What's happening in Melbourne
The best things to do this week
The Espy is transforming six of its rooms into an immersive sound and art experience
Rock up to the Ascot Lot with your puppy to enjoy some Prosecco and food
Dance the night away at the Barre Backyard at Arts Centre Melbourne on two consecutive Fridays at the end of summer
Enjoy a trivia night fueled by food and drinks on the banks of the Yarra
Kangaroos not enough? Sip cold drinks and listen to live music on your next visit to Healesville Sanctuary
Melbourne's one-day Prosecco festival is back and it’s coming to Northcote this summer
Here’s your next excuse to try a bunch of beers, wines, ciders and whiskies
Head to Yarra Park for a fresh season of outdoor film screenings and live music
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
Melbourne's one-day Prosecco festival is back and it’s coming to Northcote this summer
Ursula Yovich and Alana Valentine bring a pub rock gig to Malthouse in this autobiographical play
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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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?
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.
Tokyo is a megalopolis that defies categorisation. From its dazzling skyscrapers with serene shrines at their bases to the tiny, multi-generation izakaya right next to a store selling the latest in technology or fashion, no other city can conjure up so many contradictory images as Japan’s capital. It’s an intoxicating and invigorating place, the energy of which is only matched by the calm of its backstreets and temples – no matter how long you spend in the city, you’ll need more time to take it all in. And then there’s Okinawa. Less than three hours' flight from Tokyo, the tropical islands south of mainland Japan are known for having a unique culture, derived from their history as it was once an independent kingdom called Ryukyu Kingdom in the 15th-19th centuries. Offering much more than the stunning white sandy beaches and pristine blue waters, it’s also home to karate, lush mangroves, great diving spots, nutritious food, and laidback locals who know better than anyone what the secret to the good life is. Follow their lead, and you might not want to leave. Combine the two destinations in one trip, and you have yourself the best of both worlds. Start off with eclectic metropolitan thrills, and then tune in to relaxed yet highly cultured island life: you’re sure to reach your happy spot along the way. Got an epicurean bent? Find out about eating and drinking in Tokyo and Okinawa.
When you enter an architectural office, you might expect to be ushered into a gleaming, imposing space designed to impress and intimidate you – a visual assurance that you are in the hands of geniuses with mastery over the building blocks that make up our environment. What you may not expect, however, is puppies. Pitch Architecture’s office is in a warehouse in Richmond behind a colourful mural of the owners’ pooches. It’s a reflection of the easygoing philosophy of this growing team of young architects, designers, engineers and project managers. “We love our dogs,” laughs co-owner Alex Chan. “We’re pretty chill, and our approach when it comes to design is the same.” Chan, who is commercial and operational manager, cooked up the idea for Pitch with design director Bo Chu in a classic Melbourne way – over a few drinks after work. At first they thought they’d simply start a small-time development business – buying a piece of land, designing a house, building it and flipping it. “But in 2015 we were midway through one of our projects and people started to say, ‘hey, can you put that house on my land?’ We decided: we’re young, we have no liabilities financially, let’s have a go.” They quit their jobs and started Pitch as a fully fledged architecture firm. Things snowballed quickly. In just over three years they have completed around 40 projects (chronicled on their website): houses, apartments, extensions and fitouts. Chan attributes their rapid growth to their access
1. Wat Suthat and the Giant Swing Standing in City Hall square, the Giant Swing (Sao Ching Cha) was originally erected in 1784 as part of the adjacent Devasathan, a Brahmin compound of shrines to Shiva, Ganesha and Vishnu. In the past a ceremony celebrating the god Shiva would require four brave men to swing from this lofty red frame to grab at pouches of coins (the ritual ceased in the 1930s due to fatalities). The poles were erected in 1919 to honour the son of Anna Leonowens, the contentious governess immortalised in The King and I and a teacher in the Siamese court of King Rama IV. In 2006, the rickety timbers were replaced by the structure you see today. Looming behind the Giant Swing, the temple of Wat Suthat houses the awe-inducing, eight-metre, 800-year-old Phra Sri Sakyamuni Buddha. One of the largest surviving Sukhothai-era bronzes, this statue contains the ashes of King Rama VIII at its base. Begun by Rama I in 1807, the temple took three reigns to complete. 268 Dinso Rd, Bangkok. +66 (0)2 222 6951. 2. The Grand Palace & The Temple of the Emerald Buddha This complex of buildings in the heart of Bangkok is the city’s architectural and spiritual treasure. Nearly two kilometres of walls with lotus-shaped crenellations enclose what was once a self-contained city of throne halls, royal chambers, servants’ quarters, ministries and a prison. Allow at least a two-hour visit; sandals, shorts and bare shoulders are forbidden. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra K
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.
Tokyo is the gastronomic capital of the world, with more restaurants and foodie options than you can shake a stick at. From gutsy ramen to impeccable sushi and fine dining, it’s impossible to go hungry in this city. There are plenty of chefs in Tokyo who have honed their craft over decades, specialising in only one thing and serving it up to willing customers who often queue for however long it takes to get the best bite. The city has a myriad of different foodie experiences on offer; it would take a lifetime to try them all. Less than three hours' flight from Tokyo, Okinawa’s islands, on the other hand, offer a slice of food culture you wouldn’t often see on the mainland. With their simple yet fresh food, always prepared with a whole lot of soul, Okinawans take the maritime and natural bounty and turn it into a proper wholesome cuisine. There are reasons why these islanders have among the longest life expectancy in the world, and diet might just be one of them. Sample both Okinawa’s soul food and Tokyo’s diverse offerings in one trip, and you’ll get a whole new view on Japanese cuisine. Start planning your trip now with our list of essential experiences in Tokyo and Okinawa. NB: Business hours and days are subject to change.
Who doesn’t love a good Saturday sesh at their local? Especially when the food is good and the frothies are cold. The Exchange in Port Melbourne knows this as well as anyone and this summer it’s offering up bottomless mussels for just $25 per person. Fresh from Port Philip, the mussels are prepared in a mixture of white wine, garlic, capers and onion, and served with crispy hot fries. On any other day you can grab a plate for $18 but you won't be able to make the most of the all-you-can-eat offer. The offer is available all day every Saturday and only for the summer. But if mussels aren’t your thing then be sure to check out the rest of the Exchange’s seasonal menus, which this summer feature dishes like zucchini linguine with tomato, chilli, pine nuts, basil and parmesan; braised pork and black pudding pie with green beans and mashed potato; and pan-seared salmon, crab remoulade, rainbow radish with spring greens. With a deal like this, why choose anything else? Take advantage of the offer and book a table on the Exchange website.
Returning for its third year, Melbourne Women in Film Festival is designed to redress the relative lack of women in the film industry, celebrating the work of women filmmakers and creatives. This year's program takes the theme of 'Dark Delights' and begins with a triptych of three short films called Freaky, Fantastic and Feminist. It includes Margaret Dodd's startling 1982 short film 'This Woman Is Not a Car', in which men project their lust upon an FX Holden, Jub Clerc’s award-winning Indigenous horror film 'Storytime' (2006), and 'On Guard' (1984), a boldy feminist short focusing on the ethics of reproductive rights in the 1980s. A digital restoration of 1997 Australian rural gothic The Well will screen, followed by a Q&A with director Samantha Lang, and preceded by Jennifer Kent's short film 'Monster', the forerunner to her horror blockbuster The Babadook. Keep an eye out for Angie Black's new film The Five Provocations, an ensemble drama about love, loss and gender identity, with a range of cabaret stars playing the mysterious 'five provocations'. The Late Night Screaming session pairs Ursula Dabrowsky's 2014 horror thriller Inner Demon with witchy short 'Blood Sisters'. Other sessions include Stranger than Fiction, a program of documentary shorts; Sinister Shorts, a session of weird and dark films; and a Q&A screening of Mairi Cameron's 2018 suspense movie The Second. A series of workshops and panels will also take place, aimed at women filmmakers. Closing f
Route 58 travels from West Coburg to Toorak, passing through the city and some of Melbourne's most vibrant suburbs, including Brunswick West, Parkville, South Melbourne and South Yarra. Taking the tram means you don't have to deal with traffic or parking, and tools like the PTV app allow you to find real-time departure info, so you'll never miss your tram. And even if you linger over a long goodbye and miss one, there's no need to stress – trams come along as often as every five minutes or so during the week and every 10-20 minutes on weekends. Top up your myki before you get on board (or set up an Auto Top Up – it will change your life, we promise) and don't forget to touch on. From the zoo to Chapel Street's world-class shopping, there are heaps of fun things to do along the way. Plan your journey and have a brilliant Melbourne adventure.
