Melbourne Showgrounds

For most of us, Lego is a nostalgic hobby from bygone childhood years, but there are an exceptional few who took these tiny building blocks from a fun pastime to the next level. Lego artist Nathan Sawaya is one of these talented individuals who is showcasing his fascinating sculptures with a new exhibition that has to be seen to be believed.  The Art of the Brick Immersive Experience exhibition features more than 100 contemporary artworks, all crafted using more than one million Lego bricks to make large-scale, life-like creations.  After a sold-out season back in 2011, it's returning to our city as part of a huge world tour with brand new pieces, having already visited 100 cities across 24 countries. Sawaya is the only person in the world who has the double title of Lego Master Model Builder and Lego Certified Professional. Whoa.  Some of the works showcased in the exhibition include a giant version of Sawaya's most famous sculpture, 'Yellow', which stands at more than six feet tall, plus an installation with 250 kinetic Lego skulls, a piece called 'Infinity Rainbow' that features seven life-sized sculptures, the 30-foot long 'Big Swimmer', dazzling 360-degree digital projections and lots more. The Art of the Brick Immersive Experience opens on April 14 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Tickets go on sale on March 21 at 7pm, and you can sign up for the waitlist here. Find out more about the exhibition at the website.  Looking for more things to do? Check out our guide to what's

Melbourne's giant beer, cider and fun festival GABS is back for 2024, so get ready to get sipping. Normally, the epic event would be held at the Royal Exhibition Building but after news that the heritage site is in need of an estimate $50 million in repairs, the beer nerds have moved their long-running project to Melbourne Showgrounds instead. Despite the new digs, the GABS brief fortunately remains the same: go on a deep dive with some of the best and most experimental local and interstate brewers on the scene right now. Of course, a few international brewers will be getting in on the action too (we see you, Kiwi cousins in hops) – but that's not even the most exciting part. We've just heard word that the world's oldest brewery, Weihenstephan, will be landing from Germany this year and they're currently brewing up special creations just for you. After nearly a thousand years, the Weihenstephan Monastery Brewery still stands atop Nährberg Hill, winning numerous prestigious awards over the years and ever conscious of its position as the oldest existing brewery in the world. Now you can try some for yourself! Pouring exclusively at GABS Festival will be Braupakt, Wheat beer, Pils and the Original Helles. And of course, the serious drawcard of GABS each year involves the roster of never brewed before, never to be seen again beers and ciders made just for the fest. In 2024, the bonkers beer festival will showcase more than 500 taps from 150 different breweries. There'll also be m

The most paw-sitively meow-nificent news has dropped: after a hiatus, the animal aficionados from the Dog Lovers Show are bringing back the Cat Lovers Show, set to hit the Melbourne Showgrounds on October 26 and 27.  For cat owners, the event will be the purr-fect opportunity to meet fellow crazy cat people, and for aspiring cat owners, it will be a great chance to live vicariously through those lucky enough to have a furry pal in their lives (or even inspire you to finally adopt one for yourself).  The two-day expo will feature more than 200 beautiful kitties in the Pat-A-Cat and Breed Showcase zones, and you can meet and greet all of them and learn more about the lifestyle requirements, temperament and characteristics of each cat. There will also be opportunities to chat with renowned animal experts to get essential tips on feline behaviour, nutrition, enrichment and breed selection.  One of the main objectives of the show will be to raise awareness for cat rescue and to work closely with shelters across the country to drive adoption and increase education about responsible cat ownership. The Whiskas adoption zone will provide all the information you need on providing a loving home to a cat in need, and you can even meet cats ready for adoption (hint, hint). Plus, there will also be a Championship Cat Show, free feline face painting, expert discussions, stalls loaded with the latest cat products and guest speakers. Plus, if you take part in the kitty cosplay fancy dress, yo

On October 26 and 27 at the Melbourne Showgrounds, you can celebrate your beloved four-legged friend at the Dog Lovers Festival (which also happens to be the event's tenth birthday). As one of the world's largest dog-dedicated festivals, you can look forward to seeing pups of all shapes, sizes and breeds. There will be live performances from talented canines, engaging talks by dog experts, dedicated petting zones, carnival rides, pool diving pups, stalls spruiking the latest products and services, and so much more. There will also be exciting new adoption initiatives to help more dogs in need. Essentially, it's heaven for pooch lovers.  Whether you own a pup of your own or you're simply a lover of dogs, this event will be filled to the brim with fun dog-related activities. The event will run from 9.30am until 5pm daily, and tickets are on sale now through the Dog Lovers Festival website. More of a cat person? The Cat Lovers Show is also happening at the Melbourne Showgrounds on the same weekend. Find out more info here. Looking for more fun? Here's our guide to what's on in Melbourne this weekend.