Around Melbourne

If you were to ask almost any local what Melbourne is best known for, there’s a chance you’ll get a reference to its laneways. While a good number of Melbourne laneways are already filled with art, eateries, and hidden bars, there are a fair few that are lesser known and haven’t reached their full laneway potential, until now. Supported by the City of Melbourne, Flash Forward is Melbourne’s most ambitious street art project, with over 40 large-scale works commissioned and set to hit the laneways of Melbourne. Among the program are familiar names like Celeste Mountjoy (filthyratbag), Jarra Karralinar Steel, Olana Janfa, Aretha Brown, DREZ, and Ling, with more lighting, music and creative installations in the works.  From Mountjoy’s ‘Your Turn’ on Little Lonsdale Street standing over six metres tall with vibrant pops of colour, through to LING’s gargantuan sculptural piece ‘Crushed Can’ on Wills Street paying homage to the city’s graffiti scene, Flash Forward is encouraging exploration with an element of surprise, as pieces seem to pop up across the city overnight. While a fair few pieces are already up, the ever-growing program list means there are still a bunch more pieces yet to hit the laneways of Melbourne.  If you’re interested in taking yourself on a laneway tour, there’s an interactive and printable map available on the Flash Forward website. Want more art? Check out the best street art spots in Melbourne.

If you love all things Australian fashion and design, get ready for the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival to take over the city this March. The nine-day program will run from March 3 to 11, and will feature free and ticketed events including runway shows, workshops and shopping events.  "There is a reason why Melbourne holds Australia's fashion capital mantle," says Caroline Ralphsmith, the CEO of PayPayl Melbourne Fashion Festival. "After some very challenging years, this festival will be a true celebration of all things fashion, and everyone is invited!"  This year, the festival will kick off on Friday, March 3 with a free-to-attend Welcome to Country held at the Royal Exhibition Building. Highlights from the rest of the festival include the Utopia Runway, a celebration of modern feminine dressing with vintage inspiration; the Envision Runway, with established designers presenting sustainability-focused garbs; the Urban Oasis Runway, which celebrates leading and emerging First Nations designers alongside established street and conceptual designers; and the National Graduate Showcase featuring ten designers hand-picked from Australia's leading institutions.  On top of runways, there will also be glamorous experiences, informative panel discussions and heaps of fashion pop-ups. Catch the Fashion Film Awards at the Capitol Theatre on March 5; join Country Road for the International Women's Day Breakfast on March 8; admire the latest fashion from Armadale's iconic High Street a

Blackpink is coming to Melbourne! Start your K-Pop engines, fire up your best singing voice, and get ready to dance the night away as the Korean megastars hit our fair city for two nights only in June 2023. Their 'Born Pink' world tour, kicking off in Seoul this October and continuing into 2023, was unveiled via an announcement on their Instagram page earlier this year. The epic global lineup includes two nights in Melbourne (June 10-11), two nights in Sydney (June 16-17), and one night in Auckland (June 21). Venues for the tour, including the Australian leg, have not yet been released but will be updated in the coming months. Tickets have gone on sale for international cities on the tour up until December, but Aussie details remain a mystery for now. Stay tuned for more information on ticket pre-sales and release. The South Korean pop group made a huge splash six years ago when they debuted back in August 2016 with their single album Square One, which featured smash hits 'Whistle' and 'Boombayah'. Blackpink is the highest-charting female Korean act ever on the Billboard Hot 100, hold the record for the best-selling album by a Korean girl group of all time, and their music video for 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' was the first to surpass one billion views on YouTube for a Korean artist. Find out more about their upcoming 'Born Pink' world tour at the official website.