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Two First Nations models blowing kisses at camera backstage at a runway.
Photograph: @melbfashionweek | ganbu marra Runway at Melbourne Fashion Week
Photograph: @melbfashionweek

Things to do in Melbourne in October

Your ultimate guide to all the fun things to do, eat, drink, see and experience this month

Alyssa Forato
Written by Alyssa Forato
Melbourne Editor
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We've reached the pointy end of the year, which means daylight savings are here, our calendars are filling up real quick, and there are lots of exciting events in store! Halloween is less than four weeks away, which means it's basically Christmas. So, let's dive into some highlights, shall we?

October is for the fashionistas. Melbourne Fashion Week is back for another year of creativity, inclusivity, and plenty of inspiration to add to our shopping wishlists. The premium runways are always a hit and offer a sneak peak into what the commercial brands like Aje, Bianca Spender, Elka Collective and Oroton will be rolling out in stores for the upcoming seasons. There's also going to be a runway at Revs?! Kind of iconic, if you ask me (and the only time you'll catch me there, tbh).

But that's not all! Some beloved online-only Australian brands are hosting pop-ups in Melbourne this month. Tild's effortlessly cool aesthetic will be heading to Gertruse St from October 4 to November 1. If you like plaid and whimsy (who doesn't?!), Katharina Lou is taking over Fitzroy for just over a week with a pop-up shop, girl dinner, scavenger hunt and collaboration with Masses Bagels. And then we've got Itadaki, the Sydney-based brand crafting Japanese-inspired garments that are equal parts edgy and elegant – they'll also be coming to Fitzroy from October 16-25. One lucky suburb indeed.

If you're looking for something fun and free to do in Melbourne, the Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations exhibition is still going on at the State Library of Victoria. I brought my partner along with me for a cute day date. We started off at the Flinders St photobooth, then wandered up and meandered through the exhibition. Afterwards, we sat on the steps of the library and wrote each other love letters of our own. Soppy? Perhaps. But a wholesome, sentimental date indeed!

Hoping for a dose of performing arts? A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical is still going strong. Or, if you want to see the dark side of the ballet, there's Dracula: ballet at its Darkest, the centuries-old story of the world’s most famous vampire and turns it into a tragedy told through dance.

So, what are you waiting for? We'll see you out there!

Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.

Keen to make the most of the spring? Here are the best places in Victoria to see wildflowers.

Melbourne events in October

1. Edward Scissorhands in Concert

  • Things to do
  • Southbank
Edward Scissorhands in Concert
Edward Scissorhands in Concert
Photograph: Supplied | Disney
If your trick-or-treating days are behind you, what better way to spend Halloween this year than returning to the world of Disney’s haunting classic, Edward Scissorhands. Tim Burton’s 1990 tale of a man-made creature with shears for hands is back on the big screen – and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is performing the eerie score live.  Landing at Hamer Hall from October 30-31, Edward Scissorhands Live in Concert brings Danny Elfman’s acclaimed score to life under the baton of Nicholas Buc – delivering a perfectly spooky soundtrack for All Hallows’ Eve.  In the lead-up, there’s plenty happening in Melbourne that feels straight out of Peg Boggs’ pastel suburbia or Edward’s gloomy hilltop castle.  Throw some axes at Maniax Turn your hands into blades a la Edward’s scissorhands with a session at Maniax Axe Throwing. It’s more target practice than hedge trimming but you’ll be able to channel your inner Edward.  Skate at O’Brien Ice House Is there a movie scene more memorable (or romantic) than when Edward’s ice carving creates a flurry of snow that falls over Winona Ryder’s Kim? Recreate the magic at O’Brien Ice House while you glide around the rink and feel like you’re inside the movie. Go on, we know you want to.  Step into a magical world at Storyville Bar Slip into a fairytale at StoryVille Bar, where you can perch in golden birdcages, lounge under a huge tree or by a Narnian fireplace and feel like you’ve wandered into the pages of a Brothers Grimm story.  Get a fresh...
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2. Passage: The Art of Atong Atem

  • Art
  • Photography
  • Melbourne
Passage: The Art of Atong Atem
Passage: The Art of Atong Atem
Photograph: Atong Atem
Passage: The Art of Atong Atem is a world-premiere exhibition celebrating the thought-provoking work of South Sudanese-born Melbourne-based contemporary artist Atong Atem. Opening at NGV on October 30, this major solo exhibition brings together more than 65 works spanning the past decade, including a new commission created exclusively for the gallery. Born in Ethiopia to South Sudanese parents, Atem moved to Australia with her family in 1997. Known for her striking photographic self-portraits, Atem transforms herself through colourful textiles, paint, costume and symbolic objects to explore identity, race, gender and colonialism. Her images weave together history, memory and imagination, celebrating the resilience of her Dinka Bor culture and Melbourne’s African diaspora while challenging how identity is represented and performed. Her work honours cultural traditions and ancestral stories that have endured displacement and war. A highlight of the exhibition is As Above, a large-scale wall installation exploring the stories held in the skies and constellations. Blending Dinka dance, traditional beading and Catholic iconography, the world-premiere commission brings together different cultural traditions in a striking visual narrative. The exhibition also presents Banksia (2021), a photographic series made at Melbourne’s Immigration Museum that turns the spotlight on African, African American and Caribbean convicts and free settlers who arrived with the First Fleet. ...
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3. Our Wondrous Planet

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Carlton
Our Wondrous Planet
Our Wondrous Planet
Photograph: Eugene Hyland
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...
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4. Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest

  • Dance
  • Ballet
  • Melbourne
Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest
Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest
Photograph: Supplied
Theatregoers, ballet fans and lovers of all things gothic, there’s a union of all your interests out there, and it’s making a bloody return to Melbourne this September and October. Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest takes the centuries-old story of the world’s most famous vampire and turns it into a tragedy told through dance. The Australian-made BIG Live production has played sold-out seasons in London’s West End, Edinburgh, San Francisco and Singapore, breaking the all-time record for the largest attended single production of Australian-made ballet. But it’s back on familiar hunting grounds now, and will spread its tale of dark romance and bloodlust, thanks to acclaimed performances by an alumni cast. That starring cast includes returning performers Ervin Zagidullin as Dracula and Abbey Hansen as Mina Harker, supported by renowned guest artist Adamzhan Bakhtiyar as Dracula in select performances. They’re choreographed by BIG Live Co-Founder Joel Burke, who, with Dracula, wanted to create a ballet that could be enjoyed by veteran and newcomer audiences alike. And as for the music, core to any ballet show, Dracula is scored by the Emmy Award-winning composer Jason Fernandez, and features classical works from maestros like Bach, Rachmaninov, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Debussy. The performance will play at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne from September 10-19, and after a brief Sydney stint, again from October 1-25. Expect fiery passion, bared teeth, captivating physicality and the...
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5. Melbourne International Jazz Festival

  • Music
  • Jazz
  • Melbourne
  • Recommended
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Photograph: Supplied
Sax in the city? Yes, please. The Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) returns from October 16–25, bringing world-class jazz to venues across the city. Since 1998, MIJF has championed contemporary jazz – from cutting-edge improvisers to legendary names – with more than a third of performances free to attend. The 2026 program is filled with acclaimed jazz artists, including: The Teskey Brothers: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, October 17 Beloved Australian band The Teskey Brothers will headline the MIJF launch with a special tenth anniversary performance of their breakthrough album Half Mile Harvest, bringing their signature blend of soul, blues and vintage sounds to the stage. Returning to their Melbourne roots, the band will perform the album in full, plus favourites spanning the band’s acclaimed catalogue. Joining them will be trombonist legend Fred Wesley backed by The New JBs, plus ARIA Award-winning artist Emily Wurramara. Rebirth Brass Band: 170 Russell, October 18 Bringing the unmistakable spirit of New Orleans to Melbourne, Grammy Award-winning Rebirth Brass Band will make their Australian debut at MIJF. Hailed as a “New Orleans institution” by The New York Times, the band blends second-line rhythms with jazz, funk, soul and R&B for a high-energy sound that gets crowds moving. From the streets of the French Quarter to stages around the world, Rebirth Brass Band has become a defining force in New Orleans music, delivering joyful, brass-powered performances for...
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6. Melbourne Fashion Week

  • Things to do
  • Melbourne
Melbourne Fashion Week
Melbourne Fashion Week
Photograph: Supplied | Melbourne Fashion Week
Melbourne's most fashionable time of year is upon us once again. ICYMI, Melbourne Fashion Week (M/FW) will return from October 19-25, putting a spotlight on the city's diverse fashion scene. Expect incredible outfits (both on the runways and in the audience, our city's street style scene is unmatched), lots of events and plenty of shopping inspo. This year's theme is 'Wear the Moment', which is all about embodying self-expression and inclusivity – fitting for Australia's most stylish city (if we do say so ourselves). More than 300 local designers, big and small, will show off their latest designs over the course of the week. There's over 100 free and ticketed events including premium runways, independent runways, workshops, panel discussions and clothing swaps. In a M/FW first, the opening ganbu marra runway, which spotlights First Nations designers including Atyene Clothing, Ebony Noire, Kaninda, and Marnin Studiowill be held at the NGV. The iconic Student Collections Runway will return to the heritage wool trade site Younghusband, where fashion design students from Box Hill Institute, RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles, Whitehouse Institute of Design Australia and LCI Institute showcase the three-piece collections they have designed and brought to life over the year. The City Square Runway, featuring designers including Clothing The Gaps, ELK the Label and HoMie has a combination of ticketed seats and free standing room – a great free runway to go to if you can get in...
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7. A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

  • Musicals
  • Melbourne
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical
Photograph: Jeff Busby
Melbourne’s stages have seen a slew of jukebox musicals tread the boards over the past few years. They’ve ranged from the powerful (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical) to the cheesy-yet-crowd-pleasing (Mamma Mia! The Musical) and the glossed-over tributes (MJ the Musical). Thankfully, at a time when it feels more important than ever to encourage people to get out and support the local arts industry, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical arrives at the Princess Theatre full of razzle-dazzle, an abundance of infectious energy and a stacked setlist guaranteed to appeal to the masses. What is A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical about?  Written by Anthony McCarten, directed by Michael Mayer and created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A Beautiful Noise opens on a dour therapy session between an older Diamond (played with commanding gravitas by Terence Crawford) and his doctor (Monica Sayers). It’s an unflinchingly sharp first introduction to the musical legend – all the more surprising given the heavy involvement of Diamond and his wife Katie – who is being particularly stubborn about revealing anything about the “clouds” that darken his demeanour. Enter the doc whipping out a book of all his lyrics, and suddenly, in true musical theatre fashion, the songs are quite literally spilling onto the stage in the form of the ensemble singing a teasing medley of hits to come.   From there we’re transported back in time as a young Diamond (Will Swenson) gets his big...
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8. Tild Pop-Up

  • Shopping
  • Fashion
  • Fitzroy
Tild Pop-Up
Tild Pop-Up
Photograph: @tild____ via Instagram
Love a good pop-up that’s packed with cool stuff – but hate that it disappears before you’ve had a chance to go back? Melbourne streetwear label Tild has heard your collective groan and is making shopping a bit easier by having its longest pop-up yet. Running from October 4 to November 1, it gives you an entire month to browse and buy their merch. Founded in 2021 by Melbourne sisters Tilly and Lucy Comb, Tild is all about blending streetwear with vintage-inspired style. Think jackets, hoodies, trackpants and singlets splashed with bold prints and playful graphics, as well as everyday staples with a retro twist. Get to this pop-up at 240 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy that’s open daily from 10am to 4pm. So, take your time and find yourself something fun. Get all the updates via their Instagram. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:  Here's more to see and do when you're in Fitzroy Crown Melbourne's $200-million redevelopment is picking up speed
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9. Eliza

  • Drama
  • Southbank
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Eliza
Eliza
Photograph: Pia Johnson
Do you ever look around at the increasingly disastrous times we find ourselves in and wonder how we got here? Or who got us here?  When we think of folks who act like a god only to fall victim to hubristic overreach and despair, we leap to Mary Shelley’s fictional Frankenstein and his spurned, rightfully furious ‘monster’ in fiction, or to real life and J Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atom bomb, the man who infamously quoted the Bhagavad Gita, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” There’s another: Dr Joseph Weizenbaum, the subject of Eliza, MTC’s riveting new work by celebrated Melbourne playwright Tom Holloway, directed by Paige Rattray. I know Frankenstein and Oppenheimer, but who are Weizenbaum (and Eliza)? Forget Claude and ChatGPT, Eliza is the original AI ‘chatbot’, created by Weizenbaum in 1966. He was a computer whizz at MIT whose family escaped Nazi Germany thirty years earlier, fleeing to the US when he was still a kid.  Far from birthing an intelligent new lifeform – AI isn’t that – Weizenbaum was being a bit of a smart arse, purposefully creating Eliza as a software program designed to mimic the question-reframing language of therapists. Not because he wanted to make therapy easier and cheaper to access, but because unlike sci-fi authors including Asimov, he wanted to prove there was nothing close to human about AI. Eliza was a mimic, faking its way through the Turing test, yet easily out-sentience-d by a parrot.  Intriguing! So who’s involved...
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10. High Cheese

  • Things to do
  • Food and drink
  • Melbourne
  • Recommended
High Cheese
High Cheese
Photograph: Supplied
What do you get when you cross cheese with high tea? You get High Cheese – an indulgent cheese-centric experience returning to the Westin Melbourne for its third year. Taking over the hotel’s Allegro Restaurant from May 26 to October 17, this ever-popular event sees executive chef Apoorva Kunte joining forces with Richmond specialty cheese shop Supercheese, plus Punt Road Wines for a celebration of cheese and wine. High Cheese gives your traditional high tea a delicious spin with a three-tiered menu that shines the spotlight on cheese. Think sweet and savoury bites with expertly paired wines – all designed to showcase the versatility of great (or should we say, ‘grate’?) fromage. It’s a brie-lliant excuse to spend an afternoon grazing. Supercheese owner Jeremy Spradbery has selected cheeses for their quality, provenance and personality, drawing from niche local and international producers. Guests will move through a  progression of creations by chef Kunte, including a shared centrepiece and a final sweet offering, paired with a glass of Punt Road wine. “Supercheese has an incredible eye for producers with real character,” says Kunte. “For us, it’s about showcasing cheese in a way that feels elevated, unexpected and true to the ingredient.” To keep things fresh, the experience will evolve mid-season with a refreshed menu launching in August – which gives you a gouda reason to return. High Cheese at Allegro Restaurant is available every Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm onwards...
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