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On Tuesday, July 7, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews announced that all of metropolitan Melbourne (plus Mitchell Shire) would be returning to stage three “stay-at-home” restrictions.
The reintroduction of these restrictions means that Melburnians will once again be primarily confined to their homes – but what it also means is that, yes, the city’s cultural institutions will once again be forced to close only weeks after they reopened.
From Thursday, July 9, all galleries, cinemas (including drive-in cinemas), theatres, live music venues and libraries across Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will be forced to close. Zoos and other outdoor entertainment venues will have to close as well.
Many of Melbourne’s best-loved cultural venues took to social media to express their reactions to the second lockdown order.
Galleries and museums had been allowed to reopen across Victoria from June 1, though most did not open until later that month. Cinemas and theatres were only allowed to open from June 22. The one silver lining is that, as this is not Melbourne's first rodeo, venues have already established strong digital presences. You can still take tours of Melbourne Museum, enjoy films from Lido Cinema, and explore the NGV's galleries online – just to name a few. Check in with your favourite venues to see what they're currently offering.
The stage three lockdown for metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire is in place for six weeks beginning at 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 8. Cultural and entertainment venues in all other locations in Victoria are still permitted to open but must abide by certain restrictions as outlined by the DHHS.