Around Melbourne

It’s lights, camera, action for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) this August, when a red carpet will be rolled out for a massive eighteen days of cinematic revelry. The festival celebrates Australian and international filmmaking with a huge program of flicks. With so much to see, we've cut through the curtain to unveil everything you need to know.   What is the Melbourne International Film Festival? Now in its 74th year, MIFF is one of the oldest film festivals in the world, alongside Cannes and Berlin. The annual festival is held over three weeks each year throughout Melbourne and surrounds. Founded in 1952, the festival presents a curated global program of screen experiences and the world's largest showcase of Australian filmmaking.  When is the Melbourne International Film Festival? Running between August 6 and 23, MIFF will include 18 days of bold in-cinema programming with star-studded events, world premiere screenings, headline features and filmmaker talks.  What sort of things can we expect from the program? At this stage, we've only just scored a first look at the MIFF line-up for 2026, but let's just say it's already getting a standing ovation (Cannes style, of course) from us. Here are some of the highlights so far. MIFF will host the world premiere of The Airport Chaplain, a drama series set in Melbourne Airport, starring Hugo Weaving and Shabana Azeez, and inspired by a real encounter with Tullamarine's own chaplain. Straight outta Berlinale...

Sax in the city? Yes, please. The Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) returns from October 16–25, bringing world-class jazz to venues across the city. Since 1998, MIJF has championed contemporary jazz – from cutting-edge improvisers to legendary names – with more than a third of performances free to attend. The first artist announcement has just been made for the 2026 program, with the red-hot line-up set to include: Dee Dee Bridgewater and Helen Sung: Hamer Hall, October 24Three-time Grammy Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater returns to Melbourne after a decade away. Renowned for her bold phrasing, scat flair and reinterpretations of the Great American Songbook, she joins pianist Helen Sung for an intimate duet performance. Sung, a Guggenheim Fellow, blends lyrical sensitivity with intricate harmonic ideas, moving fluidly between jazz and classical influences. At Hamer Hall, they promise an expressive set spanning Ellington, Sondheim and more, with plenty of improvisational dialogue. Tigran Hamasyan: Melbourne Recital Centre, October 23Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan brings his genre-fusing sound back to MIJF with Manifeste. He blends jazz improvisation with progressive rock energy and Armenian folk motifs. At the Melbourne Recital Centre, expect a set that moves between structured composition and improvisation. The Bad Plus: Melbourne Recital Centre, October 21Boundary-pushing collective The Bad Plus return for their final Australian appearance on...