Max your summer in Melbourne

The Yarra River is a beloved centrepiece of Melbourne, so it makes perfect sense that there's a festival dedicated to celebrating it in all its glory. After growing into one of the city's most beloved cultural and environmental events, Birrarung Riverfest is returning for a third year, with three weeks of events that inspire connection to Country and highlight the importance of our main waterway and all the things Melburnians love about it. The festival will run from September 6-28 (which also happens to be World Rivers Day), with more than 60 events happening all across the 242 kilometre stretch of the river, from Westgate Park at its mouth to Warburton at its source. This year, the aim is to raise awareness of stormwater pollution and the threat it poses to the health of the river. Highlights include everything from platypus spotting and sunset paddles, to gig nights and art-led sensory walks, plus talks, exhibitions, guided nature walks, tours and more. Many of these communty-led events are free to attend, too. It will conclude with the World Rivers Day Finale – a community celebration at Fed Square, with music, art, ceremony and a flotilla of boats along the river.  “After a cold Melbourne winter, Riverfest comes at the perfect time to spring us back to life,” says Janet Bolitho, president of the Yarra Riverkeepers Association. “From educational and cultural events to outdoor adventures, the Riverfest program has something for everyone.” Birrarung Riverfest is run by...

Fresh spring flowers are the perfect antidote to a long, chilly winter, and thanks to the return of the Tesselaar Tulip Festival, you'll be able to get them in spades. Now in its 70th year, the bloomin' good festival has become a must-visit event, attracting around 100,000 visitors each season.  This year, the four-week floral fiesta will run daily from September 13 to October 12, with the added fun of themed events. Learn about Turkish, Irish and Dutch culture across three dedicated weekends; treat the tots to a fun day out during the school holidays; and enjoy live music across the jazz and rock'n'roll weekends. More than a million blooms will transform the fields into a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour, with everything from traditional buds to rare and exotic varieties on show. Fun fact: there will be more than 120 cultivars of tulips alone. Beyond the floral displays, the festival will feature an array of activities, delicious food options and entertainment to delight attendees. Visitors can explore the stunning gardens, take leisurely walks among the tulip fields and capture memorable moments against a backdrop of stunning blooms.  Tickets are on sale now, visit the website. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want the blooms to come to you? Here are the best flower delivery services in Melbourne.

The beloved regional town of Bendigo will bask in the glow of the changing seasons when this massive, colourful festival takes over the region throughout spring. This year, Bendigo Bloom is celebrating its 22nd anniversary, bathing the town in colour with more than 100 events, activations and experiences throughout the season.  From idyllic gardens and cultural tours to food feasts and after-dark events, there's so much to explore during the festival. An annual favourite is the breathtaking tulip display, with more than 43,000 tulips painting a rainbow across Bendigo’s historic Pall Mall and Conservatory Gardens. After the sun sets, the flowers are transformed into a kaleidoscopic light walk called Bloom After Dark (September 26 - October 5). For more floral fun, discover the Cornella Canola Walk – running until September 28, it provides a magical opportunity to frolic through a field of fluorescent canola crops. Other highlights include Vegecarian (November 1), a free event focused on loving food, animals and life. Held at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, it will feature cooking demonstrations, market stalls, live music and animal blessings. And don't miss the Loddon Valley Arts Festival (October 3-5), which will showcase regional creativity via a network of exhibitions. There are loads of events for foodies, including the Heathcote Wine and Food Festival (October 4-5), where you can sample the region's top drops and produce or Bendigo Wine Week (October 10-18)...

Almost a decade ago, metal detectorists in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, went hunting for lost treasure. To their amazement, they would go on to discover the richest collection of Viking Age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland in a ploughed field. The Galloway Hoard has been hailed as a remarkable discovery, with more than 100 gold, silver, glass, crystal and earthenware objects being uncovered.  Now, everything from piles of silver arm rings to gold-mounted rock crystal jars are heading Down Under, and for the first time ever in Australia, you will be able to see the most important Viking Age discoveries of the 21st century up close at the Melbourne Museum. The Galloway Hoard dates to around AD 900, a period of intense cultural and political upheaval. The collection was buried in four parcels and includes more than 100 astonishing objects, from silver bullion and intricately worked jewellery to items that reveal trade routes stretching as far as Central Asia. Some of the pieces – including recently deciphered runic inscriptions – are still rewriting what we know and understand about the Viking Age today. Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard is a travelling exhibition, developed by National Museums Scotland, that showcases years of painstaking conservation and cutting-edge research. Intricate details, hidden inscriptions and newly uncovered mysteries are revealed for the first time outside the UK. To mark the opening weekend, Dr Martin Goldberg, principal...

To celebrate the arrival of spring, a fun-filled festival will take over Fed Square in September, with free family-friendly events that celebrate our natural world and how to better look after it.  RESET Festival is all about starting fresh, exploring sustainability in creative waysand feeling inspired to take on new ways of living. It's about reinventing little parts of our lives to make big changes in the world.  The program features activations, markets, activities, film screenings, talks and workshops, all focused on minimising negative impacts on the environment and increasing positive impact. There's fun to be had almost every weekend for the month, especially for the little ones during school holidays.  Highlights include the Planting Party on September 7, which involves community tree planting, live music, gardening talks and seed workshops; and the Big Toy Swap on October 2, which encourages kids to reuse and recycle in practical ways. At the Zero Waste Festival on October 6, you can learn valuable tips and tricks from experts on how to lead a waste-free lifestyle through panel discussions, activites and sustainable food trucks. Fed Square's outdoor cinema will also make a return, screening flicks that pair family favourites with environmental themes – think FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Flow and Shrek. Consider this your chance to learn all about how to reduce, reuse, recycle and repair in order to take care of our precious planet. For more information on the...

May the 4th is a special date for any Star Wars fan, but this year is one to remember. A brand-new Lego Star Wars exhibition made its world premiere, and not in a galaxy far, far away but right here in Melbourne.  Lego Star Wars: the Exhibition at Melbourne Museum comes from revered Lego genius Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught, who's back with his latest mind-boggling project of massive Star Wars brick creations – some standing at a whopping four metres tall.  There are Lego replicas of many of the iconic characters, fan favourite scenes, spacecraft and more, from both the classic films and newer releases. Plus, the exhibition includes interactive brick-based activities inclusive of all ages.  It took more than 25,000 hours to finish the exhibition and it features a wild 8 million Lego bricks. One of the most monumental creations is a three-metre-tall red X-wing spacecraft, made of an astonishing 64,759 bricks, taking 382 hours to build.  "Fans will be blown away by the scale of the experience," Brickman says. "Building these iconic scenes and characters in Lego Star Wars form is an extremely complex task – taking the humble Lego brick and using it by the millions to translate into Star Wars builds and models at an epic scale the world has never seen before.  "My team and I are super excited to launch this mind-blowing experience right here in Melbourne. My inner 7-year-old self still can’t quite believe this is happening. I can’t wait till May the Fourth to be able to share this...

The Yarra River is a beloved centrepiece of Melbourne, so it makes perfect sense that there's a festival dedicated to celebrating it in all its glory. After growing into one of the city's most beloved cultural and environmental events, Birrarung Riverfest is returning for a third year, with three weeks of events that inspire connection to Country and highlight the importance of our main waterway and all the things Melburnians love about it. The festival will run from September 6-28 (which also happens to be World Rivers Day), with more than 60 events happening all across the 242 kilometre stretch of the river, from Westgate Park at its mouth to Warburton at its source. This year, the aim is to raise awareness of stormwater pollution and the threat it poses to the health of the river. Highlights include everything from platypus spotting and sunset paddles, to gig nights and art-led sensory walks, plus talks, exhibitions, guided nature walks, tours and more. Many of these communty-led events are free to attend, too. It will conclude with the World Rivers Day Finale – a community celebration at Fed Square, with music, art, ceremony and a flotilla of boats along the river.  “After a cold Melbourne winter, Riverfest comes at the perfect time to spring us back to life,” says Janet Bolitho, president of the Yarra Riverkeepers Association. “From educational and cultural events to outdoor adventures, the Riverfest program has something for everyone.” Birrarung Riverfest is run by...

Fresh spring flowers are the perfect antidote to a long, chilly winter, and thanks to the return of the Tesselaar Tulip Festival, you'll be able to get them in spades. Now in its 70th year, the bloomin' good festival has become a must-visit event, attracting around 100,000 visitors each season.  This year, the four-week floral fiesta will run daily from September 13 to October 12, with the added fun of themed events. Learn about Turkish, Irish and Dutch culture across three dedicated weekends; treat the tots to a fun day out during the school holidays; and enjoy live music across the jazz and rock'n'roll weekends. More than a million blooms will transform the fields into a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour, with everything from traditional buds to rare and exotic varieties on show. Fun fact: there will be more than 120 cultivars of tulips alone. Beyond the floral displays, the festival will feature an array of activities, delicious food options and entertainment to delight attendees. Visitors can explore the stunning gardens, take leisurely walks among the tulip fields and capture memorable moments against a backdrop of stunning blooms.  Tickets are on sale now, visit the website. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want the blooms to come to you? Here are the best flower delivery services in Melbourne.

The beloved regional town of Bendigo will bask in the glow of the changing seasons when this massive, colourful festival takes over the region throughout spring. This year, Bendigo Bloom is celebrating its 22nd anniversary, bathing the town in colour with more than 100 events, activations and experiences throughout the season.  From idyllic gardens and cultural tours to food feasts and after-dark events, there's so much to explore during the festival. An annual favourite is the breathtaking tulip display, with more than 43,000 tulips painting a rainbow across Bendigo’s historic Pall Mall and Conservatory Gardens. After the sun sets, the flowers are transformed into a kaleidoscopic light walk called Bloom After Dark (September 26 - October 5). For more floral fun, discover the Cornella Canola Walk – running until September 28, it provides a magical opportunity to frolic through a field of fluorescent canola crops. Other highlights include Vegecarian (November 1), a free event focused on loving food, animals and life. Held at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, it will feature cooking demonstrations, market stalls, live music and animal blessings. And don't miss the Loddon Valley Arts Festival (October 3-5), which will showcase regional creativity via a network of exhibitions. There are loads of events for foodies, including the Heathcote Wine and Food Festival (October 4-5), where you can sample the region's top drops and produce or Bendigo Wine Week (October 10-18)...

Almost a decade ago, metal detectorists in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, went hunting for lost treasure. To their amazement, they would go on to discover the richest collection of Viking Age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland in a ploughed field. The Galloway Hoard has been hailed as a remarkable discovery, with more than 100 gold, silver, glass, crystal and earthenware objects being uncovered.  Now, everything from piles of silver arm rings to gold-mounted rock crystal jars are heading Down Under, and for the first time ever in Australia, you will be able to see the most important Viking Age discoveries of the 21st century up close at the Melbourne Museum. The Galloway Hoard dates to around AD 900, a period of intense cultural and political upheaval. The collection was buried in four parcels and includes more than 100 astonishing objects, from silver bullion and intricately worked jewellery to items that reveal trade routes stretching as far as Central Asia. Some of the pieces – including recently deciphered runic inscriptions – are still rewriting what we know and understand about the Viking Age today. Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard is a travelling exhibition, developed by National Museums Scotland, that showcases years of painstaking conservation and cutting-edge research. Intricate details, hidden inscriptions and newly uncovered mysteries are revealed for the first time outside the UK. To mark the opening weekend, Dr Martin Goldberg, principal...

To celebrate the arrival of spring, a fun-filled festival will take over Fed Square in September, with free family-friendly events that celebrate our natural world and how to better look after it.  RESET Festival is all about starting fresh, exploring sustainability in creative waysand feeling inspired to take on new ways of living. It's about reinventing little parts of our lives to make big changes in the world.  The program features activations, markets, activities, film screenings, talks and workshops, all focused on minimising negative impacts on the environment and increasing positive impact. There's fun to be had almost every weekend for the month, especially for the little ones during school holidays.  Highlights include the Planting Party on September 7, which involves community tree planting, live music, gardening talks and seed workshops; and the Big Toy Swap on October 2, which encourages kids to reuse and recycle in practical ways. At the Zero Waste Festival on October 6, you can learn valuable tips and tricks from experts on how to lead a waste-free lifestyle through panel discussions, activites and sustainable food trucks. Fed Square's outdoor cinema will also make a return, screening flicks that pair family favourites with environmental themes – think FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Flow and Shrek. Consider this your chance to learn all about how to reduce, reuse, recycle and repair in order to take care of our precious planet. For more information on the...

May the 4th is a special date for any Star Wars fan, but this year is one to remember. A brand-new Lego Star Wars exhibition made its world premiere, and not in a galaxy far, far away but right here in Melbourne.  Lego Star Wars: the Exhibition at Melbourne Museum comes from revered Lego genius Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught, who's back with his latest mind-boggling project of massive Star Wars brick creations – some standing at a whopping four metres tall.  There are Lego replicas of many of the iconic characters, fan favourite scenes, spacecraft and more, from both the classic films and newer releases. Plus, the exhibition includes interactive brick-based activities inclusive of all ages.  It took more than 25,000 hours to finish the exhibition and it features a wild 8 million Lego bricks. One of the most monumental creations is a three-metre-tall red X-wing spacecraft, made of an astonishing 64,759 bricks, taking 382 hours to build.  "Fans will be blown away by the scale of the experience," Brickman says. "Building these iconic scenes and characters in Lego Star Wars form is an extremely complex task – taking the humble Lego brick and using it by the millions to translate into Star Wars builds and models at an epic scale the world has never seen before.  "My team and I are super excited to launch this mind-blowing experience right here in Melbourne. My inner 7-year-old self still can’t quite believe this is happening. I can’t wait till May the Fourth to be able to share this...