Your ultimate guide to Melbourne
Discover the city's best things to do, culture, dining, nightlife, bars and theatre
What to do in Melbourne
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Time Out Food Awards
Melbourne, it’s time to mark Monday September 18 in your calendar because the annual Time Out Food Awards are upon us. Join us as we toast the city’s best fine dining restaurants and casual diners; degustations and sensational takeaways; top chefs and rising stars. Expect delicious drinks, sweet tunes brought to you by Flex Mami, and great food by Pontoon St Kilda Beach – not to mention all the suspense of the awards as we give back to those venues and talent that make feasting in Melbourne superb. Tickets are $70 + BF and include food, drink, fun and a copy of the annual Time Out Food Awards issue ($4.95 value), hot off the presses before it hits newsstands. Limited first release tickets go on sale Thursday July 20.You can also have your say by voting in the People's Choice awards. Powered by Eventbrite in association with
Seeking out Creatures on the road from Melbourne to Geelong
Apart from an open-range zoo, the freeway between Melbourne and Geelong is there to take you where you want to go, not to inspire you. But it’s just one hour’s drive to get to the city that’s the gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road. Drive straight to the waterfront to find the Geelong of today and the Geelong of yesteryear merging thanks to the presence of more than 100 bollards painted in the likeness of local identities. Created by late local artist Jan Mitchell, the figures nod to Geelong’s maritime heritage, with sea captains, sad clowns and dart-smoking broads of days gone by all represented. There’s also a dog called Timmy who loves digging up rocks from the seabed. This classic slice of beachside Australiana is found amid the sunshine and seagulls in hot chip search-and-destroy mode. Down in South Geelong, another great Australian tradition lives on. Taking an old wool mill and spinning it into a multipurpose space, Little Creatures Brewery is an ode to the fine art of brewing. It’s also a cinema, canteen, pizzeria, and on the weekend an arts market too. This is Little Creatures Geelong head brewer Warren. With a look of contentment on his face that could only come from working in the beer industry his whole life, Warren has travelled around the world helping thirsty people out with craft ales since before craft brewing was cool – from the Cook Islands to the Marshall Islands, Hawaii, Arizona, Sydney, Melbourne and now Geelong. Warr
Where to watch the McGregor vs Mayweather fight this month
Ready for a rumble? The long-awaited fight between five-division world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr and current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is happening in Las Vegas this month. Can’t make it to the US (or swing that hefty ticket price)? No dramas – a bunch of bars around Melbourne will be broadcasting the fight live on the big screen. It all goes down on Sunday August 27 from 11am. Visit one of the below venues and lucky boxing fans can score a promotional boxing glove to commemorate the event.
Two-for-one thali and kite flying with Mukka
Fitzroy restaurant Mukka will be hosting a weekend of delicious thali plates, traditional chai and fun kite flying in August to celebrate freedom and the spirit of India. Make the most of the two-for-one thali deal on August 19-20 from noon until 5pm. This classic Indian dish is a mixed plate made up of several small bowls presented on a round tray, meaning you can taste different North Indian curries, naan, gulab jamun, and more. These guys took out the Cheap Eat category in the 2016 Time Out Melbourne Food Awards so you can expect some seriously tasty eats. Join the crew for a kite flying party at Edinburgh Gardens Sunday August 20. The fun outing is a traditional way of celebrating Indian Independence Day – which takes place on August 15. The skies above Edinburgh Gardens will be filled with colourful kites as Mukka set up a marquee to celebrate freedom and the culture of India. Along with free kite flying, you can also snack on samosas and jalebi and sip on aromatic chai. If you can't make Mukka's weekend of fun and delicious thalis, they'll be serving the plates at lunch time from Thursday to Sunday. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free versions will be available.
NewCo Melbourne: Festival of Innovation
Ever wanted to peek inside some of Melbourne’s most creative offices and businesses? NewCo – a purpose-driven business festival – is set to swing open the doors of leading creative agencies, media publications, innovative tech brands and forward thinking businesses right across the city. The premise is simple – you get to go to the offices of the city's most innovative businesses to find out what they are all about. This departure from the typical conference set-up allows you to hear first hand from business trailblazers and CEOs, right where the magic happens. HostCos (that’s short for host companies) already on board for the festival include electric car giant Tesla, travel guide maestros Lonely Planet, social enterprise Thankyou Co and Time Out Melbourne. The NewCo concept came to fruition when Wired magazine co-founder and tech entrepreneur John Battelle launched the first festival back in 2012 in San Francisco. Since it has expanded across 18 different cities, with this edition being the first festival here in Melbourne. Seats to each session are allocated to ticket holders on a first come, first serve basis. Passes range from a starter pass with access to one session for $45, $95 for a day pass which allows you to attend unlimited sessions or $140 for a VIP pass so you can rub shoulders with the presenters at the festival kick off.
