The best things to do in Melbourne this weekend

Remember when we collectively discovered just how obsessed men were with the Roman Empire? Consider this your warning: a major, Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is officially bringing Ancient Rome to Melbourne Museum in April 2026.  Rome: Empire, Power, People is a large-scale exhibition developed by Museums Victoria in collaboration with Italian partners, drawing on extraordinary loans from the Museo Nazionale Romano and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze. More than 150 original objects dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE will be on display from April 1 to October 25, 2026 – all shown in Australia for the very first time. You can expect original statues, mosaics, frescoes, jewellery and everyday artefacts that trace Rome’s story from the fallout of Julius Caesar’s assassination through the rise of the Empire and its eventual collapse. The exhibition will foreground the lived experience of being an ancient Roman – think experiencing the theatrics of the gladiator arena, the hustle and bustle of marketplaces, domestic life inside Roman homes, and the luxury and politics that shaped the Eternal City. Immersive scenography and multimedia elements will also be used to transport Melburnians through imperial splendour and ordinary life, revealing how Roman ideas of power, governance and spectacle continue to shape the modern world. Beyond the gallery, the Roman theme is taking over the whole museum. Expect Italian-inspired food and drink offerings, exclusive...

Need a new fun family photo? We’ve got you. One of the world’s biggest immersive experiences is landing in Melbourne – serving up a fun, surreal backdrop for your Instagram grid glow-up. Bubble Planet: An Immersive Experience is opening in April at Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre, offering Melbournians a transporting, ultra-Instagrammable day out. Already experienced by more than two million visitors around the world, with sell-out runs in Milan, Los Angeles, London and Brussels, and a recent stint in Sydney, Bubble Planet is a fantastical world of optical illusions, cutting-edge virtual reality experiences, giant bubbles, and next-level immersive projections. Visitors to the Melbourne site can expect to embark on a dreamlike journey through 11 otherworldly rooms, home to giant bubble domes, LED underwater-style wonderlands, selfie hubs and VR dreamscapes. Sessions at this bizarre immersive world run for between 60-90 minutes, and the experience is suitable for people of all ages – with kids under four welcomed in for free. Keen? Bubble Planet Melbourne launches on April 1. You can learn more and snap up tickets over here.Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. Want fun now? These are the best things to do in Melbourne this weekend.These are the best things to do in Melbourne this week.And these are the must-do activities to add to your Melbourne bucket list.

Want to frolic through a field of flowers? You don't have to wait until spring. Head to Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges to enjoy the Tesselaar KaBloom, Festival of Flowers this autumn. Open daily from Saturday, March 21 to Sunday, April 19, it's a perfect day trip to take during the Easter school holidays.  In case the name sounds familiar, it's because the Tesselaar team are the same peeps who bring us the beloved annual Dutch tulip festival. Wander through fields filled with sunflowers, salvias, marigolds, dahlias and more – just watch out for those snap-happy Instagrammers!   When is the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival on?  The festival runs every day between March 21 to April 19 – yes, even on the Easter weekend public holidays – and it's open from 10am to 5pm.  With more than a million gorgeous blooms across five acres, KaBloom invites visitors to wander through fields of diffferent flowers arranged in stunning designs that blend nature, art and creativity. What else does the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival offer? For something different, take a ride on the ferris wheel to get an aerial view of the floral arrangements. The festival also features a host of kid-friendly events among the flower fields with garden games, obstacle courses and hands-on workshops. Playful characters and storytellers will keep little ones busy and they're sure to love a ride on the tractor train. Add in a vibrant Market Faire that's brimming with handcrafted items, fresh flowers to take home and food...

Ready to laugh until you cry? The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is back from March 25 to April 19, serving up nearly a month of punchlines and pure joy in venues across the city. Since its inception in 1987, the festival has grown to become Australia's largest cultural ticketed event – and the third-largest comedy festival in the world, behind Montreal’s Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Fringe, luring the funniest peeps from around Australia and across the globe. The 2026 program opens on March 25 with the Comedy Allstars Supershow at the Palais Theatre. Get ready to LOL with homegrown faves like Celia Pacquola, Dilruk Jayasinha, Jenny Tian, Josie Long, Nazeem Hussain as well as international talent like Sam Jay (USA), Phil Wang (UK/Malaysia) and David O’Doherty (Ireland). From stand-up and sketch to improv, musical comedy and even film, this year’s line-up is stacked with hilarious heavyweights – think Josh Thomas, Gillian Cosgriff, Lizzy Hoo, Nat Harris, Wil Anderson, Lano & Woodley, Hannah Gadsby, Denise Scott, Urzila Carlson, Matt Okine and Sammy J, plus plenty more international acts. Championing First Nations storytelling remains front and centre, with a shows featuring Leon Filewood, Elaine Crombie, Steph Tisdell, Dale Woodbridge-Brown, Dane Simpson, Kevin Kropinyeri and Tarsh Jago. Beloved annual events also return like The 36th Annual Great Debate featuring six comedy superstars and one fearless moderator; Upfront featuring a line-up of the...

Ma chère mademoiselle, this is your chance to see a tale as old as time come to life. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will be performing the soundtrack of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast live for three special concerts at Hamer Hall on April 10 and 11. The Academy Award-winning music by Alan Menken has solidified itself as one of Disney’s most classic soundtracks of all time, appealing to all generations. Watch the classic tale play out on screen while conductor Jen Winley and chorus director Warren Trevelyan-Jones lead the orchestra and choir in a goosebump-raising performance.  We say the fun doesn’t have to end with your show. Extend your time in French fantasyland with a day dedicated to Beauty and the Beast. We’ve put ourselves in Belle’s pretty yellow heels and thought about how the bookworm would spend a day in Melbourne.  Book your tickets here for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in Concert and start planning your provincial day out.  Go for a high tea A pretty sure-fire way to feel regal is to sit down for a dainty high tea. Some of our favourites with an old-world flair in Melbourne include Hopetoun, The Windsor and Mámor Chocolates and High Tea Szalón. Shop ’til you drop at the markets  Belle says there must be more than this provincial life but we actually quite fancy ourselves some fresh farmers’ market produce. Hit up Queen Victoria Market or South Melbourne Market for a vibrant offering of food. Don’t forget to grab five dozen eggs for brekkie so you can be as...

Four hundred tonnes of sand. Fifteen solo sculptures. One colossal 50-tonne hero masterpiece. Get set for the spectacular Australian Sand Sculpting Championships, taking place from March 28 to April 26. It will transform the Frankston Waterfront into a magical open-air gallery of sand and storytelling. This year’s theme ‘The Enchanted Realm’ invites visitors into a world where fairytale castles, dragons and other mythical creatures rise from the sand. The line-up includes ten Aussie and five international artists who will use nothing but sand and water to craft their creations. This puts the spotlight firmly on individual artistry as each competitor battles for the prestigious Aidan J Graham Australian Champion title. Visitors will also marvel at a 50-tonne hero sculpture, a 25-tonne interactive sculpture designed for hands-on family fun, and a 15-tonne entry sculpture welcoming guests to the enchanted exhibition. For the first time ever, all sculptures will be completed before opening day. Beyond the sculptures, expect artist talks offering behind-the-scenes insights, delicious bites from food trucks and a dazzling daily light show that will transform the beach into an illuminated wonderland.  Over Easter, the festival atmosphere ramps up with special family activities, including the much-loved Sandsational Easter Egg Hunt. Visitors can also vote for their favourite sculpture in the popular People’s Choice Awards. We reckon it’s an excellent day out during the April...

There’s something special about sitting your kids down to watch the same show that you and and your parents did, decades ago. Believe it or not, Play School has been captivating little eyes since 1966 and ACMI is giving you the chance to come and explore the set brought to life, for free.  You can explore the Play School: Come and Play! exhibition at ACMI in Federation Square now until July 12. The perfect outing for two- to five-year-olds, little ones have the chance to check out the Rocket Clock, meet Big Ted, Jemima and Humpty Dumpty, sing songs and learn.  Kids can play presenter, camera operator or director – whatever tickles their fancy. The exhibition also includes Auslan translations throughout, with sensory-friendly, Auslan and audio-described sessions available. Plus, a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes and even hear from hosts like Leah Vandenberg and childhood experts in the Play School Talks series throughout April, June and September. Ready to come inside? Tickets to Play School: Come and Play! are free but make sure you book your spot here. Catch the exhibition at ACMI from 10am to 5pm until July 12.

Always longed to see the russet reds, burnt oranges and golden ochres of autumn foliage? Get to the Macedon Ranges this April for the month-long Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival. From April 1-30, nine charming villages across this picture-postcard region will transform into a playground for foodies, wine lovers and weekend wanderers with more than 50 events on the line-up. Come hungry, because the Autumn Pie and Tart Trail is reason enough to make the trip. Think flaky, buttery perfection in every bite – from rich beef and dark ale or lamb shank if you like your pies savoury, to sweet apple or fig and pistachio creations. Map out your own delicious road trip between country bakeries and don’t forget a picnic rug to sit among the fallen leaves. Plant-based eaters are also in for a treat with the Edgy Veg Trail, where 31 local pubs, cafés and restaurants are serving up creative plant-based dishes that go well beyond the usual fare. And, yes, there’s plenty to drink. The Tipple Trail brings together 37 venues pouring exclusive festival creations – from craft beer and cider to cool-climate wines and small-batch gin. So make sure to have a designated driver. Better yet, stay a few nights – accommodation ranges from affordable caravan parks to lux country cottages. For a taste of nature at her resplendent best, the Mount Macedon Autumn Garden Trail opens the gates to three gorgeous gardens: Duneira Estate, Forest Glade Gardens and Viewfield – all ablaze with autumn colour and...

Hey Melbourne, the Mormons are back! After wowing audiences in Sydney with plenty of "did they really just say that?” humour, The Book of Mormon is heading to the Princess Theatre from February 6. This somewhat unconventional musical comedy cleaned up at the Tony Awards after it debuted on Broadway in 2011, going on to break box office records and garner near-unanimous critical acclaim when it opened on London’s West End. When tickets for the show’s Australian debut in Melbourne were released in 2015 – nearly a year in advance of opening night – the Princess Theatre recorded its highest pre-sale period of any production in its 159-year history, also going on to win the Helpmann Award for Best Musical. For the uninitiated, The Book of Mormon follows two inept Mormon missionaries from Salt Lake City on their journey to save mortal souls in a corner of Uganda ruled by a one-eyed warlord. It’s the brainchild of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone – hence, you can expect a lot of explicit language – along with Avenue Q and Frozen co-creator Robert Lopez.  So what’s the secret of the show’s success? As Time Out London’s Theatre and Dance Editor Andrzej Lukowski wrote, Mormon was always going to be a hit, but what made it into the Mormania phenomenon is the fact that non-South Park fans love it too. The songs are excellent. Filthy, witty and outrageous, but also sumptuous and note-perfect, they nod to the golden age of the American musical.  As for how the show has...

From Cleopatra and Mark Antony's empire-toppling romance to Romeo and Juliet's family-defying affair, love has often been an act of rebellion. Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations takes matters of the heart seriously in this sweeping, immersive new exhibition at the State Library, drawing on its extraordinary archives to trace how people have dared to love across centuries of Australian history. The exhibition runs for almost a year and brings together handwritten letters, private diaries, rare manuscripts and deeply personal objects to weave a tapestry of passion, heartbreak and devotion. You’ll encounter Victorian-era same-sex couples living together against the odds, a mid-century interracial marriage that challenged the White Australia policy, and the prison romance between bushrangers Captain Moonlight and James Nesbitt. Fragile keepsakes are also featured in the show, including a haunting 1853 mourning brooch woven from lovers’ hair, alongside letters that read like a late-night confessional. What makes Rebel Heart especially distinctive is how it bridges the past with the present. Historical stories are amplified by newly commissioned music from Australian artists Angie McMahon, Mindy Meng Wang, Mo’Ju and Amos Roach, each responding to real love stories held in the library’s collection.  The exhibition also explores how rebellion and romance play out today – from DMs and fandoms to fan fiction and even AI relationships. It’s set to be a smart,...