Things to do in Melbourne today

The curse of the Kennedys hangs heavy over the sorry tale of Grey Gardens, the bittersweet and sour musical with a score by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and a book by Doug Wright.  The resplendent, 28-room mansion was once a jewel in the East Hampton crown, snapped up by Wall Street lawyer Phelan Beale in 1924. It stayed in the family for just over half a century, during which time its lustre would dull disastrously.  Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, the future First Lady herself destined for tragedy, would often stay there as a child with her little sister Caroline ‘Lee’, as guests of their musically inclined socialite aunt, Edith ‘Big Edie’ Ewing Bouvier Beale, Phelan’s wife. The girls were fast friends with Big Edie’s daughter, later dubbed ‘Little Edie’. The oft-absent Phelan sent word to Big Edie of their divorce by telegram shortly after the cessation of WWII, leaving her the house but very little means to maintain it. Little Edie left to pursue a showbusiness career in New York City but soon returned with her tail between her legs, her once-luscious hair lost to alopecia totalis.  Together they huddled, bickering in co-dependent disharmony as Grey Gardens gradually crumbled around them, filling up with festering rubbish as the water and heating failed, with the health department on the warpath alongside a cornucopia of cats, rats, raccoons, lice and fleas who promptly moved in. Yikes, this sounds like it’s too sad to handle?   Look, you will feel the feels...

In a year when Melbourne Theatre Company has committed to programming mostly new works by local writers, this production of Uncle Vanya by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov bucks that trend a little bit – with a new adaptation by world-renowned Aussie writer, Joanna Murray-Smith. Murray-Smith has dedicated much of her career to analysing the frailties and blind spots of middle-class Australians and is perfectly suited to tackle this particular Chekhov adaptation – freely adding in the occasional f-word and making concrete the comedy in a play that focuses a lot on boredom. A play about boredom? Is it a bore? Chekhov’s work has lived in a complicated space between comedy and tragedy and each production has to give his text a tweak to figure out where it will land each time. Murray-Smith turns up the comedy, without losing sight of the inherent drama, while also giving female characters like Yelena and Sonya more clear interior lives and agency than the original suggests. This version of the play is masterful, crafting a new vision, without compromising what Chekhov was exploring. Uncle Vanya focuses on the owners and managers of a Russian estate, dissecting the deep-seated feeling they have wasted their lives. Enter Yelena, married to esteemed professor Alexandre Serebryakov, whose first wife used to own the home. Vanya, brother to Alexandre’s first wife and manager of the estate, and local doctor, Astrov, fall for Yelena and try to seduce her in an attempt to add some...

If you're looking for an excuse to kit out your home and wardrobe with high-quality items from the past, then look no further. The Melbourne Fair is back and bigger than ever with more 70 of the best international dealers offering an array of exquisite pieces. Find everything from mid-century furniture, art, jewellery, antiquities, home decor and vintage designer pieces from around the globe. The styles span everything from the Georgian era all the way through to the mid-20th century and Art Deco periods. It’s taking place at Caulfield Racecourse, which will be transformed into an opulent trove of wonders from July 30 to August 2. Across the four-day event, ticket holders can attend presentations and discussions led by some of the country’s most notable dealers or sit front row at a fashion parade showcasing vintage couture. Plenty of local and international experts will be on hand each day to share their knowledge and the stories behind many of the rare pieces for sale.  Opening night tickets are now on sale for $30, while general admission on all other days is $15. Once you’ve booked, hold onto your ticket, as it allows re-entry across all four days.  Grab your tickets here.

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...

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,...

If you thought history class was boring, Six the Musical is here to change your mind. Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, this high-energy musical returns to Australia and will be at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from July 24. In this foot-tapping show, the six wives of King Henry VIII are reimagined as modern-day pop stars out to reclaim their stories. One by one, Catherine of Aragon (Sarah Murr), Anne Boleyn (Mia Paris Scalise), Jane Seymour (Cara Bessey), Anna of Cleves (Kadesa Honeyhill), Katherine Howard (Angela Brischetto) and Catherine Parr (Lorinda May Merrypor) take the mic, wowing you with their power ballads and rock anthems. Since its breakout debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, the show has become a global sensation thanks to its infectious songs, sharp wit and empowering message. It’s making a triumphant return to Australia, so get ready to say “Yasss Queen”. For more info and to secure your tickets, head to the website.  Read on for our five-star review of Six the Musical from 2024. *** Divorced, beheaded… live? This unconventional pop rock musical takes a dry historical topic and turns it into a rowdy 80-minute concert to rival the Spice Girls themselves. Everyone knows that King Henry VIII had not four, not five, but six wives – enough to require a mnemonic technique to keep track. History has reduced the legacies of these ladies to little more than singular words in a rhyme detailing their fearsome fates, but what if we carved out space to...

Melburnians, this news is Big. Huge. Pretty Woman: The Musical is coming to town. The beloved Broadway and West End hit will land at the Regent Theatre from July. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, Hairspray), with music by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, this adaptation of the iconic Julia Roberts–Richard Gere romance brings Vivian Ward and Edward Lewis to life on stage. Aussie singer, songwriter and actress Samantha Jade will star as Vivian while Ben Hall (Neighbours, Better Man) will be Edward, joined by Michelle Brasier and Tim Omaji in key roles. There's wit, there's glamour and there's all the unforgettable lines you know and love. Expect a toe-tapping score, excellent choreography and, of course, a heartwarming rags-to-riches story.  Pretty Woman: The Musical promises a dazzling night out in the city that loves its musicals. You can grab your tickets 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 more? Discover the best of Melbourne theatre and musicals this month.

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...

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...

Do you consider yourself somewhat of a Monet maestro, or even a Degas devotee? You can thank Paul Durand-Ruel, the dealer who backed the Impressionists when no one else would dare. A major new exhibition at Geelong Gallery puts the man who made the movement possible in the spotlight. Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel brings together more than 70 paintings across five galleries, many from private French collections and never before seen in Australia. Alongside household names like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot and Camille Pissarro, the show celebrates a second generation of artists long overlooked, including Albert André and Gustave Loiseau, whose work expands and reshapes the way Impressionism has been looked at in its later years. At the centre is Paul Durand-Ruel, the visionary dealer who staked everything on a movement once ridiculed by the establishment. Over his lifetime, he bought thousands of works, championed their artists and helped transform public taste across Europe and America. Without him, Impressionism as we know it might not exist. Beyond the works on display, highlights in the exhibition will include rare decorative panels created for Durand-Ruel’s Paris apartment and a partial recreation of the salon where he hosted collectors, offering a glimpse into the world that helped shape modern art.  Marking Geelong Gallery’s 130th year, this is its most ambitious exhibition to date, and the only Australian stop for a show...