If you’re keen to support Melbourne’s vibrant local music industry by catching up on all of the gigs that you missed out on during lockdown, there couldn’t be a better way than by attending Melbourne Music Week. Rest up in preparation for a jam-packed ten-day program featuring more than 300 artists across more than 65 events.
The core of MMW will take place over these ten days in December, with headliner gigs by artists like Georgia Maq from Camp Cope, the Indigenous and women-led band Kardajala Kirridarra and a night of electronic music put together by Butter Sessions all taking place later in January and February.
Opening weekend will kick off at MPavilion with a special evening where attendees can pay their respects to the traditional owners and custodians of the land. Following the ceremony, there will be live performances by artists including Emma Donovan & the Putbacks, Kee’ahn and Squid Nebula.
The rest of opening weekend will feature seven live shows including An Afternoon in Naarm, which showcases emerging First Nations artists, and The Push, an all-ages gig presenting some of the best new talent in Melbourne. If you’re keen to reset your mind, check out the interactive mindfulness session with Rich Moffat or the immersive sound-healing experience Melbourne Cocooned.
Throughout the week, MMW is also turning subterranean venue Max Watts into the MMW Club, where you have the opportunity to see heaps of Melbourne-based acts and collectives. Some highlights include shows by rapper Dallas Woods, electro-jazz artist Elle Shimada, post-punk outfit Pinch Points and DJ Carl Cox, who helped introduce Australia to the house scene.
In addition to a slew of individual gigs, you can also look forward to experiences including a roller disco, the Carlton International Jazz Festival, the Live Music Safari, film screenings, audio-visual displays and more taking place across nearly two dozen venues in Melbourne.
Last year, MMW put forward a three-month program that attracted 72,000 attendees and gave our local economy a nearly six million dollar boost. While the event is reverting back to its traditional, shorter format, its focus is once again on reinvigorating our city.
The program features a range of ticketed and free events, and you can view the whole program and get tickets through the MMW website. In order to attend, you must be able to provide evidence that you either are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a valid medical exemption.
