Max your summer in Melbourne

Fluffy marshmallows, chewy raspberry lollies, crunchy roasted peanuts and snowy flakes of desiccated coconut all smothered in rich couverture chocolate. Yep, we’re talking about rocky road.  This May, things are set to get sweet when the Rocky Road Festival returns for the entire month, transforming the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie into dessert havens Beyond the classic flavour combo, there's an inventive offering of 31 limited-edition flavours. Think Dubai Dream, Very Berry Tiramisu, Peanut Butter Pretzel, Cherry Pistachio Baklava and Matcha Strawberry Latte. There are also vegan, gluten-friendly and no added sugar options, so nobody misses out. And it doesn’t stop there. You can also treat yourself to scoops of freshly churned ice cream, velvety hot chocolates and old-school milkshakes. You can even roll up your sleeves to create your own custom block or book into a hosted tasting session ($28 per person) held on select dates.  Each of the stores also boast a mega pick'n'mix counter to create take-home packs of your favourite blocks. Hate making delicious decisions? Opt for the Ultimate Rocky Road Festival Box featuring all 31 festival flavours.  Entry is free, with plenty of tastings and a showroom stacked with hundreds of handmade chocolate treats. For those who can’t make the trip, don’t worry – Rocky Road Festival delights can be delivered to your door. Get all the details here.  Stay in the loop:...

Spring, summer, autumn, winter – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ violin concertos have been enthralling music lovers for around 300 years. And now, there’s an enchanting new way to enjoy these classical pieces. The Immigration Museum is playing host to Eonarium Enlightenment, an immersive sound and light show from April 24 until May 31.  Dreamed up by Zurich-based art collective Projecktil, this globally acclaimed experience arrives in Melbourne for the first time, following an acclaimed run across Europe and the UK, and after making its Australian debut in Brisbane.  The majestic halls of the Immigration Museum's beautifully restored Old Customs House will come alive with sweeping 360-degree light projections as they dance across heritage walls and ceilings in awe-inspiring waves of colour – all set in time to Vivaldi’s iconic score. The cinematic visuals pull you right into the four seasons as spring blossoms, summer shines, autumn mellows and winter settles in. Equal parts meditative and mesmerising, this immersive sound and light show is perfect for the entire family. Whatever you do, make sure you arrive early for your booked time slot as the experience only lasts for 30 minutes. So, sink into a beanbag (premium seating) or a chair (standard seating) and look up! Find out more and get your tickets here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want more? These are the best exhibitions happening...

Calling all bookworms, literature lovers and BookTok obsessives: the Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) line-up has just been unveiled. This year's program reads like a list of the crème de la crème of the 2026 literary world, featuring New York Times best-selling authors, Booker Prize standouts, first-timers and MWF exclusives, with a stellar cast coming together to celebrate the iconic festival's 40th anniversary.  The festival will spread big bookish energy across the city and surrounds via four days of workshops, talks, events and panels, running from May 7-10. This time around, the central theme of the program is 'Visions and Revisions' – which will explore the ideas that matter, futures we imagine, the strange stories we all carry, and the particular revisions, both personal and collective, that work to define us. International highlights include former NZ prime minister and all-round fan favourite, Jacinda Ardern, international bestseller R.F Kuang (Yellowface and Babel), recent Booker prize winner David Szalay (Flesh) and acclaimed Booker winner Yann Martel, whose known worldwide for his beloved book, The Life of Pi.  On the local front, expect to see journalist and human rights advocate Antoniette Latouff present 'Women Who Win', alongside activist and former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame. We'll also see Stephanie Alexander (aka the queen of Australian homestyle cooking) in conversation with beloved author and philanthropist Alice Zaslavsky, in a Mother's Day...

There’s something special about sitting your kids down to watch the same show that you and and your parents did, decades ago. Believe it or not, Play School has been captivating little eyes since 1966 and ACMI is giving you the chance to come and explore the set brought to life, for free.  You can explore the Play School: Come and Play! exhibition at ACMI in Federation Square now until July 12. The perfect outing for two- to five-year-olds, little ones have the chance to check out the Rocket Clock, meet Big Ted, Jemima and Humpty Dumpty, sing songs and learn.  Kids can play presenter, camera operator or director – whatever tickles their fancy. The exhibition also includes Auslan translations throughout, with sensory-friendly, Auslan and audio-described sessions available. Plus, a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes and even hear from hosts like Leah Vandenberg and childhood experts in the Play School Talks series throughout April, June and September. Ready to come inside? Tickets to Play School: Come and Play! are free but make sure you book your spot here. Catch the exhibition at ACMI from 10am to 5pm until July 12.

Need a new fun family photo? We’ve got you. One of the world’s biggest immersive experiences is landing in Melbourne – serving up a fun, surreal backdrop for your Instagram grid glow-up. Bubble Planet: An Immersive Experience is opening in April at Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre, offering Melbournians a transporting, ultra-Instagrammable day out. Already experienced by more than two million visitors around the world, with sell-out runs in Milan, Los Angeles, London and Brussels, and a recent stint in Sydney, Bubble Planet is a fantastical world of optical illusions, cutting-edge virtual reality experiences, giant bubbles, and next-level immersive projections. Visitors to the Melbourne site can expect to embark on a dreamlike journey through 11 otherworldly rooms, home to giant bubble domes, LED underwater-style wonderlands, selfie hubs and VR dreamscapes. Sessions at this bizarre immersive world run for between 60-90 minutes, and the experience is suitable for people of all ages – with kids under four welcomed in for free. Keen? Bubble Planet Melbourne launches on April 1. You can learn more and snap up tickets over here.Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want fun now? These are the best things to do in Melbourne this weekend.These are the best things to do in Melbourne this week.And these are the must-do activities to add to your Melbourne bucket list.

Remember when we collectively discovered just how obsessed men were with the Roman Empire? Consider this your warning: a major, Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is officially bringing Ancient Rome to Melbourne Museum in April 2026.  Rome: Empire, Power, People is a large-scale exhibition developed by Museums Victoria in collaboration with Italian partners, drawing on extraordinary loans from the Museo Nazionale Romano and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze. More than 150 original objects dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE will be on display from April 1 to October 25, 2026 – all shown in Australia for the very first time. You can expect original statues, mosaics, frescoes, jewellery and everyday artefacts that trace Rome’s story from the fallout of Julius Caesar’s assassination through the rise of the Empire and its eventual collapse. The exhibition will foreground the lived experience of being an ancient Roman – think experiencing the theatrics of the gladiator arena, the hustle and bustle of marketplaces, domestic life inside Roman homes, and the luxury and politics that shaped the Eternal City. Immersive scenography and multimedia elements will also be used to transport Melburnians through imperial splendour and ordinary life, revealing how Roman ideas of power, governance and spectacle continue to shape the modern world. Beyond the gallery, the Roman theme is taking over the whole museum. Expect Italian-inspired food and drink offerings, exclusive...

From Cleopatra and Mark Antony's empire-toppling romance to Romeo and Juliet's family-defying affair, love has often been an act of rebellion. Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations takes matters of the heart seriously in this sweeping, immersive new exhibition at the State Library, drawing on its extraordinary archives to trace how people have dared to love across centuries of Australian history. The exhibition runs for almost a year and brings together handwritten letters, private diaries, rare manuscripts and deeply personal objects to weave a tapestry of passion, heartbreak and devotion. You’ll encounter Victorian-era same-sex couples living together against the odds, a mid-century interracial marriage that challenged the White Australia policy, and the prison romance between bushrangers Captain Moonlight and James Nesbitt. Fragile keepsakes are also featured in the show, including a haunting 1853 mourning brooch woven from lovers’ hair, alongside letters that read like a late-night confessional. What makes Rebel Heart especially distinctive is how it bridges the past with the present. Historical stories are amplified by newly commissioned music from Australian artists Angie McMahon, Mindy Meng Wang, Mo’Ju and Amos Roach, each responding to real love stories held in the library’s collection.  The exhibition also explores how rebellion and romance play out today – from DMs and fandoms to fan fiction and even AI relationships. It’s set to be a smart,...

Ever wanted to soar above a rainforest canopy or wander beneath the frozen surface of the polar seas? Melbourne Museum invites you to do just that with Our Wondrous Planet, a breathtaking, immersive exhibition celebrating the interconnected magic of life on Earth. Spanning reef, rainforest, ice and soil, this multisensory experience drops visitors into the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Room-sized projections, interactive moments and storytelling bring the natural world to life. More than 800 remarkable animals from across the globe take centre stage, appearing in environments that pulse, swirl and shimmer. Witness the beginnings of a coral reef, come face-to-face with rainforest icons, glide through icy waters and explore hidden root networks and organisms working quietly beneath our feet. The exhibition is anchored by distinct spaces: Our Family, showcasing animals from the much-loved Wild gallery and exploring the human place in the tree of life; Our Roots, a reflective First Peoples-led space centred on care, reciprocity and connection to Country; and Our Moment, an interactive zone encouraging visitors to work together on the planet’s biggest challenges. What sets Our Wondrous Planet apart is its blend of First Peoples and scientific knowledge, showing how everything on Earth is connected and how small human actions can make a difference. Family-friendly, visually spectacular and thought-provoking, this exhibition entertains while leaving plenty to reflect on. Our...

One of the world’s oldest garments is getting the spotlight treatment in The Offbeat Sari, a major international exhibition making its Australian debut at Bunjil Place this autumn. Travelling from London’s Design Museum, the exhibition curated by Priya Khanchandani reimagines the sari as an adaptable and politically charged garment in contemporary India. Bringing together 54 trailblazing saris by leading designers and emerging studios, the The Offbeat Sari argues that the garment is undergoing one of the most rapid periods of reinvention in its 5,000-year-old history. Running from 21 March until the end of August, the exhibition unfolds across three thematic sections. 'Transformations' will highlight experimental approaches to drape and silhouette, from distressed denim saris to sequins cut from hospital X-ray film, alongside videos documenting regional draping styles across India. 'Identity' and 'Resistance' will examine how the sari has been used to express gender, class and activism, featuring garments worn in protest movements and by artists challenging social norms. While 'New Materialities' will dive into textile innovation, from ultra-fine stainless-steel saris to sculptural couture made from high-impact foiled jersey. The show will feature everyday street style – think saris worn with sneakers – to high-end fashion by designers including Abraham and Thakore, Raw Mango and NorBlackNorWhite, alongside red-carpet creations by Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani and Anamika...

Step into a garden of ideas at the Potter Museum of Art, where three familiar figures from nature – a velvet ant, a flower and a bird – will encourage you to rethink what intelligence really means.  A velvet ant, a flower, and a bird is a new exhibition curated by the internationally renowned curator Chus Martínez that draws on works from the University of Melbourne's art, biology and classics collections, alongside contemporary commissions and performances, to propose a radical rethinking of how knowledge is made and distributed across species and materials.  Structured around the velvet ant, the flower and the bird, each 'being' carries a symbolism: the velvet ant, inspired by recent scientific research into its light-absorbing body, represents radical adaptation and material intelligence; the flower is there to embody renewal and creative transformation; and the bird, drawing on studies of flocking behaviour, points to the power of collective intelligence. Historic artefacts and contemporary artworks sit side by side, forgoing the usual exhibition hierarchies between disciplines, objects and media. Visitors to the exhibit will move through an environment and let their imagination take the lead. Rather than presenting knowledge as fixed or linear, Martínez invites audiences to think relationally – to consider intelligence as something shared across living systems, environments and technologies. The exhibition features work by a wide-ranging group of Australian and...

Fluffy marshmallows, chewy raspberry lollies, crunchy roasted peanuts and snowy flakes of desiccated coconut all smothered in rich couverture chocolate. Yep, we’re talking about rocky road.  This May, things are set to get sweet when the Rocky Road Festival returns for the entire month, transforming the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie into dessert havens Beyond the classic flavour combo, there's an inventive offering of 31 limited-edition flavours. Think Dubai Dream, Very Berry Tiramisu, Peanut Butter Pretzel, Cherry Pistachio Baklava and Matcha Strawberry Latte. There are also vegan, gluten-friendly and no added sugar options, so nobody misses out. And it doesn’t stop there. You can also treat yourself to scoops of freshly churned ice cream, velvety hot chocolates and old-school milkshakes. You can even roll up your sleeves to create your own custom block or book into a hosted tasting session ($28 per person) held on select dates.  Each of the stores also boast a mega pick'n'mix counter to create take-home packs of your favourite blocks. Hate making delicious decisions? Opt for the Ultimate Rocky Road Festival Box featuring all 31 festival flavours.  Entry is free, with plenty of tastings and a showroom stacked with hundreds of handmade chocolate treats. For those who can’t make the trip, don’t worry – Rocky Road Festival delights can be delivered to your door. Get all the details here.  Stay in the loop:...

Spring, summer, autumn, winter – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ violin concertos have been enthralling music lovers for around 300 years. And now, there’s an enchanting new way to enjoy these classical pieces. The Immigration Museum is playing host to Eonarium Enlightenment, an immersive sound and light show from April 24 until May 31.  Dreamed up by Zurich-based art collective Projecktil, this globally acclaimed experience arrives in Melbourne for the first time, following an acclaimed run across Europe and the UK, and after making its Australian debut in Brisbane.  The majestic halls of the Immigration Museum's beautifully restored Old Customs House will come alive with sweeping 360-degree light projections as they dance across heritage walls and ceilings in awe-inspiring waves of colour – all set in time to Vivaldi’s iconic score. The cinematic visuals pull you right into the four seasons as spring blossoms, summer shines, autumn mellows and winter settles in. Equal parts meditative and mesmerising, this immersive sound and light show is perfect for the entire family. Whatever you do, make sure you arrive early for your booked time slot as the experience only lasts for 30 minutes. So, sink into a beanbag (premium seating) or a chair (standard seating) and look up! Find out more and get your tickets here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want more? These are the best exhibitions happening...

Calling all bookworms, literature lovers and BookTok obsessives: the Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) line-up has just been unveiled. This year's program reads like a list of the crème de la crème of the 2026 literary world, featuring New York Times best-selling authors, Booker Prize standouts, first-timers and MWF exclusives, with a stellar cast coming together to celebrate the iconic festival's 40th anniversary.  The festival will spread big bookish energy across the city and surrounds via four days of workshops, talks, events and panels, running from May 7-10. This time around, the central theme of the program is 'Visions and Revisions' – which will explore the ideas that matter, futures we imagine, the strange stories we all carry, and the particular revisions, both personal and collective, that work to define us. International highlights include former NZ prime minister and all-round fan favourite, Jacinda Ardern, international bestseller R.F Kuang (Yellowface and Babel), recent Booker prize winner David Szalay (Flesh) and acclaimed Booker winner Yann Martel, whose known worldwide for his beloved book, The Life of Pi.  On the local front, expect to see journalist and human rights advocate Antoniette Latouff present 'Women Who Win', alongside activist and former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame. We'll also see Stephanie Alexander (aka the queen of Australian homestyle cooking) in conversation with beloved author and philanthropist Alice Zaslavsky, in a Mother's Day...

There’s something special about sitting your kids down to watch the same show that you and and your parents did, decades ago. Believe it or not, Play School has been captivating little eyes since 1966 and ACMI is giving you the chance to come and explore the set brought to life, for free.  You can explore the Play School: Come and Play! exhibition at ACMI in Federation Square now until July 12. The perfect outing for two- to five-year-olds, little ones have the chance to check out the Rocket Clock, meet Big Ted, Jemima and Humpty Dumpty, sing songs and learn.  Kids can play presenter, camera operator or director – whatever tickles their fancy. The exhibition also includes Auslan translations throughout, with sensory-friendly, Auslan and audio-described sessions available. Plus, a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes and even hear from hosts like Leah Vandenberg and childhood experts in the Play School Talks series throughout April, June and September. Ready to come inside? Tickets to Play School: Come and Play! are free but make sure you book your spot here. Catch the exhibition at ACMI from 10am to 5pm until July 12.

Need a new fun family photo? We’ve got you. One of the world’s biggest immersive experiences is landing in Melbourne – serving up a fun, surreal backdrop for your Instagram grid glow-up. Bubble Planet: An Immersive Experience is opening in April at Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre, offering Melbournians a transporting, ultra-Instagrammable day out. Already experienced by more than two million visitors around the world, with sell-out runs in Milan, Los Angeles, London and Brussels, and a recent stint in Sydney, Bubble Planet is a fantastical world of optical illusions, cutting-edge virtual reality experiences, giant bubbles, and next-level immersive projections. Visitors to the Melbourne site can expect to embark on a dreamlike journey through 11 otherworldly rooms, home to giant bubble domes, LED underwater-style wonderlands, selfie hubs and VR dreamscapes. Sessions at this bizarre immersive world run for between 60-90 minutes, and the experience is suitable for people of all ages – with kids under four welcomed in for free. Keen? Bubble Planet Melbourne launches on April 1. You can learn more and snap up tickets over here.Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want fun now? These are the best things to do in Melbourne this weekend.These are the best things to do in Melbourne this week.And these are the must-do activities to add to your Melbourne bucket list.

Remember when we collectively discovered just how obsessed men were with the Roman Empire? Consider this your warning: a major, Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is officially bringing Ancient Rome to Melbourne Museum in April 2026.  Rome: Empire, Power, People is a large-scale exhibition developed by Museums Victoria in collaboration with Italian partners, drawing on extraordinary loans from the Museo Nazionale Romano and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze. More than 150 original objects dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE will be on display from April 1 to October 25, 2026 – all shown in Australia for the very first time. You can expect original statues, mosaics, frescoes, jewellery and everyday artefacts that trace Rome’s story from the fallout of Julius Caesar’s assassination through the rise of the Empire and its eventual collapse. The exhibition will foreground the lived experience of being an ancient Roman – think experiencing the theatrics of the gladiator arena, the hustle and bustle of marketplaces, domestic life inside Roman homes, and the luxury and politics that shaped the Eternal City. Immersive scenography and multimedia elements will also be used to transport Melburnians through imperial splendour and ordinary life, revealing how Roman ideas of power, governance and spectacle continue to shape the modern world. Beyond the gallery, the Roman theme is taking over the whole museum. Expect Italian-inspired food and drink offerings, exclusive...

From Cleopatra and Mark Antony's empire-toppling romance to Romeo and Juliet's family-defying affair, love has often been an act of rebellion. Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations takes matters of the heart seriously in this sweeping, immersive new exhibition at the State Library, drawing on its extraordinary archives to trace how people have dared to love across centuries of Australian history. The exhibition runs for almost a year and brings together handwritten letters, private diaries, rare manuscripts and deeply personal objects to weave a tapestry of passion, heartbreak and devotion. You’ll encounter Victorian-era same-sex couples living together against the odds, a mid-century interracial marriage that challenged the White Australia policy, and the prison romance between bushrangers Captain Moonlight and James Nesbitt. Fragile keepsakes are also featured in the show, including a haunting 1853 mourning brooch woven from lovers’ hair, alongside letters that read like a late-night confessional. What makes Rebel Heart especially distinctive is how it bridges the past with the present. Historical stories are amplified by newly commissioned music from Australian artists Angie McMahon, Mindy Meng Wang, Mo’Ju and Amos Roach, each responding to real love stories held in the library’s collection.  The exhibition also explores how rebellion and romance play out today – from DMs and fandoms to fan fiction and even AI relationships. It’s set to be a smart,...

Ever wanted to soar above a rainforest canopy or wander beneath the frozen surface of the polar seas? Melbourne Museum invites you to do just that with Our Wondrous Planet, a breathtaking, immersive exhibition celebrating the interconnected magic of life on Earth. Spanning reef, rainforest, ice and soil, this multisensory experience drops visitors into the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Room-sized projections, interactive moments and storytelling bring the natural world to life. More than 800 remarkable animals from across the globe take centre stage, appearing in environments that pulse, swirl and shimmer. Witness the beginnings of a coral reef, come face-to-face with rainforest icons, glide through icy waters and explore hidden root networks and organisms working quietly beneath our feet. The exhibition is anchored by distinct spaces: Our Family, showcasing animals from the much-loved Wild gallery and exploring the human place in the tree of life; Our Roots, a reflective First Peoples-led space centred on care, reciprocity and connection to Country; and Our Moment, an interactive zone encouraging visitors to work together on the planet’s biggest challenges. What sets Our Wondrous Planet apart is its blend of First Peoples and scientific knowledge, showing how everything on Earth is connected and how small human actions can make a difference. Family-friendly, visually spectacular and thought-provoking, this exhibition entertains while leaving plenty to reflect on. Our...

One of the world’s oldest garments is getting the spotlight treatment in The Offbeat Sari, a major international exhibition making its Australian debut at Bunjil Place this autumn. Travelling from London’s Design Museum, the exhibition curated by Priya Khanchandani reimagines the sari as an adaptable and politically charged garment in contemporary India. Bringing together 54 trailblazing saris by leading designers and emerging studios, the The Offbeat Sari argues that the garment is undergoing one of the most rapid periods of reinvention in its 5,000-year-old history. Running from 21 March until the end of August, the exhibition unfolds across three thematic sections. 'Transformations' will highlight experimental approaches to drape and silhouette, from distressed denim saris to sequins cut from hospital X-ray film, alongside videos documenting regional draping styles across India. 'Identity' and 'Resistance' will examine how the sari has been used to express gender, class and activism, featuring garments worn in protest movements and by artists challenging social norms. While 'New Materialities' will dive into textile innovation, from ultra-fine stainless-steel saris to sculptural couture made from high-impact foiled jersey. The show will feature everyday street style – think saris worn with sneakers – to high-end fashion by designers including Abraham and Thakore, Raw Mango and NorBlackNorWhite, alongside red-carpet creations by Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani and Anamika...

Step into a garden of ideas at the Potter Museum of Art, where three familiar figures from nature – a velvet ant, a flower and a bird – will encourage you to rethink what intelligence really means.  A velvet ant, a flower, and a bird is a new exhibition curated by the internationally renowned curator Chus Martínez that draws on works from the University of Melbourne's art, biology and classics collections, alongside contemporary commissions and performances, to propose a radical rethinking of how knowledge is made and distributed across species and materials.  Structured around the velvet ant, the flower and the bird, each 'being' carries a symbolism: the velvet ant, inspired by recent scientific research into its light-absorbing body, represents radical adaptation and material intelligence; the flower is there to embody renewal and creative transformation; and the bird, drawing on studies of flocking behaviour, points to the power of collective intelligence. Historic artefacts and contemporary artworks sit side by side, forgoing the usual exhibition hierarchies between disciplines, objects and media. Visitors to the exhibit will move through an environment and let their imagination take the lead. Rather than presenting knowledge as fixed or linear, Martínez invites audiences to think relationally – to consider intelligence as something shared across living systems, environments and technologies. The exhibition features work by a wide-ranging group of Australian and...