The best things to do in Melbourne this weekend

If you’ve ventured down to the Windsor end of Chapel Street you’ve likely clocked it being one of Melbourne’s hottest after-hours districts. With plenty of late-night venues packing out the area, one spot not to miss is Tombo Den, a two-storey izakaya-inspired venue from hotshot restaurateur Chris Lucas (Society, Kisume). Channeling the raucous grit of Tokyo’s alleyway eateries with an elevated twist, it’s easy to see why they pack a crowd.  From June 26 to July 24, Tombo Den wants to dial up your Friday with Vinyl Nights, a late-night spin sesh in collaboration with Johnnie Walker. Start (or end) your night upstairs at Tombo Den for a vinyl-spun soundtrack with exclusive limited-edition Johnnie Walker Black Ruby cocktails flowing.  What’s on the menu? For $15, you can take your pick from three bespoke cocktails including the Black Ruby Fizz, which mixes raspberry, davidson plum and shiso umeshu with Johnnie Walker Black Ruby. Get your caffeine fix with the Midnight Walker cocktail, a coffee, macadamia, wattleseed, matcha foam and Johnnie Walker Black Ruby concoction. There’s also Smoke and Ruby, a blend of blackberry, yuzu, pineapple, apricot, citrus bubble and Johnnie Walker Black Ruby. Alongside the drinks, a dedicated snacks menu will be on offer.  Catch the limited-time collab from 8pm till late every Friday night from June 26 to July 24. Miss the Friday festivities? The limited-edition Johnnie Walker cocktails will still be pouring all week long for $22. Find out...

As Jane Austen wrote in Northanger Abbey, “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” So bookworms and bibliophiles, this one's for you. World of the Book, Australia’s largest and longest-running rare book exhibition, returns to State Library Victoria with more than 300 extraordinary works spanning from around 2000 BCE to the present day. This year's exhibition shines a spotlight on some of literature's most influential women writers. We're talking rare and remarkable editions by Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Octavia E. Butler, Virginia Woolf and the Brontë sisters, including a newly acquired first edition of Jane Austen's Emma (1816) in its original Regency-era binding. You'll also be able to admire special versions of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion, alongside rare editions of Agatha Christie's best-loved mysteries featuring her legendary detectives, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Head to the beautiful domed La Trobe Reading Room to check out everything from intricate miniature books to Australian punk music fanzines, early comic books and centuries-old treasures. One must-see is The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886) – Melbourne's first publishing blockbuster, which famously outsold Sherlock Holmes. “The Fund’s first ever purchase, A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, will be displayed in a space intentionally designed to celebrate extraordinary women writers,” said State...

Choo choo! The Train of Lights is back on the tracks for 2026 and ready to captivate passengers with a magical winter journey through the Dandenong Ranges for a fifith year. Australia’s favourite steam train Puffing Billy will be your conductor for this trip that illuminates the natural beauty of the region with thousands of dazzling lights. But if you want to join this glowing journey, you'll have to be quick – tickets sell out quickly every year. Here's everything you need to know to secure your spot. When is Puffing Billy Train of Lights on for 2026? This enchanting winter journey is on from June 26 to July 19, 2026.  What to expect for Puffing Billy Train of Lights? The whole experience is a two-and-a-half hour round trip. Departing from Lakeside Station, you’ll be immersed in a spectacle of neon colours that brighten up the countryside with sparkles, rainbows and hypnotic patterns. The historic train will also be adorned with stunning visual effects, which will light up the trees, tracks and passing towns along the way.  Puffing Billy will chug along the historic narrow-gauge track to Gembrook Station where guests will disembark for a 55-minute stopover. Here, you can warm up by the crackling open firepits with hot chocolate and live acoustic music, and enjoy a sausage sizzle by the Emerald and Gembrook CFA (with all money going towards their respective brigades).  How to get tickets for Pufffing Billy Train of Lights 2026? Tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday, May...

Even though temperatures are dropping, Melbourne’s culture calendar is just heating up. This winter, two of the city’s biggest cultural institutions, ACMI and Rising, are teaming up for a multi-sensory exhibition, celebrating music’s cultural impact and paying tribute to vinyl. From May 22 to August 31, The Vinyl Factory: Reverb will bring together some of the leading figures working in video and sound to deep dive into different eras of music, through large-scale moving image works, immersive sound installations and interactive vinyl experiences.  Spanning the early days of techno to contemporary digital art, you’ll see work from celebrated artists including Canadian media artist Stan Douglas; British-Nigerian filmmaker and visual artist Jenn Nkiru; American fashion visionary Virgil Abloh; US filmmaker and music video director Kahlil Joseph; London-based photographer and video artist Gabriel Moses; South African artist William Kentridge; Turner Prize-winning British artist Jeremy Deller; British poet and sound artist Julianknxx; Argentinian performance artist Cecilia Bengolea and German electronic music and sound art innovator Carsten Nicolai.  Highlights include hands-on access to Technics turntables with remixable loops; a fantasy rap battle; and access to The Vinyl Factory’s archive, which features 100 vinyl pressings with works by Marina Abramović and Thom York.  There’s also the chance to pick a record and take it into the Listening Room, which by day functions as a...

Fresh outta the oven and served up hot to an adoring audience at Her Majesty’s Theatre (complete with the mouth-watering aroma of a fresh-baked pie wafting through the air), Waitress the Musical arrives in Melbourne as a sugary slice of wholesome musical theatre – but will you want to go back for a second helping?  Adapted from the 2007 cult indie flick by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress made its New York debut in 2016 with a female-led creative team (a first in the history of Broadway). That line-up included direction by Diane Paulus, a book by Jessie Nelson, choreography by Lorin Latarro and songs by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (whose knack for writing catchy, melodic pop hits are on full display here). Sprinkle in a tale of female friendship, dreaming big and finding courage – with some sugar, butter and flour, of course – and it’s no surprise Waitress ran for four successful years, with a stint on London’s West End, too. What is Waitress the Musical about? Set in the American South, Waitress follows the story of Jenna (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), a small-town waitress and baker who works at Joe’s Pie Diner, alongside her friends Becky (Gabriyel Thomas) and Dawn (Mackenzie Dunn). She’s unhappily married to the ghastly Earl (a truly brutish man played with a villainous sneer by Keanu Gonzalez), but upon discovering she’s pregnant, ends up in an (increasingly awkward) affair with her obstetrician, Dr Pomatter (Rob Mills). Mix in a looming pie-making...

Melbourne's favourite illuminated event is back again in 2026, with 15 new and returning dazzling light installations to meander through in wonderment. From June 12 to August 2, take a nighttime stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens and experience luminous pathways, lit-up tree canopies, soothing soundscapes and more sparkly sights. This year, highlights of the 2.1-kilometre trail are set to be the Australian premier of Bifröst by French studio Pitaya, which boasts a 20-arch tunnel of flowing light that you can walk through; and Firefly Field by Dutch studio TOER, where 200 glowing points of light will dart like fairies above the grass. Returning faves include a reimagined 30-metre Winter Cathedral, plus the epic Fire Garden installation, which will include a circular spiral of 150 candles. Plus, there's plenty more to discover by more local and international artists alike.  Most importantly, you'll also be able to grab a bite to eat and warming drinks, like hot chocolate and mulled wine, at the Welcome Zone or dotted along the trail. If you ask us, Melbourne is at its best in winter and events like Lightscape (which now holds two consecutive Gold wins at the Victorian Tourism Awards), where you can rug up and join friends for a magical experience, are a big reason why. Adult tickets start at $36 and are available through Ticketek – be quick as they tend to go fast.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city,...

Want to sip your way through 30 types of hot chocolate this winter? Head to the Ballarat Winter Festival, which is returning from June 27 to July 19.  Over three weeks that perfectly coincide with the school holidays, Ballarat will turn on the winter magic with an ice rink, medieval jousting, dazzling light installations and, yes, that aforementioned hot chocolate. A crowd favourite, the Hot Choc Showdown is back and inviting visitors to sip their way through an indulgent line-up of creations – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – before voting for their favourite. Think rich Parisienne-style hot chocolate topped with thick whipped cream at Hideaway Coffee Bar, a white chocolate and butterscotch indulgence from Boatshed, an Espresso Martini hot choc at Market Hotel and a honeycomb-loaded version from La Miette Patisserie.  Beyond the hot chocolate trail, lace up your skates and get to the pop-up ice rink for a 45-minute sesh. Then head to Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill, where spectacular projections, live music and winter bring the Gold Rush town to life. By day, try your hand at gold panning; by night, wander down Main Street as storytellers recreate scenes from the Industrial Revolution. For fantasy and fire, Kryal Castle’s Knights of Fire delivers jousting battles, daring stunts, illusionist wizards and snow queens straight out of a fairytale. From July 9-11, Ballarat Civic Hall hosts Hidden, an immersive world of giant inflatable art designed to spark wonder in...

After winning the Critics’ Choice Best Play at the 2025 Time Out Melbourne Arts & Culture Awards, 'Heartbreak Hotel' is returning to Melbourne for a strictly limited time from July 14-19 at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Fairfax Studio. Created by New Zealand theatre company EBKM and directed by Eleanor Bishop, the acclaimed production follows one woman’s journey through heartbreak with humour, honesty and an awesome soundtrack of break-up hits. Performed by Karin McCracken and Simon Leary, the 75-minute show blends memoir, science and music to explore what really happens to our bodies and minds when relationships fall apart. From synth-backed anthems to sharp observations on love, loss and modern dating, 'Heartbreak Hotel' moves between comedy, realism and surreal moments – including a whirlwind through Berlin’s club scene. Following sold-out performances at Rising and international tours through Edinburgh, London, Toronto and New York, this heartfelt and hilarious production returns to Melbourne for one final week. Find out more and book tickets for here. Read our five-star review of 'Heartbreak Hotel' from June 2025. *** There’s the sound of gentle sobbing in the audience when Karin McCracken gets her tax return during Heartbreak Hotel. Sitting there, also gently sobbing, I tried to remember who it was that said "There are two certainties in this world: death and taxes". I also wondered if heartbreak should be included as a third certainty, or if 'death' was close enough. It...

Winter is the perfect excuse to embrace hot chocolate season, and Ballarat is leaning all the way in. The city's beloved Hot Choc Showdown is back, serving up decadent and over-the-top creations guaranteed to satisfy even the most hardcore sweet tooth.  Returning from June 27 to July 19 as part of the Ballarat Winter Festival, Hot Choc Showdown is on for a limited run this winter school holidays. So, if you were looking for a family-friendly activity to rug up for, how about sampling more than 30 decadent hot chocolates in one epic chocolate trail? Featuring a deliciously sweet line-up of marshmallow-loaded options and boozy adults-only offerings, those who are game to take on the challenge can pick up a map of all the participating vendors at the entrance and set off on a self-guided tasting tour. Cast your vote and you’ll not only help crown Ballarat’s champion hot chocolate but you’ll go in the running to win a Winter Prize Pack, valued at $1500.  Once you’ve had your fill, there’s plenty more reason to stick around. The city-wide annual event features a jam-packed program of food events, gigs and performances and a huge market. Grab another cup and head to the ice-skating rink, get in line for fire-filled medieval action at Kryal Castle or wander through the glowing Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill. To find out more, head here.  

There’s only one reason you’d venture into a water park in winter. Adventure Park Geelong's Winter Glow Festival is back, and taking place from June 20 to August 29 this year. So, are you ready for 300 tonnes of real snow, plus glowing lights, live entertainment and two brand new rides?  Perfect for families looking for a budget-friendly taste of the snow, tickets start from just $42 per person – with little ones under 90cm scoring free entry. At the heart of the festival is Victoria’s largest indoor snow play zone, where you can build a snowman, make snow angels and launch snowballs at the dedicated Snowball Throw Zone. Outside, a dazzling light trail shines bright with more than three million twinkling lights and more than 1,000 installations, creating a glowing winter landscape. New for 2026 are two adrenaline-pumping rides: the Ice Toboggan, a 45-metre frozen slide, and the Drop Zone, a 20-metre tower offering a true alpine-style thrill. These join a full line-up of thrilling rides, including the Wave Swinger, Crazy Coaster and the much-loved Ferris Wheel. Beyond the rides and snow, kids will love watching the ice sculpting performances, meeting the Ice Princess and roasting marshmallows by the fire. You can also upgrade by hiring a VIP Winter Igloo to keep cosy while younger guests can indulge in a makeover at the Enchanted Snow Salon. The Winter Glow Festival runs from 4-9pm, Monday to Thursday and from 3–9pm Friday to Sunday (including daily during the July school...