What's happening in Melbourne
The best things to do this week
Celebrate Mickey’s 90th anniversary at a free art exhibition
Pack a picnic and enjoy some of Australia's favourite whisky at this picnic in the heart of Port Melbourne
The team behind Poof Doof have launched a new and fabulous day party by the beach
Taste some of Japan's finest whiskies and expand your drinking horizons
Explore truth, lies and illusion in ACCA's latest ambitious exhibition
Learn how to make twists on classic cocktails (and drink your creations, natch) all summer long
See Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with a live orchestra
The latest news
Competitions and announcements
Join us for a night in Bangkok with street food and cocktails at the Village People Hawker Food Hall
Explore truth, lies and illusion in this new art and theatre exhibition
Spend Australia Day at the races enjoying the sunshine with a stellar barbecue feast
The best of Melbourne
Wondering what to do in Melbourne? Take a look at our ultimate bucket list: 50 fun things to do in Melbourne, plus what makes the city great, from the food to the festivals and everything in between.
Expert tips for exploring the city's best attractions for zero dollars
From world-beating cocktail lounges to down-and-divey saloons, here's everywhere worth drinking in Melbourne
Behold, our eat-and-destroy list – a guide to Melbourne's best restaurants, from fine dining to cheap eats
When you think Melbourne, some of the words that come to mind surely must be 'coffee', 'laneways' and 'street art'. Street art covers almost every nook and cranny of our creative, colourful city, but there are more highly concentrated clusters than others. These are the street art hotspots that any self-respecting 'grammer should be snapping: the city's ten best street mural hotspots, in all their spray-painted laneway glory. Continue your art journey through Melbourne at these free galleries, or purchase your very own piece of art at one of these weird and wonderful shops.
If you know where to look, you can get by in Melbourne for a lot less than you'd think
If you're looking for a break from the inner-city grid, there's no better cure than a day trip from Melbourne.
Melbourne area guides
The heart of the city, home to Chinatown and some of Melbourne's best restaurants and arts institutions.
Inventive bars, geek girl boutiques and envelope-pushing eateries. Plus live music institutions.
Whether you are after great eats, a night out or a film at a Victorian-era cinema, Elsternwick is a great place to find yourself.
We should err on the side of caution when describing Williamstown as “greater Melbourne”. Not only will the locals love to tell you it’s only 20 minutes to the city (and no tolls!), but there’s a beach that’s accessible via public transport, a gorgeous pier to stroll down and stunning views towards the city and across Port Phillip Bay. As Melbourne's first seaport, Williamstown has swiftly developed into a trendy seaside suburb with a village feel. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants, you can hop on a bike and circle the water’s edge, or just find a quiet spot to sit and think about all the things you still have left to do. Looking for more fun in the west? Check out our guides to Footscray and Yarraville while you're here.
Exceptional Italian food, gelato and coffee, plus an excellent museum and theatre.
Kensington has northwest charm in spades: there are wide, tree-lined streets, plenty of public transport and green spaces aplenty.
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We don’t know about you guys, but we love listening to the stories behind song lyrics, music and writing. This is particularly fun when it comes to a musician like Lily Allen, whose sweet, clear voice stands in juxtaposition of her often scathing, satirical and twisting lyrics. And what better way to take a deep-dive into music than by hearing it from the artist themselves? On Thursday, February 7, Mercedes me Melbourne is hosting an evening with Allen as she passes through on her tour of Australia and New Zealand. The event will showcase Allen and her creative insights into her newest album, No Shame, and first book, My Thoughts Exactly, as well as an intimate live performance on the night. The evening is taking place on Thursday, February 7 from 6.30-8.30pm at Mercedes me Melbourne on the corner of King and Collins Streets. It’s free to attend, but tickets are awarded on competition only. So you’ll need to enter to win. The competition opens 5pm Monday, January 21 and closes 5pm Friday, January 25. This is an Australian exclusive, offering the chance to see Allen in a rare, intimate and raw environment. Enter the competition on the Mercedes me website here.
Some of the hottest stars in showbiz are going to be performing at Midsumma's night of nights, the Extravaganza. The night is hosted by comedy superstar Rhys Nicholson, and it promises to be an absolute riot. Trevor Ashley (Fat Swan, Little Orphan TrAshley, Diamonds Are For Trevor, I’m Every Woman) is producing and performing in the show, and he says it's going to be an absolute hoot. "Last year it was just comedians, but this year, of course, they’ve got a fabulous nine-piece band on stage, fabulous singers getting up on stage and singing songs, drag queens, burlesque, as well as comedy. It's got a bit of everything." As well as Nicholson and Trevor, the show will include Barry Award winner Zoe Coombs Marr, Take Me Out host and household name Joel Creasey, cabaret superstar Carlotta, GLOBE Artist of the Year Mama Alto, The Voice star Sheldon Riley, 3RRR Breakfasters host Geraldine Hickey, Black Comedy writer Steven Oliver, ten-time Golden Guitars Winner Beccy Cole, singer Libby O'Donovan and cabaret/circus/burlesque YUMMY.  And it's not over when the house lights go on. "It will be a great night out, the Arts Centre are keeping the bar open after the show so everyone should stick around after the show and have a drink," says Ashley. "There will be a DJ. It will be really fun to have so much campness in one grande dame of a hall."
The long days, mild nights and glorious weather mean it’s time to experience the best Melbourne has to offer. Whether you're looking for drinks with a riverside view or fabulous festivals, summer in the city has it all with art, markets, food, film and more. Plus if your wallet is looking a little thin post-holidays there are plenty of free and cheap events as well.
A lot of fuss is made about pairing your food to your wine, but not everyone likes wine. Luckily, beer is often the perfect match to a meal, especially when you’re talking spicy food and delicious salty bar snacks. Blue Moon Belgian White is a refreshing, citrus-laced brew that is increasingly finding its way behind bars across Melbourne’s drinking and dining scene. Next time you find yourself at one of these Melbourne establishments pair your schooner of Blue Moon Belgian White with one of these meals to experience the beer (and your food) at its best.
You'll be able to enjoy the bright, blue ocean and fresh, white sand of Port Melbourne Beach with a little extra luxury this January. Over the Australia Day weekend, the Exchange Hotel will be setting up a pop-up beach club to make your trip to the seaside a little more interesting. The club will run from Saturday, January 26 to Monday, January 28 and will be open from noon to 9pm each day. It features some live entertainment, plenty of snacks, spritzes, and beer on tap, so you won’t run out of refreshments while you soak up the sunshine. If lounging about isn’t your thing then you can also try your hand at a game of volleyball or grab some food from the barbecue. On January 26, you'll also be able to hang around after closing for the Exchange's Australia Day After Party. The event is taking place near the Exchange Pub on Bay Street, so you should have no trouble finding it. To make things better, the pop-up club is free to attend. Find out more about the pop-up beach club on the Exchange website here.
Australians love a barbecue, but living in the city leaves many without any space for a Weber, smoker, or the like. All is not lost however with one of the city’s newest pubs filling the gap left by shrinking backyards and apartment living. Head into Harlow every Saturday and Sunday to fill up on an authentic barbecue feast in the venue’s big and breezy beer garden. The Richmond gastropub is a recent addition to Church Street and the team has wasted no time is firing up the barbies. Their weekend barbecue packages blend three of our favourite things: beats, booze and barbecued food. When you book in for a barbie at Harlow you don’t leave hungry. The packages let your pick your own protein (choose from smokey cider pork butts, beef brisket, cheddar and jalepeño sausages, beer-brined chicken or blackened eggplant) as well as a hearty sides – we’re keen for the old school slaw and potato salad. All that for $30 per person. No true blue barbecue is complete without a few tinnies and Harlow are making sure yours stay ice cold. Guests have the option of adding an esky of beer to their meal starting at $50 for a box of Aussie beers (you can also choose foreign beers for $60 or craft tinnies for $70). You can also add on two bottles of wine ($60), Chandon ($80) or Moët ($160) or really treat yourself by ordering bottle service for $180. The weekend soundtrack comes courtesy of Harlow’s live DJs who are playing hits from arguably one of music finest eras: the 80s and 90s. Harl
Pause Fest returns this year with a line-up of panel discussions, keynote talks, workshops, and exclusive experiences over three days, giving you the kind of career inspiration that cannot be Googled. There will be seven stages and more than 200 speakers at the three-day festival this year. Get involved with panel talks, hands-on workshops and educational talks on the hot topics in tech like diversity, VR, Blockchain and digital cultures. The latest wave of speakers includes industry insiders like Dr Marissa Rosenberg (Senior Research Scientist for neuroscience at NASA), Julia Khusainove (Experience Design Manager at Airbnb), Lydia Hummel (VP Design and Studio Director at Tiffany&Co), Paolo Malabuyo (UX Director at YouTube) and Ricardo Prada (Director of UX for Google). There are several tickets available for purchase, including a Creator Ticket for people looking to sell their ideas and work (you'll need to apply for this one in advance), an Explorer Ticket for those of you looking for professional development, a Leader Ticket, for teams seeking business and investment opportunities, and a Retreat Ticket for executives looking to meet like-minded individuals and some of the biggest names in the business. Prices vary so be sure to check out the website for more information and to book yours.
The annual Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards are coming soon. Join us at Transport Public Bar on Sunday March 3 as we toast the city’s best cocktail bars, new bars, wine bars, bartenders, rising stars of tomorrow and more at the party for the party-makers.Expect an evening of delicious drinks, great food and sweet tunes in celebration of our stunning bar scene. So save the date – tickets ($70 + BF) include all food and drinks and are on sale now. Got a favourite bar? Why not vote for it in the People's Choice Award?Nominees in most categories will be announced soon, so watch this space. What will be named Melbourne's Bar of the Year for 2019?
Now listen, you may not have considered that your life is missing a bottomless prosecco fountain (or maybe you have, who are we to assume how you live?) but that doesn’t mean that it’s not true. Specifically, you’re missing a bottomless prosecco fountain in the shape of a lion’s head, and fortunately for you, the Smith Prahran is here to fill that sparkling void. Every Sunday from 2 ‘til 4pm, the Smith will have a bottomless prosecco and spritz fountain as part of its $60 Sparkling Spritz package. Starting on January 27 and running throughout summer, the deal includes access to on-tap sparkling, as well as a selection of delicious picnic nibbles. On offer is a grazing menu of corn and blue cheese croquettes, smoked almonds, hummus and bread, chicken liver parfait doughnuts, a charcuterie selection (which changes weekly), fried chicken and caviar, and pepper berry cauliflower fritos. This is the first time a prosecco fountain has graced Melbourne's streets. It will be held in the Smith’s newly restored atrium and set to the backdrop of some chill acoustic tunes. Not a bad plan for a Sunday arvo, wouldn't you say? Book your spot on the Smith’s website here.
New York City might officially be the city that never sleeps but Melbourne sure does like to give it a run for its money. This city of night owls knows how to keep going at all hours and thanks to a ACMI’s latest temporary exhibition, Christian Marclay: The Clock, your late-night forays just got a lot cooler. This 24-hour video montage shows time pass in real time using film clips of clocks and watches taken from cinema history. Every Thursday ACMI is showing the marathon work in full, meaning you can pop into the museum at any time of the night to watch a few scenes (or stay the whole night). Need some more all-hours inspiration? Here’s how to spend a 24 hours in Melbourne.
