The best things to do in Melbourne this weekend

Knights, dragons and flaming sword battles await at the magical Kryal Castle this winter school holidays, as part of Ballarat’s Winter Festival. A fiery kids program is taking place during the Victorian school holidays and all of the land’s bravest heroes are invited.  From July 5 to 20, the adventure begins with thrilling live shows packed with action where you can cosy up with a hot chocolate (or mulled wine for the grown-ups) and watch knights battle it out with fiery swords and clash over live jousting demonstrations. Join them in sword training at Knight School or with a bow at archery lessons. If battles aren’t your speciality, there are also potion classes where you’ll mix magical brews.  Next, head to the Jester’s Theatre for a show-stopping puppet performance that brings Kryal Castle’s enchanting history to life. Discover the tale of an evil queen who cast an eternal winter over the land and the brave hero foretold to break the curse. Along the way, you’ll meet magical princesses, wise wizards and fiery dragons (oh my!), and even have the chance to transform into your favourite character at the face painting and hair braiding station. Don’t leave empty handed when there are plenty of magical goodies to take home. Make a pit stop at the Tooth Fairy Lolly Shop, Moonlight Market or try your hand at crafts and make your own snowflake souvenir. The best part is you can keep the fun going on an overnight stay with cabins, tiny homes, campsites or luxe castle-themed...

There’s no more rehearsing. In fact, there was none to begin with. Not a single cast member of ECHO: Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen knows the part by heart. Welcome to a spectacle that is deliberately unprepared, unorthodox and unpredictable.  Nassim Soleimanpour is the most performed playwright in the history of Iranian theatre. You may know him for his acclaimed works like White Rabbit, Red Rabbit or NASSIM. This July, he’s joining audiences at Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre all the way from Berlin for a spectacle that plays with technology and tricks of the trade to redefine the idea of ‘home’.  One of the key characteristics of Soleimanpour’s style is fastracking unrehearsed cold reads to showtime, and Italian-Palestinian director Omar Elerian is bringing his work to life in Melbourne. Each night Soleimanpour will guide a new guest through the script for a performance that quite literally no one has seen before.  Household Australian names taking on the challenge include everyone from journalists Stan Grant and Jan Fran to musician and presenter David Campbell and comedian Michelle Brasier, plus actors Ben Lawson, Pia Miranda and Nadine Garner. Watch them star in what Soleimanpour calls a “long-distance magic show”. ECHO: Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen plays at Malthouse Theatre from July 14 to 19. To find out when each performer takes the stage and book your tickets, head here.

Ever wondered what it was like when dinosaurs roamed the earth? Now’s your chance to find out. Round up the kids these school holidays and head to DinoFest at Nortons Park in Wantirna South for a fully immersive, family-friendly experience where you can get up close to the big and exciting creatures.  Join a DinoFest Ranger for a 45-minute Dinosaur Encounter through the Mesozoic era, complete with all your childhood favourites including roaring Triceratops, towering Stegosauruses and of course, the most fearsome dinosaurs of all: the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. Along the way, you’ll pick up fascinating dino facts like how the giant T. Rex was once the size of a dog. The kids can even get their hands dirty with a 'Dino Dig', themed arts and crafts, and ‘feel a fossil’ with real dinosaur bones. Once you’ve had the chance to meet more than 30 life-like, moving dinosaurs (including cute baby dinos), refuel at the coffee and food trucks before continuing on at one of the many activities on offer. Kids can unearth fossils at the Dino Dig, hold a real life-sized dinosaur bone at Feel a Fossil and then wrap up the day with some dino-themed arts and crafts. Dino Fest runs in 90-minute sessions daily during the school holidays from July 5–20. Tickets are $28 for adults and $26 for kids. Grab yours here. 

June 5 update: Surprise! Tickets to this event suddenly went on sale on the morning of June 5. Get in quick to nab yours via the website.  Choo choo! The Train of Lights is back on the tracks for 2025 and ready to captivate passengers with a magical winter journey through the Dandenong Ranges for a fourth year. Australia’s favourite steam train Puffing Billy will be your conductor for this trip that illuminates the natural beauty of the region with thousands of dazzling lights. When is Puffing Billy Train of Lights on for 2025? This enchanting winter journey is only on for just over two weeks from July 4 to July 20.  What to expect for Puffing Billy Train of Lights? The whole experience is a two-and-a-half hour round trip. Departing from Lakeside Station, you’ll be immersed in a spectacle of neon colours as acclaimed lighting specialists Resolution X (White Night, Melbourne Fashion Festival) brighten up the countryside with sparkles, rainbows and hypnotic patterns. The historic train will also be adorned with stunning visual effects, which will light up the trees, tracks and passing towns along the way.  Puffing Billy will chug along the historic narrow-gauge track to Gembrook Station where guests will disembark for a 55-minute stopover. Here, you can warm up by the crackling open firepits with hot chocolate and live acoustic music, and enjoy a sausage sizzle by the Rotary Club of Emerald and District. Make your night even more magical by pre-ordering a Puffing Billy...

Looking for things to do now that the cool weather has set in? Rug up and head to the City of Casey, located just a 40-minute drive from the CBD, for its Winter Arts Festival from June 20 to July 20.  This celebration of creativity, community and colour is back for another year, with a jam-packed program of performances, installations, film screenings and workshops spotlighting local talent. Taking over multiple venues including Narre Warren’s creative hub Bunjil Place, the historic Old Cheese Factory and the expansive Wilson Botanic Garden, the program features a mix of free and ticketed events. Highlights include a crowd-pleasing production of the Broadway hit Mamma Mia!, performed by Windmill Theatre Company; an electric drag cabaret showcase from Queers of Concert; and live music covering everything from soul to pop by the talented South East Music students. Film buffs can catch a special screening of the heartwarming flick Memoir of a Snail, followed by an exclusive Q&A with the Oscar-winning filmmaker Adam Elliot – who just so happens to be a nearby Berwick local. There’s also Lost in Bunjil Place Plaza, a free art installation by Amanda Parer featuring giant, illuminated sculptures of endangered botanical species.  Families are well catered for, with a line-up of kid-friendly events and interactive theatre shows. These include The Owl’s Apprentice, a magical mix of shadow puppetry and physical theatre, and Imagine Live, a live-action musical adaptation of a beloved...

Melbourne's favourite illuminated event is back again for a fourth year, with more than 20 dazzling new light installations to meander through in wonderment. From June 20 to August 10, take a nighttime stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens and experience luminous pathways, lit-up tree canopies, soothing soundscapes and more spectacular sights. For the upcoming season, you can expect a reimagined 2.2km trail accompanied by stunning lakeside reflections, large-scale illuminated sculptures and other wonders, with more than 100,000 tiny lights on display. Expect 2025 highlights to be huge illuminated canopy of flowers and the mesmerising 'lawn of light'. Most importantly, you'll also be able to grab a bite to eat and warming drinks, like hot chocolate and mulled wine, at the Welcome Zone or along the trail. They say that Melbourne is at its best in winter and events like Lightscape, where you can rug up and join friends for a magical experience, are a big reason why. Adult tickets start at $36 and are available through the website – be quick as they tend to go fast.  Want more? Check out the best things happening in Melbourne this week.

Way back when Tim Burton was a much weirder filmmaker, my wee brother and I were unreasonably thrilled by the chaos engine of awfully bad behaviour that was Michael Keaton’s unhinged and unwashed demon, Betelgeuse.  The grotty stripe-suited monster ate up the 1988 film of not quite the same name – the studio figured folks would stay away unless the title was simplified to Beetlejuice. Named after the red supergiant star blazing ferociously in the constellation of Orion, some 600 light years from our solar system, Betelgeuse is an outcast from the hilariously bureaucratic afterlife, aka the Netherworld. Which leaves him preying on the naïve recently deceased, like sweet young couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), in an attempt to crowbar open the sort of ridiculous loophole the Greek gods are fond of. Say his – apparently too complex – name three times and he’ll be unleashed on the mortal coil once more.  But Betelgeuse’s sleazy attentions are soon distracted by Winona Ryder’s goth child Lydia, when she reluctantly moves into Adam and Barbara’s now-empty house with her dad, Charles (disgraced actor Jeffrey Jones), and his new squeeze, OTT sculptor Delia (fabulously demented goddess Catherine O’Hara). A smash hit, Beetlejuice is a wild and unruly thing writhing with unhinged ideas, from its stop-animated black and white sand worms to characters shrunk into a model of sleepy town Winter River, and on to the hilariously-depicted dead of the surreal...

Winter is here but that doesn’t mean you and the family need to stay at home. Rug up and head west to Grazeland to find your fave foodie precinct utterly transformed into a winter wonderland that will impress both kids and the young at heart. Each weekend from July 4 to 20, the epic culinary playground will be decked out with dreamy white snow, neon lights and cosy vibes.  As the days get shorter and the temps drop to new lows, there’s never been a better excuse to venture out and have a cosy night by the river. Warm up with mulled wine by the fire pits and dig into a diverse array of international eats, including aromatic laksa, New Orleans-style chicken, chicken satay rice, Turkish gozleme, dumplings and epic mac and cheese plates. Craving dessert? Try a winter-friendly warm apple pie or street crepes to finish your meal on a sweet note. With roving performers, live bands and interactive DJs providing plenty of entertainment, have a dance by the magical snow machine or treat the kids to a face painting session and playtime in the fun zones.   When it’s time to sit back and relax, warm up those mitts with a spice-infused mulled wine. Don't miss the kick-off Block Party event on Friday night, July 4, where Frosty the Snowman will be making an appearance and live sets will set the street party mood (no bookings required). Christmas may be far away yet, but when there’s an opportunity to have a white Christmas in July – we’ll take it! Looking for more fun things to see and...

It’s time to dig out your winter woollies and make the drive to Ballarat, because Sovereign Hill is hosting an illuminated extravaganza this July. That’s right, the annual Winter Wonderlights program is back for another year and this edition promises to bring a bumper schedule of nighttime activities. Until July 27 (including the school holidays), the much-loved outdoor Gold Rush museum will once again transform into a whimsical winter wonderland, with dazzling new light installations, warming fires, cosy food and drink options, family-friendly activities, live music and more. Walking through a 19th-century town is always a fascinating experience, but the addition of Christmas music, faux snowfalls and glowing projections on the shopfronts of the main street takes the Sovereign Hill experience to a whole new level. If exploring after-dark works up an appetite, then warm up with a delicious two-course hearty meal at the Charlie Napier Hotel. Enjoy a festive serving of roast turkey and glazed ham with all the trimmings, followed by dessert.  Your Winter Wonderlights ticket includes entry into regular Sovereign Hill activities during both the day and evening. Book your tickets online here to avoid missing out. Looking to get lit in Melbourne? Here is everything illuminated and glowing in our city this winter.

French Impressionism is host to arguably some of the most famous (and most loved) artists of all time. Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Van Gogh and Degas are just some of the artists who achieved such acclaim that they remain household names even a century after their deaths. And this winter, you can see some of the artist's most beautiful and well-known works right here in Melbourne at the NGV's new exhibition, French Impressionism: From the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. From June 5 to October 5, 2025, the NGV will host more than 100 French Impressionist works by artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne and Mary Cassatt – including works never before seen in Australia. The exhibition is running in partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which is well regarded for its collection of French Impressionist masterpieces.    A highlight is the display of 16 canvases in one gallery, painted over a 30-year period, by Claude Monet. These works depict many of Monet’s most beloved scenes of nature in Argenteuil, the Normandy coast, the Mediterranean coast and his famous garden in Giverny.  One of the best things about this exhibition is that you will also learn the stories of the artists, exhibitions and collectors that shaped this significant movement in art history. Originally brought to the NGV back in 2021, this exhibition had to close just after it opened due to (yep, you guessed it), the...