Brrr! The winter chill has well and truly settled in across Melbourne, but that doesn't mean you should remain curled up on the couch with the heater blasting. Chuck on a beanie, scarf and your North Face puffer jacket, and get ready to explore everything the city has to offer this month.
Any local knows that Melbourne in July is all about glowing and illuminated events. We're talking Lightscape in the Botanic Gardens (grab a mulled wine to really spice up the experience), Puffing Billy's magical Train of Lights and Firelight Festival in Docklands. You can also catch dazzling lights shows across regional Victoria, including at the East Gippsland Winter Festival and Electric Wonderland in Bendigo.
Foodies won't want to miss the collab of the year when Mould teams up with Pinot Palooza for a weekend of wine, cheese and... more wine and cheese. Those with a sweet tooth may prefer the Australian Chocolate Festival, where up to 42 exhibitors will be offering free samples of the good stuff. And Grazeland will be turning into a wintery oasis with cosy bites, live music, neon lights and a snow machine.
On the arts and culture front, there's a blockbuster line-up of shows and exhibitions to catch: Beetlejuice the Musical, Hadestown, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Super, Kimono and French Impressionism: From the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Phew! If that's not enough to stop you bingeing Netflix in your Oodie, we don't know what is. See you out there.
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