Around Melbourne

Every year, the Melbourne Fringe Festival makes jaws drop and eyes widen across the city with its unconventional line-up of independent theatre, comedy, drag, art, music and events. This year marks the 43rd iteration of the festival, which is known for championing big, radical ideas and being an all out celebration of Melbourne at its weirdest.  Melbourne Fringe returns to the city again from September 30 to October 19, with a program of events set to show punters exactly how to experience the best that the arts in our fair city has to offer. This year the theme is ‘Action Heroes Assemble’, and it's aiming to encourage everyday people to take part, take risks and take action to help shape the kind of world we all want to live in. Leading the stacked line-up is the festival's major public artwork: 'Power Move' by Quiet Riot. This free public dancefloor will be located at Fed Square, and using cutting-edge technology it will channel everyone's moves into green energy. The Opening Night Gala – this year hosted by Sammy J – is always a riotous night packed with comedy, cabaret, circus and plenty of surprises. And don't forget to come dressed as your childhood hero. You can witness queer family making in real time at First Trimester by Krishna Istha. This live performance invites audiences to join in Istha’s public search for a sperm donor. Or why not go for a stroll with a Gen Z as part of Nightwalks With Teenagers – part performance, part social experiment, it's been...

If you can quote The Last of Us line by line, have seen every episode of Critical Role and The Adventure Zone or you’re addicted to Twitch and can’t choose between Fortnite and Overwatch, then this is the festival for you. Melbourne International Games Week is the biggest gaming event in the Asia-Pacific region, and it returns in 2025 with an expanded line-up of more than 70 events. It's set to showcase the city as a leading global games hub from October 4-12, with both emerging local creators and global talent stepping into the spotlight.  Highlights from the program include ACMI's groundbreaking new playable exhibition, Game Worlds; Big Games Night Out (October 4) at Fed Square, which will feature cosplay parades, dance-offs, prizes and more; satellite events at Bunjil Place and Hobsons Bay Altona Library; crossover shows with Melbourne Fringe Festival; workshops on creating your own 3D game character or developing your rapid prototyping skills using Unreal Engine; and so much more. For those in the biz, the roll call of international big-name guests in attendance reads like a who's who of the gaming industry: Lis Moberly, creative lead at 20th Century Games and Walt Disney Company; Donald Barrett, senior designer on Marvel’s Spider-Man; Jenny Windom, organiser for Wholesome Games; and Josh Sawyer, studio design director at Obsidian. So break out your headsets, your handsets, your keyboards and your D20s, and come indulge your gaming needs. Visit the Melbourne...

It’s time to enjoy some sax in the city this spring, with the return of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) for its 28th edition. This year, more than 500 artists representing 18 countries will participate in more than 150 events across 40 venues. Phew! It's the festival's most expansive and ambitious program to date, and we can see why. Better yet, 36 per cent of the events are free to attend.  Since 1998, MIJF has taken the underground above ground and celebrated the best of jazz culture by showcasing leading and emerging contemporary artists from home and abroad. During the festival, which runs from October 17-26, Melbourne will once again become the epicentre of Australia’s vibrant and buzzing jazz scene, with music taking over the streets, concert halls and clubs.  The party kicks off with Night Crawl – a one-night-only takeover of multiple CBD venues, featuring Natasha Diggs (US), multi-instrumentalist Tenderlonious (UK) and local legends Horatio Luna, Surprise Chef and Ella Thompson. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure of free live music across iconic sites such as Wax Music Lounge, Arbory Afloat, Whitehart and more.  Other headline acts include Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning artist Harry Connick Jr leading the festival’s signature Jazz at the Bowl on the final weekend; baritone superstar Gregory Porter, who will be performing at Hamer Hall; powerhouse vocalist Samara Joy, Japanese pianist and composer Hiromi; plus jazz legends Gary Bartz,...

It's the most wonderful time of the year for fashionistas: Melbourne Fashion Week is returning for seven days of sartorial heaven from October 20-26. This year's theme is Come As You Are, and it's an invitation to everyone to join in the city-wide celebrations of self-expression and creativity. More than 600 designers and retailers will be taking part across 100-plus events (both free and ticketed) – like six premium runways that will be held at iconic locations like 1 Hotel Melbourne, Mercato Centrale and the Melbourne Recital Centre. Other highlights from the 2025 program include an exclusive Australian-first showcase of the spellbinding costumes created for Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked and the upcoming Wicked: For Good at Fed Square; five Fashion Capsules that will feature curated works by some of the country's brightest designers, students and stylists; and various roundtable discussions on everything from working in fashion to exploring size, culture, ability and gender as avenues for creativity.  Some of the renowned local designers who will be championing their wares include J'Aton Couture, Aje Studio, Oroton, Husk, Karlaidlaw, Collective Closets, Et Al, Ngali and students from Melbourne’s leading fashion institutions. Tickets for Melbourne Fashion Week are on sale now. For the full program, head to the official website. But get in quick – the premium runways tend to sell out in a flash. Looking for more fashion? Check out our list of Melbourne's best sustainable...

As far as shopping sprees go, there’s nothing quite like rummaging through pre-loved goodies at a garage sale. Part of the joy is never knowing what bargain you’ll find – and not realising how badly you wanted a pair of neon pink parachute pants until you rescue them from a cardboard box. These days, a good garage sale is as rare as an original 1960s troll doll – which is where the Garage Sale Trail comes in. What started on the front lawns of Bondi in 2010 is now a nationwide campaign during which thousands of garage sales run across the country for two massive weekends. The aim is to reduce waste and encourage reusing among local communities, to stop tonnes of perfectly good stuff from ending up in landfill. To run your own garage sale, it's totally free to register. The Garage Sale Trail team will then send you promo materials to help put the word out, plus they’ll list your sale on the official website. If you're looking to score a pre-loved bargain, you can then use the website as a guide to all the sales in their area. So far, it looks like there's almost 300 garage sales registered in Melbourne alone, which is a whole lotta shopping. Plus, there are also group sales where multiple stallholders band together to make a one-stop-shop mega sale. Whether you're selling or buying, it's truly a win-win: finally declutter your wardrobe and make some extra moola, or get your hands on some new-to-you, sustainable treasures.  This year, there will be garage sales across...