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Photograph: Jake Roden

The best things to do in Melbourne in February

February's best events in one place – it's your social emergency saviour for fun things to do in Melbourne in February

Liv Condous
Written by
Liv Condous
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February 1, 2024: With one month left of summer, it's time to pack your social calendar with all of the best warm-weather events our city has to offer. Snap up tickets to Sunset Safari at Werribee Zoo, gather your mates for a Moonlight Cinema session and enjoy some al fresco bevvies at Arbory Afloat

Wondering what to do in Melbourne in February? We can help. Check out our guide to all the fun things to do in Melbourne, including mega NGV art exhibitions, music festivals and more. Plus there are plenty of free attractionsart exhibitionstheatre showsactivities for kids to get amongst as well. 

Too hot to trot? Here are the best ways to beat the heat in Melbourne. Plus, it's Melbourne, so there's a chance it will rain. If so, consult our guide to Melbourne's best indoor activities instead.

Planning ahead? Here is our guide to the best things to do in Melbourne in March.

What's on in Melbourne in February 2024

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Theatre
  • Musicals
  • Melbourne
  • Recommended
The “Matilda for grown-ups” comparisons are true: this Australian premiere burrows all the way down into the depths of despair and climbs triumphantly back out again, all within two snappy acts.  As per the classic 1993 film starring Bill Murray, Groundhog Day takes place on a very big day in a very small Pennsylvanian town. Each year on February 2, a large rodent emerges from his burrow to predict when winter will end. The Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Andy Karl stars as Phil Connors, the jaded weatherman who gets sucked into a time loop covering the perky celebration over and over (and over) again.  A musical adaptation of a film about becoming a better person runs the risk of feeling twee. However, Tim Minchin’s zingingly clever lyrics and Danny Rubin’s gutsy book take the essence of the film and wring out considerably more depth and grit to give the musical its own more mature personality. What would you really do if you were trapped repeating the same average-at-best day forever? Groundhog Day takes this premise and stretches it to all its thorny extremes, and isn’t afraid to get dark as hell in the process. This is a musical that fully embraces its format, combining unabashed theatrics with some A-grade scumbag antics and moments of heart wrenching depression from Phil. Each scene takes things a step further than expected, whether that be into malarkey or melancholia, and is all the better for it. Andy Karl’s performance as Phil is nothing short of supe
  • Film
  • Outdoor cinema
  • Melbourne
It's officially that time of year again when the Moonlight Cinema returns to Melbourne for the summer. There's just something special about snuggling into a bean bag and catching a film under the stars in the Royal Botanic Gardens – with an ice cream or wine in hand, of course.  Australia's favourite outdoor cinema has revealed its March line-up of movies, with blockbusters, nostalgic favourites and plenty of romcoms on the program. Highlights include The Iron Claw, Wonka, All Of Us Strangers, Dune: Part Two and Poor Things. Those looking to splurge can opt for either the Platinum Experience, which includes a deluxe double bean bed for two with waiter service and a hamper of goodies from Victoria's High Country or the AAMI Gold Grass Experience, with a range of food and beverages delivered straight to your bean bag. And new this year is the Official Aperol Spritz Bar, where you can sip on the iconic orange cocktail all summer long. Screenings kick off at sundown (around 8.45pm) and even your pooch is welcome. Tickets are now available via the website. A new in-cinema diner that takes 'dinner and a movie' to the next level has just opened in Brunswick East.
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  • Art
  • Installation
  • St Kilda
If you had 30 minutes to spend with yourself surrounded by nothing but darkness and the rain, what would you do? This is something the Rain Room by luxe hotel Jackalope and London-based collective Random International wants us to consider. The exhibition has reopened its sliding doors for its third season and invites us to all take a moment for ourselves to practice mindfulness and embrace the present in the rain. For those who aren’t familiar with it, the Rain Room is an immersive artwork by Random International that fills the ceiling of a darkened room with motion sensors and little droplets of recycled water that imitate rain. The result? An experience that you can walk through slowly without getting a single drop of water on you, even though you’re surrounded by what feels like a storm. The experience stimulates your senses and if you’ve ever been caught in the rain in Southeast Asia, this evokes a similar feeling. It’s slightly warm as the sound of falling rain crescendos but if you walk an inch too quickly you’ll feel the sensation of getting tapped on the head by water.  ‘Rain Room’ is one of Random International’s most famous works and has previously been shown at the Barbican in London, MoMA in New York and at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai.  Also, a word to the wise: make sure not to wear heels or shoes that you will slip in or you might end up wearing a pair of Crocs that the team hands to you instead.   Rain Room will be open until the end of March, 2024. Book your se
  • Art
  • Sculpture and installations
  • price 0 of 4
  • Southbank
Robotic dogs. Yoko Ono. A dragon-imprinted McDonald's sign. Tracey Emin. After years of waiting, the NGV Triennial truly is back and better than ever. In an electric fusion of contemporary art, design and architecture, the 2023 iteration will feature more than 75 projects and invites us to reflect on the world as it is while asking how we would like it to be. Running from December 3 to April 7, 2024, the three key thematic pillars are 'Magic, Matter and Memory', and you can expect the works from 100 artists, designers and collectives to traverse all four levels of NGV International. The line-up features artists from around the world, such as Sheila Hicks (USA), Agnieszka Pilat (Poland), Tracey Emin (UK), Betty Muffler (Australia), David Shrigley (UK), Yoko Ono (Japan), Shakuntala Kulkarni (India), Tao Hui (China), Schiaparelli (France) and more.  With more than 25 world-premiere projects commissioned by the NGV exclusively for this exhibition, the Triennial will reveal the ways in which leading and emerging artists and designers have responded to the most relevant and critical global issues of our time.  Agnieszka Pilat will train Boston Dynamics robot dogs to paint autonomously, and audiences will be able to see these dogs paint a monolithic durational work. In a special collaboration with Paris haute couture house Schiaparelli, the NGV has invited artist director Daniel Roseberry to present a selection of works from recent collections alongside a number of gilded surrealist
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  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Carlton
The world's most extensive and authentic exhibition about the famed (and doomed) Titanic will sail into Melbourne Museum this December. Coming directly from a sold-out run in Paris, Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition will transport visitors inside the famous ship more than a century after its demise via an intricate recreation of its hallowed halls that feature real relics.  Melburnians will have the chance to step back in time to the year 1912, collecting a boarding pass to relive the historic day when the Titanic embarked on its ill-fated maiden voyage. Inside the exhibition are meticulous recreations of the ship’s interiors, including the grand staircase, first-class parlour suite and verandah café. For fans of the beloved James Cameron film, this is a chance to be immersed in the settings that inspired some truly iconic cinematic moments.  The landmark exhibition will also include more than 200 genuine artefacts retrieved from the site of the shipwreck in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, many of them possessions of the passengers and crew onboard. Visitors will be able to dive into the human stories of the people who took the fateful voyage, exposing the eye-opening reality of the infamous tragedy. It's sure to provide an incredible insight into the harsh truth of the Titanic – but unfortunately, it won’t give any further intel as to whether both Jack and Rose could have fit on the door.  'Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition' opened exclusively at Melbourne Museum on December
  • Things to do
  • Spotswood
Scienceworks invites visitors to explore Earth and the cosmos with a series of after-hours and adults-only film screenings on the huge Planetarium dome, with a drink in hand. Every Friday night, those over 18 can explore the universe through immersive documentaries and wonder at the magic of the universe. You won’t go spacing out at these shows either, as they’re loaded with amazing visuals and stellar content. Each night features two screenings, one at 7.30pm and the other at 9pm. The February film picks are Unveiling the Invisible Universe, a doco on space exploration, and Dimensions: Once Upon Our Reality, an educational film combined with a rollercoaster ride of visuals and music. For March, it's Phantom of the Universe, a doco narrated by Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton that delves into dark matter, and a visual version of legendary rock band Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.  Plus, each night you can take a guided tour of what's in the sky that night, taking you through all the astronomical sights. You can buy tickets to both sessions, or to either the early or late session. It's a unique way to unwind on a Friday night, with a drink in hand and a trip into space. Find out more details and book via the website.  For more cosmic experiences, check out the best places to go stargazing in Melbourne, and the state's best planetariums and observatories.
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  • Things to do
  • Expos and conventions
  • South Wharf
Update December 4, 2023: Due to popular demand, the dates for the BBC Earth Experience have been extended until April. Also, new session types have been introduced, including adults-only time slots every Thursday night and special seniors sessions, scheduled every second Friday. There will also be selected dates for relaxed, sensory-friendly sessions and pram sessions. These new sessions will begin in February, 2024. Plus, the experience is introducing children's activities with new Kids Passports, with children able to earn passport stamps by completing tasks. Find out more on the website.  There are few voices more recognisable and beloved than that of Sir David Attenborough's. For decades now, the famous British biologist's dulcet tones have accompanied countless incredible documentaries showcasing the wonders of the planet we call home.   A new immersive audiovisual experience from BBC Earth will transport you inside one of those documentaries at the Melbourne Convention Centre this year. Stepping in, you'll be surrounded by massive multi-angle screens playing a documentary from one of BBC Studios' award-winning natural history series, Seven Worlds, One Planet. Of course, it'll be accompanied by the voice of Sir Attenborough, who'll guide you on a 360-degree journey to far-off places across the globe, unveiling the intricacies of the natural world. You'll see up-close visions of all kinds of animals, from fireflies and monkeys to cassowaries and so much more.  The world-f
  • Things to do
  • Food and drink
  • Carlton
In celebration of the opening of Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition, Melbourne Museum is treating us to what's perhaps one of the most unique and exciting high tea events to grace our city yet. This exclusive culinary offering has been expertly designed to transport guests to the Titanic's opulent first-class dining rooms through a fusion of flavours and elegant treats.  At the time of the ill-fated ship's maiden (and final) voyage, French cuisine was considered the height of fine dining. Michelin-trained executive chef Keith Higginson has re-imagined these classic dishes, using the finest local ingredients to create a menu that pays homage to the Titanic’s intriguing history. Savour the delights of confit salmon tartlets with a Sydney rock oyster emulsion and marigold, Australian king prawns poached in lemon and fresh herbs, and chicken and cucumber sandwiches with black truffle and chives. Other highlights on the menu include citrus tarts with fresh raspberries, rose-scented macarons, and chocolate and clementine marmalade tea cakes. Aside from tea and coffee, an elevated beverage list of cocktails, mocktails and classics is on offer, including Rose’s Pearl, inspired by Kate Winslet’s character in the 1997 film. And of course, a high tea wouldn't be a high tea without scones – the ones here are served with a delightful dollop of clotted cream and forest berry preserves. To find out more about the experience (and what's on the menu), check out the website. Note that a ticket
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  • Things to do
  • Fairs and festivals
  • Brunswick East
Flowers can brighten up any day, but what can make it even brighter is the simple pleasure of getting to pick them yourself. Beloved community garden CERES is spreading this blooming joy throughout the warmer months, welcoming visitors every weekend to come and harvest a fresh bunch.  On Saturday mornings from 10am, head to Coburg site for the Festival of Flowers, where you can pick your own blooms at Joe's Market Garden. There are blossoming sunflowers, zinnias and cosmos to choose from, and you'll be able to build a beautiful bouquet with up to ten individual stems. Sessions are $30 and you can book a spot here.  Plus, there'll also be special floral events held on some Saturdays, including workshops on how to put together the perfect bouquet, flower vase arranging with floral experts and even eco-dyeing tote bag classes for kids. Book your place in an upcoming workshop here.  The Festival of Flowers will run until the end of April, with U-pick flower sessions happening every Saturday from 10am to 1pm. Find out more on the CERES website.  Are you a floral fanatic? Here's a guide on where to see beautiful blooms near Melbourne. 
  • Art
  • Digital and interactive
  • Melbourne
Open your eyes, ears and mind when you visit the Works of Nature exhibition from London-based experimental art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast. The world premiere immersive exhibition challenges visitors to see the world from a new standpoint by highlighting the hidden connections between ourselves and nature, beyond our everyday perception.  Pay a visit to Fed Square’s ACMI from November 23 until April 14 to experience Marshmallow Laser Feast’s first major exhibition in Australia, running for a limited season only. Previously, the group has wowed audiences around the globe, from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals. The collective has made use of its two creative technology specialties, digital art and virtual reality, to create an experience designed to spark renewed wonder in nature, space, science and even the simple act of breathing.  Works of Nature consists of five awe-inspiring artworks incorporating interactive elements of meditation to add to the mesmerising experience. Marshmallow Laser Feast partner and director Ersin Han Ersin says each artwork is inspired by the collective’s passion for “ecology, astronomy and technology”. “[Our passion has] driven us to collect tree data in the Amazon, explore the sound of black holes, and scan the entirety of the human body in microscopic detail, then transforming these explorations into transcendent, immersive experiences.” Marshmallow Laser Feast is led by artists and directors Ro
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