What's happening in Melbourne
The best things to do this week
Spend a cool evening exploring the hidden corners of Melbourne’s famous Nicholas Building
The ACO is celebrating three indie musicians and the Polish classical composers that inspired them
The Emerging Writers Festival announces a talented-filled program
Four women meet to reminisce – and look to a terrifying future – in this surprising play from leading playwright Caryl Churchill
The latest news
Competitions and announcements
From street art and hidden bars to scaring yourself silly, here are the best sightseeing tours in Melbourne
Going to the big match? Head to Riverland before or after for the perfect pre-game or after-footy fun
We're giving away the ultimate family winter break with an ace prize pack for two adults and two children
This winter school holidays, Melbourne's new Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts will be hosting a mini-festival for kids
Time Out Melbourne magazine is now completely free. While newsagencies will no longer stock the quarterly magazine, you can pick up a copy at selected cafés, shops, entertainment venues and hotels around the city. In addition, friendly Time Out helpers will be handing out copies at major city train stations on the day of publication. You can pick up a copy of our Accessible Melbourne issue on Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7 between 6.30-10.30am at: Flinders Street Station Flagstaff Station Parliament Station Missed the last drop? You can read past issues of Time Out Melbourne magazine digitally through the links below:
Every circus is set up basically the same, right? You take one big top (preferably red and white striped), add a stage for the performers, some seats for the audience and maybe some barriers to separate the two. Circus Oz isn’t one for doing things like everyone else though. Circus Oz is shaking up the rules of circus with Wunderage: an immersive new show with no seats and no barriers between you and the performers. In Wunderage the audience isn’t just watching the show passively from the sidelines – instead they see it unfold all around them. Through mind-boggling physical feats, humour and an inspiring live score, Wunderage treads a tightrope (literally and figuratively) between who we are and who we might become. Step into the performance space and discover a room filled with giant blue boulders and tightropes up to four metres high. The performers move freely throughout the space – it’s hard to predict where they’ll appear next as they effortlessly ride bicycles on highwires, do handstands on teetering towers and flip, twist and somersault off precarious platforms. Try to keep calm as the acrobats twirl majestically in aerial slings and clamber up and down Chinese poles. The show is a collaboration with Brisbane performance art group Company2, who have infused it with the group’s sense of poetic theatricality, humour and fondness for pushing boundaries. Wunderage is a playful, heart-warming show that explores the desire for people to be something they are not. Wun
The Sporting Globe locations all over Victoria are screening the playoffs and finals this month
Collingwood’s backstreets are home to Rupert on Rupert, an eyeball-wooing bar and restaurant graced with high ceilings, light-drenched interiors and a mini forest’s worth of pot plants and trees. Ric Corinaldi and his wife Mali opened Rupert in 2015 and have since made it synonymous with cool cocktails, kicked-back Sunday sessions and many bespoke weddings. It makes sense as soon as you enter the big, heavy glass door that separates Rupert from its namesake Collingwood sidestreet. This place is so pretty it deserves a Hollywood screen test. Think big, brown Chesterfield couches paired with finely crafted wooden tables, an atrium-style roof and rooms flooded with greenery. Out the back, there are two custom-made fireplaces which come in handy when winter rears its very chilly head. There's also a sexy cocktail lounge out the back which is perfect for private dinner parties or events. Now, if you can tear yourself away from the interiors, you'll be able to settle down for a cheeky drink or even a full-blown meal as Rupert is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Be sure to check the venue's website or Instagram in the lead up to a visit as they may be closed for private events. Even on a weekday, this light, bright and pared-back restaurant is buzzing. Head chef Samuel Wilson has put together a menu that’s made for sharing – but there are a couple bigger dishes you’ll want to hog all to yourself. Charcoaled ricotta gnocchi is saddled with butternut pumpkin an
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.
If you're looking for a break from the inner-city grid, there's no better cure than a day trip from Melbourne.
Behold, our eat-and-destroy list – a guide to Melbourne's best restaurants, from fine dining to cheap eats
Expert tips for exploring the city's best attractions for zero dollars
Book in for the best Melbourne shows with our guide to new and upcoming theatre in Melbourne. Our theatre critics recommend the best shows to see right now, as well as the most exciting upcoming shows in Melbourne. For more Melbourne theatre information, check out our latest reviews and our guide to scoring cheap theatre tickets.
From world-beating cocktail lounges to down-and-divey saloons, here's everywhere worth drinking in Melbourne
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.
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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Once upon a time, there was the power lunch – a meal where high rollers took their wheeling and dealing out into restaurants around the city. The George on Collins has revamped the idea with a focus on the time it takes to get the most out of your meal in what they’re calling the Hour of Power. Designed to show off the flavour-packed creations of their new partner – MasterChef 2018 contestant and DJ, Khanh Ong – two new “feed me” menus will be available for lunch and dinner from Tuesday–Friday and Saturday evenings starting June 4. Photograph: Supplied There is the Little Hanoi for $42pp, where Khanh selects favourite dishes for you from the extensive Vietnamese menu. Think Bo La Lot, grilled beef and betel leaf skewers, lamb cutlets with tamarind and millionaire eggplant with Vietnamese mint and sesame dressing. If you’re feeling a little hungrier, and have a little more time on your hands, option two is rightfully named the Big Saigon. For $58 per person, feast on more of the menu with a few sweet treats thrown in. Expect banana parfait and chocolate mousse, or ricotta, pineapple and jackfruit spring rolls with ginger syrup and green peppercorn ice cream. Whether it's a swift, satisfying lunch meeting or you want to get in a quick dinner before a show or night on the town, it’s going to be a fuss-free choice. Photograph: Supplied Ong, whose infectious smile and passion for Asian cuisine made him a viewer favourite in the MasterChef kitchen last year, has revitalised
Tassie is small enough to conquer in an extra long weekend but big enough to support all the incredible farm-to-table eateries, small-batch distilleries and eye-popping nature that it’s become known for. The best way to get there is by ship – Spirit of Tasmania, to be exact. The reason? Taking your own car to traverse this stunning isle means you can explore more than just the big cities. So take a break from Hobart and explore the rest of Tasmania, where the number of gorgeous things you’ll see and experience is bonkers high.
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo was established in 1985 by Princess Caroline of Hanover (in accordance with her mother, Grace of Monaco’s wishes) and has since become one of the world’s most exciting ballet companies. “For a ballet company, they’re so different to what we do, but they’re really creating ballet of the 21st century,” the Australian Ballet's artistic director David McAllister says. The Australian Ballet has invited the company to Melbourne with this new, critically acclaimed take on Swan Lake, choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot. His production is dark, sexy and features costumes by Winter Olympics designer Philippe Guillotel. “As Jean-Christophe always does, he approaches it from a very contemporary angle,” McAllister says. “It’s the same Swan Lake story – the white swan versus the black swan – but in this production they’re played by different people.”
Every circus is set up basically the same, right? You take one big top (preferably red and white striped), add a stage for the performers, some seats for the audience and maybe some barriers to separate the two. Circus Oz isn’t one for doing things like everyone else though. Circus Oz is shaking up the rules of circus with Wunderage: an immersive new show with no seats and no barriers between you and the performers. In Wunderage the audience isn’t just watching the show passively from the sidelines – instead they see it unfold all around them. Through mind-boggling physical feats, humour and an inspiring live score, Wunderage treads a tightrope (literally and figuratively) between who we are and who we might become. Step into the performance space and discover a room filled with giant blue boulders and tightropes up to four metres high. The performers move freely throughout the space – it’s hard to predict where they’ll appear next as they effortlessly ride bicycles on highwires, do handstands on teetering towers and flip, twist and somersault off precarious platforms. Try to keep calm as the acrobats twirl majestically in aerial slings and clamber up and down Chinese poles. The show is a collaboration with Brisbane performance art group Company2, who have infused it with the group’s sense of poetic theatricality, humour and fondness for pushing boundaries. Wunderage is a playful, heart-warming show that explores the desire for people to be something they are not. Wun