Arts Centre Melbourne

With its instantly recognisable spire, Arts Centre Melbourne is one the city's most revered cultural landmarks

Theatre
Southbank

Friday 22 August 2025

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Written by Leah Glynn

Melbourne Editor

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Time Out says

As the focal point of Melbourne's famed cultural precinct, Arts Centre Melbourne is Australia's largest and busiest performing arts venue.

Housing an array of venues that include Hamer Hall, the Playhouse, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the State Theatre and Fairfax Studio (and various exhibition spaces), it plays host to more than 4,400 performances and public events each year.

Since it opened in 1984, it has partnered with national and state companies like Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Symphone Orchestra, Melbourne Theatre Company, Victorian Opera, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Sydney Dance Company.

There's so much more to Arts Centre Melbourne than what's on stage though. You can take part in behind-the-scenes tours of the Australian Performing Arts Collection, check out the free Australian Music Vault exhibition (which includes material from icons like Kylie Minogue and Olivia Newton-John), and learn about the design and architecture on a venue tour.

And in December, the brand new Australian Museum of Performing Arts will open – it will blend exclusive pieces from its permanent collection with internationally acclaimed touring exhibitions. Think Dame Edna Everage's ostentatious ‘Scream Dress', Dame Nellie Melba’s exquisite silk stage cloak, and Bon Scott’s leather jacket.

If you're looking to grab a pre-show drink or meal, head to The Barre or Protagonist café.

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Want more? This is the best of Melbourne theatre and musicals this month.

Details

Address: 100 St Kilda Rd; Melbourne; 3004

Transport:: Nearby stations: Flinders Street

Opening hours:: Mon-Wed 7am-6pm; Thu-Fri 7am-10pm; Sat 8.30am-10pm; Sun 10am-5pm

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What’s on

Diva

From Marilyn Monroe’s fringed black dress in Some Like It Hot to Elton John’s Louis XIV–inspired birthday suit (complete with the powdered wig and train), the diva has always known how to turn getting dressed into an art form. Enter Diva, the debut exhibition at the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA). This is a glittering celebration of the artists who’ve shaped pop culture, music and fashion through imagination, talent – and, of course, by being a total diva. Charting the 19th-century opera goddesses and silent film stars to today’s global megastars, the exhibition will showcase the rise of the diva by going behind the sequins to reveal the cultural power and artistry of some of the world’s most captivating performers. Presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), this Australian exclusive brings together more than 250 objects, including 60 spectacular costumes, jewellery, photography and handwritten lyrics spanning opera, pop, punk and Hollywood. Expect a red-carpet roll call of icons: Maria Callas, Grace Jones, Cher, Prince, Madonna, Elton John, Tina Turner, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, Billie Eilish and more. Australia’s own legends get their time on the red carpet, too — from Dame Nellie Melba and Peter Allen to Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Jessica Mauboy and Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers. Discover exquisite garments by Bob Mackie, Vivienne Westwood, Maison Margiela, Valentino and Christian Dior,...

Design
Until 26 Apr 2026

Heathers the Musical

When Veronica Sawyer – a self-described nobody – trudges into Westerberg High, she’s just hoping to survive the social apocalypse of senior year. Then the Heathers arrive: three impossibly perfect, wickedly vicious teen tyrants who run the school like a blow-dried dictatorship. As Veronica’s popularity rises and her disillusionment with the Heathers grows, in strides J.D., a brooding, Baudelaire-quoting outsider whose disdain for the school’s hierarchy soon turns into something far sinister. The 1989 cult film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater has long been beloved for its jet-black humour and anarchic take on the trials of being a teenager – and now it’s a full-throttle musical. After blockbuster seasons across the UK, Ireland and the US, Heathers The Musical finally hits Australian stages, with Melbourne as its first stop. Running from April 8 to May 3, 2026, this high-octane, rock musical delivers killer one-liners, scrunchie-spangled nostalgia and all the charm of the original film, now reimagined with a full Australasian cast and a catchy score. Expect powerhouse vocals and songs that burrow into your brain long after curtain call, courtesy of Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives) and Laurence O’Keefe (Legally Blonde: The Musical). With Andy Fickman at the helm, this “twistedly heartfelt” production balances anarchic comedy with surprising warmth. Melbourne's Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne is the first stop on a national tour that includes Sydney, Adelaide,...

8 Apr3 May 2026

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