Things to do in Melbourne in July

Spend your Wednesday nights surrounded by food at the Queen Victoria Market's legendary Winter Night Market. Rows and rows of street food stalls, festival bars, as well as more than 50 art, fashion, homewares and general knick-knack merchandise traders will feature alongside a rotating line-up of musicians and entertainment. Food stalls will be cooking up delicious snacks all night long. This season you can get amongst market favourites Burn City Smokers who are serving some smoky American-style barbecue; Churro Kitchen with their sugar and cinnamon dusted churro bowls; and ReWine who have your weekly fix of hot, spiced mulled wine sorted. New traders for winter 2019 include Mörk Chocolate with their ethically sourced hot chocolate; Melted Cheese Bar who are serving melted cheese baguettes and toasties; Ciao Chips with their take on Belgian frites; Pierogi Pierogi with pierogi, naturally; Melbourne Cocoa with some artisan chocolate; plus Turkish at QVM who are serving pideli kofte (a meatball-style kebab) with red sauce and yogurt. 

Rug up and head to the Madame Brussels Lane European Night Market this winter, where food stalls, lots of mulled wine and entertainment are warming up your night. Every Friday in July, Madame Brussels Lane, located just off Lonsdale Street, transforms into a European winter hotspot.  Drawing inspiration from Christmas markets in countries like Switzerland and Germany as well as European discos, the European Night Market includes food and drink stalls to bring on the good times for the after-work crowds. Expect delicious food like Turkish gozleme from Göz City, piping hot mugs of spiced rum, German sausages from Bavarian Bangers and sticky, candied nuts from Chooh La La. 

Open House Melbourne – held in July every year – is much more than the chance to stickybeak at some of Melbourne's most fascinating buildings (although that's a pretty huge drawcard, to be honest). It's also an opportunity to reflect on the role that design has played in the evolution of our city, to glimpse what Melbourne may become in the future, and to consider the significance of our heritage and what we can do to protect it. This year's line-up includes a total of 200 buildings, including 73 new sites to explore for 2019. Highlights of the program include the recently renovated Capitol Theatre, which has been closed to the public for five years; the brand-new Ian Potter Southbank Centre, which is the new home of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music; Melbourne Quarter's new skypark; Clifton Hill's new 122 Roseneath St development; plus the new Denton Corker Marshall studio located at Collins Place.

Every weekend until September 22, the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary and Research Centre is offering visitors the chance to cuddle, pat, feed, play and take photos with their adorable dingo cubs and friendly dingo adults. Every Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 2pm, guests will have the chance to spend some quality time with these little fuzz-balls, and also learn about what makes the dingos so special from the sanctuary’s team of keepers. Tickets are $49 for adults and $35 for children. Children must be seven or older, and seven to 12-year-olds must be accompanied by a paying adult.

There might never be another time in western history like the late 1960s. It was a time of the Beatles, the Who, the Rolling Stones, revolutions, civil rights, social justice and monumental change.  This exhibition comes from London's Victoria and Albert Museum and includes more than 500 objects. Highlights include John Lennon's real-life glasses and the uniform he wore on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, handwritten lyrics for "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", Mick Jagger's stage costume and a guitar the Who's Pete Townshend once smashed on stage. The handwritten lyrics to 'Revolution' show an insight into Lennon's songwriting process, with words that rhyme with 'revolution' scribbled down the left side of the page ('constitution', 'institution', 'revelation', 'dissolution', confusion', 'intrusion'...).  

If you've ever wanted to make your own cheese, this is the masterclass for you. Henry and the Fox is offering a series of masterclasses to teach you how to make all kinds of cheese from around the world – and yes, tasting is encouraged.  Classes offered include everything from brie to tallegio to peccorino, halloumi and mozzarella, and each class is marked with a level of difficulty.  Each class is $89 per person, and they run for three hours. The classes include a glass of chardonnay or pinot noir on arrival, plus a shared cheese board. You'll also get to take home your cheesy creations at the end. 

The NGV's Friday Nights series is back for another round, and this time they’re pairing a string of gigs alongside the new Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality exhibition. Few things go hand-in-hand like music and art, and NGV Friday Nights’ set-up is the best way to take in the latest NGV exhibition after dark while enjoying the best in local and international acts. Performing in the NGV's Great Hall every Friday night until mid-October, this season's line-up will feature the likes of Ngairre, Rainbow Chan, Husky, Slum Sociable, the Audreys, Young Franco, Sui Zhen and heaps more. See the full line-up on NGV's website. This year, the NGV has teamed up with the dumpling heroes at Hutong Dumpling Bar. A selection of their signature dumplings will be available to purchase at NGV Friday Nights at the NGV Gallery Kitchen. 

The name says it all, really. Whisky. Wine. Fire. There can be no better way to stay warm and celebrate winter.  The festival will take over Caufield Racecourse the weekend of July 18-21, and there will be heaps of awe-inspiring fire displays in the fire garden. Your $16.50 ticket gets you entry, a souvenir glass to take home and a wine tasting.  You can buy additional tastings and full glasses, and boy, you'll want to, with whisky and wine from across the globe to try.  And don't forget the food – you'll want to match that wine and whisky with saucy, barbecue and smoky delights. 

For a city with such temperamental weather, we sure do have a lot of rooftop bars. The reason? Because we know what to do with then when the weather heads south. Case in point: Fitzroy’s Provincial Hotel is back with another ripper winter rooftop session. This year, the Provincial has swapped crepes for bottomless waffles after teaming up with Wild Turkey American Honey. This breakfast feast will feature a mix of savoury and sweet waffles served with toppings like Tasmanian smoked salmon, various cheeses, curried eggs, pan-fried chorizo, charcuterie, fresh fruits and Melbourne-made honey. GF friends fear not – the waffles can easily be swapped out for gluten-free pikelets. You’ll also get bottomless drinks like wine, beer and sparkling for a two-hour period. Or if you’re feeling extra fancy, you can try one of the Provincial’s American Honey cocktails including a Bacon & Honey Old Fashioned, a Sweet and Sour Iced Tea, and an American Honey John Collins. The Provincial Winter Rooftop is running every Saturday and Sunday, from 11am until 1pm, until August 31. The brunch package is $60 per person for bottomless drinks and waffles with DIY toppings. And don’t worry about the wind chill factor. The Provincial has put up a huge rooftop marquee with plenty of heaters to keep you toasty on those cooler winter days.

What’s better than gorging yourself on scones, finger sandwiches and Champagne at a regular high tea? Gorging yourself on piles and piles of cheese at the Westin’s un-brie-lievable High Cheese event. Running until August 31, High Cheese brings some favourites from last year's menu plus a few new additions to the table. Traditional scones and cream are swapped out for L'amuse Signature Gouda scones served with whipped spiced butter. There's also black truffle, porcini and walnut layered Brie Fermier la Tremblaye; Swiss Gruyere Vieux Gougères with burnt green leek; and Marcel Petite Comté Réservation custard tarts for the savoury section.  For the sweeter side, there's poached French pear with stracciatella, fresh honeycomb and smoked roasted macadamia crumble; ruby chocolate parfait with Brillat Savarin Frais and raspberry jam; caramelised salted white chocolate tiramisu; plus ricotta cassata cannoli.  The coup de gras (pun intended) is the whole baked Normandy camembert served with lavosh that you can dip right into the cheese, like your very own cheese fondue. 

Melbourne is one of Australia’s cooler cities (in more ways than one), but it’s still pretty rare to see snow within the city limits. That’s changing this winter, though, with Federation Square transforming into a frosty winter wonderland. The Skyline Terrace at Federation Square (the roof of the Fed Square car park) is home to the Winter Village: a (faux) snow-covered pop-up bar inspired by European winter markets. The pop-up is surrounded by snowy pine trees à la the Black Forest, while inside guests can enjoy an ice skating rink, 21 toasty warm private igloos and a mega igloo where it snows (inside!) every hour.  You can stave off the winter chill at Feast Kitchen and Sip Bar. There are winter-themed treats to keep you warm or you can book a private igloo and get an inclusive food and beverage package. 

Sorry, tea – you’ve had plenty of time to be paired with finger sandwiches, scones and macarons. Now it’s time for High Coffee, Sheraton Hotel’s new twist on a classic high tea.  High Coffee features coffee (duh) but also coffee-infused food and Espresso Martinis. Think cappuccino macarons, chocolate hazelnut tarts with Kahlua and espresso eclairs, plus all your favourite savoury snacks like croque monsieurs, almond scones, smoked salmon frittatas and pumpkin and leek muffins.   High Coffee runs all throughout June and July at Little Collins Kitchen from 1 to 3pm. It’s $59 per person on Munday to Friday and $65 per person on weekends. This includes an Espresso Martini on arrival and unlimited coffee (plus tea, if you think all that coffee will give you the jitters).

Long before Robert Downey Jr donned the Iron Man suit, Marvel Comics was delighting readers with the derring-do of Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men and all their superhero pals and nemeses.  In fact, Marvel Comics has been around for 80 years, and in celebration, the company is bringing a free exhibition of Marvel art to Melbourne. The exhibition includes work from every decade of the company, from its start as Timely Comics in 1939 to the buff superheroes we love from modern movies.  You can find the exhibition next to the Shot Tower, and entry is free. It includes art from Australian artists including Patrick Brown, Jon Sommariva, David Yardin, BenTemplesmith and Wayne Nichols.

When it comes to comfort foods dumplings are pretty high on the list. The team at Horse Bazaar are taking dumplings to a whole new level of cosy by offering a dumpling and massage combo on Tuesday nights.  Every Tuesday night at Horse Bazaar is Dumplings 'N' Massage night where you can get three dumplings and a ten-minute massage for $15 (plus online booking fee). There are six flavours to choose from ranging from Horse Bazaar's classic pork and vegan dumplings to stranger concoctions like fried cheese, Nutella and nuts and the very experimental 'Aussie breakfast' dumpling (that's egg, bacon and Vegemite).  Your massage will be delivered by resident masseuses from Soul Aquarian Therapy who will work the knots from your back as you work the dumplings into your mouth.  Make the worst day of the week just a little bit better – Dumplings 'N' Massage is on every Tuesday at Horse Bazaar. Bookings are a must and can be made online.

Living in the city sure is convenient, but sometimes we all need to trade the concrete jungle for an actual jungle. The Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens are giving you the chance to experience the restorative powers of nature by offering forest therapy (or forest bathing) classes for city stress-heads. Just what is forest therapy? The idea began in Japan, where it’s called ‘shinrin-yoku’ and is said to improve your wellbeing by immersing yourself in nature. It’s since been recognised as an effective (and cheap) way to improve public health. The Royal Botanic Garden’s forest therapy walk includes a guided tour through the gardens designed to lower your blood pressure, pulse and stress levels through a series of activities. The gardens have released three new dates to try forest therapy over winter – book into a session on July 28, August 11 or August 25.

This winter Hamer Hall will be alive with the sound of music. Sing-A-long-a will be presenting the classic 1960s Julie Andrews film The Sound of Music in sing-a-long mode this July. If singing along with Fräulein Maria, the Captain and all seven von Trapp children is one of your favourite things then this is your chance to do it in style. The Sing-A-Long-A events encourage guests to come in costume for the film screening. Don’t be afraid to pull down your curtains to make your outfit because there will be a competition. Sing-A-Long-A will be hosting two sing-a-long screenings of The Sound of Music, with a matinee and evening show available on Sunday, July 21. Both screenings include a vocal warm-up and subtitles for all the songs (just in case – gasp – you’re a little dusty). Tickets are on sale now.

Shake off your winter blues for a weekend when the Indian Festival rolls into Queen Victoria Market. From July 27 to 28 the famous market will be partying down Delhi-style with authentic food, tunes and entertainment from India.  While the full program is still to be revealed, you can rest assured that you'll be able to feast on traditional Indian dishes like parathas (fried flatbreads) and enough curries to warrant bringing an emergency bottle of Gaviscon.  As well as food there will be Indian music and Bollywood and Bhangara dancers. It's free to attend the festival. 

Treat yourself to an Asian-inspired high tea in which guests are invited to paint chocolate Terracotta Warriors using Dulux’s signature chocolate paint. China’s terracotta sculptures date back to around the 3rd Century BCE, but the original colours have remained unknown for over 2,200 years. Think you know what they would have looked like? Have a go at painting (and then eating) your own chocolate warriors. The high tea will feature an assortment of Asian-fusion dishes including smoked salmon, sweet chilli cream cheese and teriyaki sandwiches; sticky lemon, chilli and ginger beer; prawn and chive wontons; and char sui pork buns. The sweeter section includes a red bean curd white chocolate bombe on coconut shortbread; salted coconut sago with palm sugar caramel; pandan crème brûlée; crispy wontons with chocolate, ginger and pineapple; and black sesame matcha macarons.  

The Melbourne Music Bus Tour, a collaboration between Arts Centre Melbourne and the Australian Music Vault, takes 22 lucky people on an almost four-hour tour of Melbourne's famous music venues, laneways, recording studios, rehearsal spaces, artists' homes and important Indigenous music spots. The tour visits current live music hotspots like the Tote, the Espy and the Palace, as well as famed venues of yesteryear like the Crystal Palace. It also visits recording studios including Mushroom Records, Bakehouse Studios and the Dogs in Space house, and even stops by Molly Meldrum's house.

Melbourne institution Bimbo (universally called Bimbo's) is celebrating LGBTQI pride each and every Sunday from 3pm.  Queer Deluxe is an all-inclusive day to relax, eat, drink, boogie and celebrate queer culture. There are performers, drag queens, DJs and drink specials, including $20 Bloody Mary, Spritz and Margarita cocktail jugs. Bimbo reopened after a devastating fire in May 2019 and has re-cemented its place in Melbourne's north for good times and great eats. And yes, of course, the pizza is still just $4.

Get ready to open up this winter season as the Immigration Museum introduces Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks, a collection of new exhibitions and experiences focusing on tattoos and the meaning behind them.  There will be two main photography exhibits that focus on the intersection between ancient and modern tattoo practices as well as a series of contemporary installations curated by tattoo artist Stanislava Pinchuk, also known as Miso.  Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World will explore the artistry and extensive history of Japanese tattoos, which has persevered despite the criminal stigma thanks to its association with the yakuza, the country’s most notorious mafia syndicate. Held in tandem with this is an exhibition exploring a traditional Samoan art form called Tatau: Marks of Polynesia, showcasing the works of both traditional tatau masters and emerging artists that are still practising this 2,000-year-old art form. 

After the success of their monthly yum cha night, Heroes karaoke bar in the CBD is introducing ‘Curry-oke’ Sundays. As the name suggests, guests can expect a hearty Malaysian curry followed by endless sing-a-longs, with drink and cocktail packages available. For $25 per person, diners will get a choice of meat or vegan curry, plus a soy- braised dish, sambal stir-fried veggies, a variety of pickles and complementary rice or deep-fried buns.   For an additional $20, patrons can get a drink ticket that includes the signature ‘Curry on My Wayward Son’ cocktail on arrival. This punchy drink features lemongrass and chilli- infused vodka, coconut cream, jalapeno hot sauce and is garnished with dried curry leaf. Drink tickets also include two house drinks throughout the night. 

There is something fascinating about seeing a world-famous skyline recreated in tiny Lego bricks. Ryan 'the Brickman' McNaught and his team have built some of the greatest cities in the world out of bespoke Lego for a new exhibition at Scienceworks.  The cities are New York, Dubai, Tokyo, Sydney and London, and the exhibition showcases their histories for almost a thousand years, from castles and forts to skyscrapers and instantly recognisable landscapes.   The centrepiece of the exhibition is a 3m by 4m to-scale model of lower Manhattan, built out of white Lego. Stories of New York are 3D projected onto the buildings for extra insight into the city's history.  Lego fans can also have a go of building their own cities of the future in an interactive section of the exhibition.   It took more than 1,900 hours and 1 million individual Lego bricks to build the exhibition. Catch it at Scienceworks until August 4. 

Imagine chocolate desserts of all kinds and colours, from Granny Smith apple, white chocolate and frangipane layer cake to 55% bitter chocolate terrine with raspberry croquant. Picture Belgian milk chocolate and Vittoria coffee éclairs with caramel pearls, miniature dark chocolate and hazelnut tarts with gianduja mousse, white chocolate and passionfruit pops, chocolate cannoli filled with coconut, Malibu gel, white chocolate and berry cream, Bailey’s Irish cream pannacotta with coffee crumbs and chocolate spaghetti, and vanilla and white chocolate mousse. Throw in a chocolate fountain with fruit, marshmallows and cake. Now imagine you can eat as many of these treats as you want. You've just imagined the Langham's Chocolate Bar High Tea. 

On the first Sunday of the month Arts Centre Melbourne host High Tea Live, a traditional high tea with a different live act every month. Performances range from jazz to broadway and it's all paired with a traditional three-tier cake stand of sweet and savoury tea favourites. Make sure you leave room for the scones though – these fluffy, golden nuggets are served still warm from the oven.  Held upstairs in the Arts Centre Melbourne's Pavilion function space, High Tea Live is just fancy enough to impress without feeling stuffy. The sparkling wine on arrival is a nice touch, as is the free-flowing tea and coffee that staff will happily top up for you throughout the musical performance. Note that High Tea Live seats guests at eight-person tables. If you're not feeling up to meeting new people then make sure you book in with seven of your friends. 

Upcoming drag king and queens get the chance to practise their shows and refine their acts every Thursday night at Melbourne's favourite LGBTQIA+ venue (as voted by Time Out readers), Sircuit. Bio queens, drag queens, trash queens and drag kings all perform, and the event is hosted by famed drag queen Missy La ’Minx. It's a chance for up-and-coming performers to get experience, and for audiences of course it's a night of fantastic drag.  The bar offers $5 pints from 7pm until 10pm, and entry is free. 

If you are someone whose creative juices are stimulated by beverages stronger than, well, actual juice, this could be the perfect event for you.  Fairytale-themed bar StoryVille is hosting twice-weekly art classes – with cocktails. Artist Liam Waldie teaches participants how to recreate a painting based on pop culture themes like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Dr Seuss and Alice in Wonderland. Entry is $63 and includes a cocktail – plus, more cocktails and jaffles are available for purchase at the bar.  Waldie has been teaching art for 12 years, and his work has been used in posters, T-shirts, wrapping paper and children's books. He guides participants through the painting process step by step, so depending on how many cocktails you've had, you should be able to create your own masterpiece to take home. Each class takes two hours. The classes are on offer every Wednesday at 7pm and every Sunday at 4pm.

If you love Camberwell Market's flea market every Sunday, you'll love Footscray Finds. This monthly market (located at the schmick, lo-fi events venue the Line) is set up similarly to Camberwell Market, with a combination of stalls on offer. Stalls are different each month, but you can expect everything vintage clothing, locally designed and made goods and homewares, vinyl records, and even locally grown fresh produce. The market will also feature live music from local musicians and food trucks for when hunger strikes. Keep your eyes out for food and drink from Biggie Smalls, Cobb Lane, Brew Sisters, Oscar's Vintage Coffee Van, Boho Blends and the Copper Pot. The market is free to enter and runs from 9am-2pm on the second Sunday of every month.

Celebrating Christmas in the southern hemisphere is more about sunburns than snow. Yet antipodeans are still sold the story that Christmas is a time to enjoy hearty winter treats, frosty windows and garlands of twinkling fairy lights. If you’ve a hankering to experience a wintry Christmas for real then we suggest heading to Sovereign Hill. Throughout winter Sovereign Hill is hosting Winter Wonderlights – a Christmas-in-July festival where punters can taste limited edition treats, frolic in faux snow showers and gaze starry-eyed at the more than 15 kilometres of fairy light displays. The dark midwinter nights at Sovereign Hill will also be lit up by large-scale light projections that will be shown on 25 different buildings. There will even be a new “light tunnel” that will undoubtedly attract the Instagram crowd. 

Tokyo Tina is entering Melbourne's overstuffed brunch scene, but it is doing things a little differently. This year it has launched 'bingo academy' – a rather illustrious title for what is essentially a boozy, Japanese-style brunch with some bingo thrown in.  Every Sunday the venue runs two bingo brunches complete with Bloody Marys, bottomless Aperol spritzes, bubbly and beer. Feast on Tokyo Tina's sumptuous brunch menu including okonomiyaki, smoked duck bibimbap and Tina's own twist on a brunch favourite, a bacon and egg bao.  The bingo itself will be hosted by the giggle-inducing Granny Bingo trio, who will give you a new appreciation of the age-old game. 

This winter Hamer Hall will be alive with the sound of music. Sing-A-long-a will be presenting the classic 1960s Julie Andrews film The Sound of Music in sing-a-long mode this July. If singing along with Fräulein Maria, the Captain and all seven von Trapp children is one of your favourite things then this is your chance to do it in style. The Sing-A-Long-A events encourage guests to come in costume for the film screening. Don’t be afraid to pull down your curtains to make your outfit because there will be a competition. Sing-A-Long-A will be hosting two sing-a-long screenings of The Sound of Music, with a matinee and evening show available on Sunday, July 21. Both screenings include a vocal warm-up and subtitles for all the songs (just in case – gasp – you’re a little dusty). Tickets are on sale now.

Guess what? Not everything in Melbourne costs a bunch of money. From art shows to coffee tastings, there are a bunch of things to do in this fine city that you can do for free – here are our favourites.