What's happening in Melbourne
The best things to do this week
Lip-sync maestro Dickie Beau calls on some famous friends in this exploration of an actor's life and the transience of theatre for Melbourne Festival
Four prominent Australians will discuss our relationship with nature and wild things in this thought-provoking evening
Join the Astor on an epic journey through the entire Potter saga, from Philosopher's Stone to Deathly Hallows, plus Fantastic Beasts
Science meets art at the Melbourne Planetarium for this year's Melbourne Festival
It's hard to believe, but a decade has past since Andrew McClelland first started hosting monthly dance parties. Mr McClelland's Finishing School...
The latest news
Competitions and announcements
Ladies and gents, suit up at this custom tailor in Richmond and enjoy a discount on your first order
We finally come to understand the girl behind the Dragon Tattoo
Bob Hawke is Australia’s newly elected prime minister. Gary Ablett Sr has just signed with Geelong.
Become the popular one in your peer group, the San Telmo way
The best of Melbourne
This is it: the definitive list of the people, the places and the things that make our city so great
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.
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.
Inventive bars, geek girl boutiques and envelope-pushing eateries. Plus live music institutions.
Multicultural hub, with dining options from all over the world and a thriving food scene.
Our guide to casual dining in Melbourne with American Express
Melbourne’s vibrant food scene has no shortage of treats that won’t bust your weekly budget. From tasty Mediterranean and Asian classics to Middle Eastern and American dude food, these are all excellent dishes by chefs at the top of their game. All these venues take American Express. Would you like a complimentary side with your meal? Check out these Side with Amex venues.
We love a good rooftop and a pub will always earn an extra special place in our heart if it’s got a great beer garden – so it’s agreed by almost everyone – dining in the sunshine is always a good idea. With that in mind, we scoured the city for the best terraces, balconies, rooftops and gardens, where you can enjoy an alfresco snack and a brew or two. Then, when it comes to getting the cheque, you can pay in confidence knowing these venues welcome American Express.
Creative sushi chefs and excellent produce make Melbourne a great place to explore the magical combination of rice, seaweed and protein. The fact that it makes for a swift, filling and inexpensive lunch makes sushi an irresistible siren song to busy workers and students, who flock to the hundreds of restaurants that fill every corner of the city. To make things even easier, at all these venues, you’ll be able to dine in confidence with the knowledge that these venues welcome American Express.
Twirling spoons at the ready? We’ve scoured Melbourne’s many Italian restaurants to find these Nonna-approved pasta dishes, from pillowy soft gnocchi to tangy pesto just made to be sopped up with bread. The best part? You’ll be able to dine in confidence with the knowledge that these venues welcome American Express. Buon appetito!
Melbourne is home to excellent Chinese restaurants that serve up dim sum with serious style. Whether you're after an elegant banquet, a hangover-soothing repast or some steaming hot dumplings, these restaurants have some seriously great dim sum dishes. At all these venues, you’ll be able to dine in confidence with the knowledge that they welcome American Express.
You can find something cheap and delicious on almost every street in Melbourne – the city has never had an issue in feeding the masses for less than a tenner. It's not all dims sims and jam doughnuts either: in the world's most liveable city, $20 will get you treats like goat's cheese churros, pillowy xiao long bao, and pear and black pudding tarte tatin. And when it comes to the bill you can pay with confidence, knowing these venues take American Express.
A good stir-fry is all about the breath of the wok – that magical combination of heat, impeccable timing and squeaky-fresh produce that transports you straight to the backstreets of buzzy Asian cities. Whether it’s a smoky char kuey teow, crunchy Laotian noodles or an upgrade on the classic beef and black bean, we’ve sought out the best stir fries in Melbourne. Check out the diverse range of dishes that come alive in the wok, and pay in confidence knowing these venues welcome American Express.
Plant eater or not, the thrill of landing a plate of crunchy, just-fried falafel is the stuff of every food nerd’s dreams. These deep-fried balls of goodness can look and taste slightly different depending on which country they come from. Syrian and Lebanese falafel tend to have a chickpea centre, while Egyptian ones are usually made of ground fava. Use our cheat sheet to track down your favourite version in Melbourne, and pay in confidence with American Express.
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Following the yellow brick road led performance artist, actor and lip-sync master Dickie Beau past Judy Garland and on to a murder of Hamlets in Melbourne Festival highlight Re-Member Me. Beau’s interest in lip-sync was sparked by a chance meeting with the impeccably-named San Francisco drag queen Suppositori Spelling. He says he was, “quite blown away by the virtuosity of what she was doing,” expanding on the traditional lip sync territory of power ballads and torch songs with spoken word performance. At the time, Beau had been wrestling with how to use the witty, and infamously cranky, tapes made by Garland in preparation for a memoir she never wrote. “It seemed inconceivable to do that and not use her voice, so [Blackout] was the first lip sync show that I did,” he says, chuckling. “Since then I’ve developed quite a heady artistic rationale as I’ve carried on for about ten years now.” Blackout shows featuring the vocals of Marilyn Monroe and Amy Winehouse followed before Re-Member Me, which is haunted by the ghosts of tragic princes past. Beau inhabits the dulcet tones of Sirs Ian McKellen, Kenneth Branagh, Daniel Day-Lewis and others as he explores the irresistible – occasionally egotistical – pull of Shakespeare’s most-sought after male role. “There’s this academic called Andy Lavender who talks about how behind every production trails this army of ghosts,” Beau says. “Actors do it because then you know you’ve really made it. Directors do it because of the gravit
Oh boy, this is a fantastic prize for anyone who loves grilled meats and South American wines. Time Out and San Telmo are giving away a lunch at the restaurant for eight (!) guests featuring all the San Telmo best-selling menu items – empanadas, vacío (flank steak), chorizo, morcilla, and other traditional dishes and dulce de leche desserts. This lunch comes with a wine tasting of four Argentinian wines and an information session hosted by Emilia Flotts – an Argentinian-born Melbourne wine expert. If you win, the lunch can be redeemed any day from January to March 2019 (Saturday to Tuesday only), bookings subject to availability. Winning is simple: just sign up below before October 25, 2018. Want to increase your chances of winning? Why not share this link with seven friends and you can all enter? Good luck! ENTER HERE
A huge, immersive Halloween festival is coming to Melbourne for the first time this October. Hauntville is a festival celebrating all things spooky, scary and macabre, and it's popping up at Burnley Circus Park in the lead-up to Halloween. Scaredy cats are advised not to come – Hauntville isn’t for the faint-hearted. At the festival you’ll find two hair-raising haunted houses, creepy performers, carnival games, food trucks, the ‘Fright Night’ bar and a haunted graveyard (tread lightly lest you wake the dead). Scared of clowns? You will be. Hauntville’s Cirque du Slay haunted house is crawling with demonic clowns and creatures summoned by dark forces. Make it through alive and you’re ready for the Yarra River Coffinworks, a dank and musty haunted house infested with snakes, spiders, rats and the screams of the undead. If you need a breather after that, drop into the haunted food festival, where you can grab a bite from food trucks like Bavarian Bangers, Poke Time and 196 Below. Want to imbibe? The Fright Night Bar has just your poison, plus Halloween-themed brews like pumpkin ale and spooky Sangria. Throughout Hauntville you’ll run into zombies, circus freaks and other performers there to make sure you stay scared. Try out the Halloween carnival to play Angry Crows, Zombie Head Ring Toss and to score a peck at the kissing booth (careful – there’s a nasty twist). Brave guests can also take a stroll through the haunted graveyard and hear freaky stories. Despite the fear
Melbourne’s music scene is one of the best in the world (no bragging but we’ve more live music venues than milk crate-seats at cafés). To celebrate the beating musical heart of Melbourne, we suggest heading along to one of the city’s most famous live music venues, the Corner Hotel, every Sunday afternoon for Girls to the Front. Head up to the Corner Hotel’s rooftop bar every Sunday for Girls to the Front, a chilled-out afternoon sesh featuring tunes programmed by some of the hotel’s fave female and gender non-conforming local musos. Each week features a different guest DJ spinning tracks that celebrate the music of women and GNC artists. When they say girls to the front they mean it – this Sunday sesh isn’t pinned down by any one decade, destination or genre, with each guest DJ simply seeking to showcase some of the best new and established women and GNC artists. Girls to the Front has more than just a killer line-up of music. During the weekly event, the rooftop bar is also kicking things up a notch with $15 Campari and Aperol spritz specials so you can relax in style. No summer Sunday hang is complete without a bit of grub either, preferably cooked al fresco. Hence why the Corner Hotel hosts their Sunday barbecue, with a different nationality featured each week. Grab a plate, grab a seat and say goodbye to the weekend in style. Girls to the Front is on every Sunday from 2pm to 6pm at the Corner Hotel. Entry is free.
Melbourne Festival artistic director Jonathan Holloway set himself a big task following up last year's festival. Taylor Mac's 24-hour popular music spectacular is already been described as one of the defining artistic events of the decade, so all eyes are on Holloway to see what he pulls out this time around. Has he found the appropriate follow-up? "I don’t think the equivalent work exists at the moment," Holloway told Time Out. "And I don’t think there are many of those anywhere in the world. I think it was a watershed moment that did something even we couldn’t imagine it would do." Holloway's third festival (he'll be stepping aside at the end of his fourth in 2019) mightn't have one massive central event, but it does have a stack of significant highlights. If you're looking for a big public spectacle, French artists Compagnie Carabosse will be taking over the Royal Botanic Gardens with Fire Gardens, a series of huge fiery installations that will light up Melbourne for three nights. On the other end of the scale is Flight, a tiny theatrical experience from the UK, crafted out of miniature figures and a giant rotating diorama. There'll also be a performance involving one man and 100 cheap plastic keyboards, an evening of work by contemporary dance master William Forsythe, a three-week run of a circus show from one of the UK's leading circus arts companies called Lexicon, and the already announced Middle Eastern dance-opera Layla and Majnun. "I approach a festival a bit
Wedding season is fast approaching and the spring races are already in full swing, so it's well time that you get a custom suit to match the occasion. The Suit Concierge are set to make this process elegant and easy, with its bespoke tailoring service based in Richmond. Their custom tailoring service lets you choose from a huge selection of fabrics sourced from right across Australia and the world. Choose from wool, cotton, linen, tweed, cashmere, velvet and corduroy all in different colours and patterns to suit any occasion. From here you'll get to choose your suit style and separates, including jackets, pants, vests, coats, tuxedos, sports jackets and blazers. The Suit Concierge doesn't just cater to the blokes, either. Women can suit up too, with a range of custom suits, dresses and skirts. The variety of styles and price-points is equally as impressive. There are affordable in-house mills to choose from or you can take your pick of branded fabrics from the likes of Marzoni, Loro Piana and Ermenegildo Zegna (elsewhere these suits would set you back around $5000, but you can nab one for about $999). Plus, the Suit Concierge has the largest fabric selection of any tailor in Australia, with over 10,000 fabrics to choose from. Lucky for you Time Out readers can get 20 per cent off custom-made clothing at the moment. Just mention this article in store and you'll get a discount off your first order. So whether you’re after a fresh linen suit for a summer Mornington Penin
This is the world of Astroman, Albert Belz’s heart-warming love letter to the 1980s. Starring Elaine Crombie (Black Comedy), Nicholas Denton (Wild), Kamil Ellis (Macbeth), Tahlee Fereday (Fallen), Tony Nikolakopoulos (Wentworth) and Calen Tassone (Red Dog), it follows the story of 13-year-old Jiembra Djalu and his brother, Sonny. Jiembra is a video game whiz and maths genius, and he strikes up an unlikely friendship with the owner of the local arcade. His gaming prowess could give him the chance to change his life forever, but at what cost? Enter below before Tuesday November 13, for your chance to win one of 15 premium double passes on offer to see Astroman on Tuesday, November 20 at 6.30pm. Astroman runs from October 27 to December 8 at the Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne. ENTER HERE
Adelaide's much loved Pwerle Gallery will be flying over to Melbourne to make a special guest appearance at CBD café and design space, Mercedes me. The Indigenous-run art gallery, which was founded in 2015, will be showcasing works from its expansive Aboriginal art collection in the Mercedes me space for one very special event. On Thursday, October 25, Mercedes me will be hosting a new exhibition of Pwerle Gallery's indigenous artworks recently aquired by the gallery. On the night there will also be a live art installation which will see an artist doing a live painting on a Mercedes-Benz bonnet. There will also be a DJ soundtracking the evening, plus drinks and canapés. It all goes down on October 25 from 6pm, and it's free to attend. The following day, on Friday, October 26, Mercedes me will be hosting a Pwerle artist for a live painting display for their Meet the Maker series. Punters will be able to come in to the space and see some live painting throughout the morning. This collaboration is another in Mercedes me's collection of events that celebrate Australian creatives and thinkers in the fields of sport, art, design, innovation, food and wine, fashion and community leadership. Find out more about Mercedes Me and the Pwerle Gallery collaboration here.
Looking for an excuse to party in January? Join thousands of other electronic music fans and some of the best international DJs at 2019's Electric Gardens Festival. Taking place on January 18, the 2019 edition of the festival will be headlined by Underworld. If you grew up going to clubs in the '90s you will have certainly had a dance to their Trainspotting mega hit, 'Born Slippy'. The opening drones of the drum heavy hit will be sure to bring back nostalgic dancefloor memories to the open-air festival. They'll be joined by Colombian-American DJ, music producer and record label owner Erick Morillo, who will bring his electronic-house beats to life on stage. The UK's Eats Everything will also make the trip over the pond, while local stalwarts Set Mo and Bag Raiders will bring their much loved danceable DJ sets to the mix. Whether you're an old school techno fan, an EDM newbie or you just love a day out filled with great music, Electric Gardens will be sure to bring the vibes come the public holiday, so snap up your first release tickets ASAP. Venue is set to be announced very soon! More artists will be announced for the festival in the coming weeks.
You won’t find any Shake ‘n Bake at the Cake Bake and Sweets Show – this flour-covered expo only dishes out top tier sweet treats. There’s masterclasses, cake-decorating competitions, workshops and cooking demonstrations for home bakers, and plenty of taste-testing opportunities if dessert is your kryptonite. Over three days of baking events, you’ll get the chance to be tutored by international celebrity chefs and local baking stars. Pastry chef at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel Anna Polyviou will share her creative dessert skills, appearing alongside local Instagram dessert queen Katherine Sabbath and Benny Rivera from New York’s City Cakes. Throughout the show, learn how to temper couverture chocolate, whip together the smoothest buttercream, create sharp frosting edges and even construct a multi-tiered wedding cake. There will also be an exhibition space to taste the full carbtastic menu, explore new baking appliances and have cookbooks signed by your baking idols. Some savoury baked items will make the cut, and there’ll be an area dedicated to healthy baking, so you can go nuts on your cheat day without going into a sugar coma. You'll need to register for most classes and workshops, which are an additional cost on top of the entry ticket price.
