and an ARIA-certified gold record. He’ll be performing at Berninneit in Cowes on Phillip Island on 22 September.
Dallas Frasca announces new album and tour
Melbourne roots rock icon Dallas Frasca has announced a new upcoming solo album Force of Nature to be released in July, with a huge tour around Australia to accompany it, starting in August.
Snowfalls and fiery cocktails at Rooftop at QT this winter
Cityscape snow shows, specialty cocktails and an inspired winter menu will all feature at The Snow Globe on Rooftop at QT running until 2 September in partnership with Grey Goose Vodka. Revel in the magic of winter as the city’s skyline comes alive in a spectacle of snowflakes, with hourly snow shows from 5pm to late, Thursdays to Sundays.
Troy Hawke to perform new show at The Comedy Theatre in 2025
After a smash-hit, sell-out UK Tour, Troy Hawke – 1930’s throwback greetings and compliments aficionado – returns to theatres around Australia and New Zealand with his brand-new show The Greeters Guild.
Save the date for these
Also just announced:
- The Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) will present the recent acquisition Let’s Shake by the late internationally recognised artist and Palawa woman Karen Casey (1956–2021) from 27 July to 24 November, generously donated by her son Daniel Young in memory of his mother.
- Netball fans will have the chance to see their favourite local and international stars right here in Melbourne, with the final match of the 2024 Constellation Cup International Test Series between the Australian Diamonds and New Zealand Silver Ferns to take place at John Cain Arena on 30 October.
- From glowing desserts and gelato to luminescent beverages, Dessertopia Neon Nights 2024 guarantees a culinary journey that transcends the ordinary – now running until 29 September 2024 at 342 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne.
- Lido Cinema in Hawthorn is hosting a special Q&A screening of the “feral” new Aussie feature film Birdeater with directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir on Saturday 6 July.
- The Victorian Fisheries Authority is hosting a recreational fishing festival in the township of Eildon on Saturday 7 September 2024.
- The Yea Garden Expo on 21-22 September will feature more than 70 vendors with exhibits ranging from bulbs, seeds, seedlings, flowering plants and trees to garden tools and equipment, garden art and ornaments, compost, fertilisers and more.
- The New To You preloved fashion market will be at the Williamstown Town Hall on 18 August.
- With the bluefin tuna season fast approaching, Kisume has released dates for its popular masterclass dedicated to this globally prized fish. On 14, 21 and 28 July their Master Chef leads an interactive showcase, where you’ll indulge in prime tuna cuts fresh from the knife before sitting down to a bespoke five-course menu.
- You should be dancing at the Merri-bek Disco-tek on 25 August at the Brunswick Ballroom, featuring The Avenue Ensemble, DJ Cass, and Host Robert Skinner.
- Held to Dandenong Market from 2-14 July for school holiday activities for kids aged 5 and over. From painting your own Market bag to creating pasta dough and veggie sculptures there’s something to engage every curious mind.
- Arockalypse Now returns to the Westernport Hotel in San Remo for its third year on 3 August with more bands, beers and big bad riffs featuring a huge lineup of bands from Gippsland and Naarm for all fans of explosive live music.
- The Wyndham Learning Festival on 1-7 September is an annual series of events providing free learning activities across the City of Wyndham with activities for all ages and interests.
- Join in as LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne gets taken over by the Play Unstoppable Festival from 29 June to 14 July. Be part of the celebrations and take your imaginations on an adventure of limitless discovery, making new creations that only you could ever dream of!
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 Eynesbury Winter Festival returns 27 June-14 July. Glide across the ice rink or whirl through the new carnival zone and wonderland, while indulging in delicious winter treats Other family-friendly activities include our winter solstice celebration, dedicated kids fun day, night market and food truck festival.
- Grampians winemakers are coming to Melbourne for a one-night event calledGrampians in a Glass, giving you the opportunity to delve into the delights of one of Australia’s most renowned wine regions, as 17 esteemed winemakers from Western Victoria converge on Victoria by Farmer’s Daughter at Federation Square on Thursday 27 June.
- The Great Moscow Circus will be at Port Melbourne from 28 June to 14 July.
- Silvers Circus will is returning to Richmond for the first time in four years from 28 June to 21 July.
- Visit Collins Square’s Queer Art Pop-up Gallery until 28 June and bid on the incredible pieces from Wayde Wiradjuri, an Aboriginal queer artist who uses his own experiences as a person of colour who identifies as gay living in Australia to create stunning and meaningful pieces of art. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Minus18 Foundation; a registered Australian charity that supports initiatives for LGBTQIA+ youth in Australia.
- The Newport Folk Festival is happening on 28-29 June.
- Immerse is a multidisciplinary arts event in Knox, held from 28 June to 28 July 2024, turning the City of Knox into a living art gallery.
- Melbourne Museum will be exhibiting one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossils in the world from 28 June – the real T. rex to ever be shown in Victoria, 66 million years after first roaming Earth.
- The Harlem Globetrotters world tour will stop in at the John Cain Arena on 28-29 June.
- The Firelight Festival – Melbourne’s epic winter festival – will return to Docklands on 28-30 June with fiery installations, live music, pop-up foodie feasts and more.
- This winter, explore the expanse beneath Melbourne’s iconic Marvel Stadium at Firelight Labyrinth from 28 June to 14 July where a subterranean space will undergo a transformation into a mythical maze of light and sound.
- Berwick’s Wilson Botanic Park is set to undergo a prehistoric transformation as Dino Safari stomps into town from 28 June to 7 July 2024, inviting families to journey back in time to the breathtaking wonders of the Mesozoic era.
- Get ready to rug up and enjoy the magic of Wyndham City’s much-loved Winter Street Party, on Friday 28 June. See Werribee City Centre come alive for an evening of wintry fun with fire shows, street performers, interactive art installations, marshmallow toasting, live entertainment, kids’ activities and more.
- Experience Hybycozo’s larger-than-life geometric sculptures called Deep Thought brought to life through high level metal fabrication. It will be on display at Bunjil Place in Narre Warre from 28 June-28 July as part of the City of Casey 2024 Winter Arts Festival.
- Get ready for a magical winter experience during the June/July school holidays at Winter in Williamstown from 28 June-14 July. Celebrate the chilliest season with outdoor fun, heartwarming surprises, and live entertainment.
- The Science Gallery at the University of Melbourne’s exhibition – NOT NATURAL – explores our increasing ability to control nature and the plethora of possibilities and ethical dilemmas that come with that power. Running until 29 June.
- Get your 1969 outfits out and dance the night away at Woodstock in Gemrook on 29 June.
- Enjoy top wines produced by The Real Review Top Wineries of Australia 2024 with Huon Hooke as your guide at Ormond Hall on Saturday 29 June.
- Steamrail Victoria is running vintage steam engines with heritage electric ‘Red Rattler’ Tait carriages on a rare visit to the Belgrave line on Saturday 29 June.
- Join Life’s Too Short Bar in East Melbourne for a fun night of mouth-watering Spanish dishes and fine wine, to reminisce about all things Spain at their Haro Festival Dinner on 29 June
- Immerse yourself in the vibrant Eid festivities of the many Muslim cultures that enrich multicultural Maribyrnong. Experience food samplings, Ethiopian coffee, Henna, interactive arts, communal prayers and Qawwali on 29 June at 138 Nicholson St, Footscray.
- The Hyatt Centric is holding a wedding showcase event on 29 June.
- Gather the family and head down to the Sorrento Sharks Oval on 30 June for a day packed with laughter, excitement, and cherished memories the annual Sorrento Family Fun Day!
- Victoria’s zoos are being transformed into prehistoric playgrounds with Zoos Victoria’s new Dinos at the Zoo immersive experience providing an unforgettable journey back in time until 14 July.
- Melbourne Museum will showcase some of Victoria’s most outstanding VCE and VCE VET design and technology students withTop Designs returns for 2024. The showcase runs until 14 July.
- Prepare to be transported to a realm of wonder and awe as Gumbuya World Theme Park proudly presents ‘Gumbuya Dreaming’, a mesmerising digital light experience created by acclaimed Indigenous artist Wayne Quilliam until 21 July
- Object of Projections -An exhibition of works by Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon is showing at the Substation Galleries in Newport until 24 August.
- Celebrating culture, nostalgia, and the pursuit of happiness, the Immigration Museum’s expansive exhibition Joy features seven Victorian-based artists showcasing their interpretations of joy through immersive installations, until 29 August.
- Visited by more than 10 million people around the world and earning a spot on CNN’s “must-see” list, The Art of the Brick is running until 31 August at the Melbourne Showgrounds. This brand new, immersive version of Nathan Sawaya’s iconic LEGO art exhibit features original collections, over 100 sculptures made from more than 1 million bricks, a LEGO safari, moving installations, 360 degree projections, and much more.
- Jump aboard the Skyline Ferris Wheel that promises breathtaking views of Melbourne’s cityscape, truly a one-of-a-kind vantage point to see a unique perspective of the CBD and beyond. It’s at the Polly Woodside Park next to MCEC until September.
- Endless play abounds at ACMI this winter, as world premiere exhibition Beings comes alive until 29 September 2024. Comprised of 13 artworks drawn from the 20-year career of international art and design collective Universal Everything – including the premiere of four brand new artworks – Beings features an assortment of curious characters born from code.
- Hair Pieces at the Head Museum of Modern Art runs until ^6 October and explores the evocative and complex significance of hair in contemporary culture through a selection of recent Australian and international works of art.
- Coming to Melbourne from the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London and on display until 6 October at the NGV, the Australian premiere of Africa Fashion features nearly 200 works, including couture, bespoke and ready-to-wear fashions, and body adornments, from over 50 designers from more than 20 countries and regions on the African continent.
- The internationally exclusive blockbuster exhibition, Pharaoh at the NGV celebrates three thousand years of ancient Egyptian art and culture through more than 500 objects on loan from the British Museum, including monumental sculpture, tomb and temple architecture, coffins and funerary objects, as well as a significant display of exquisite ancient Egyptian jewellery. You can see it until 6 October.
