Ruby Staley

What’s weird, wonderful, and welcoming audiences back for another year of exciting experiences and immersive entertainment? Melbourne’s much-loved winter festival, Rising, of course – it’s returning with a stacked program of evening events revolving around the city’s heaving centre. Under the glow of moonlight, uncover the city’s best and brightest experiences during one of the darkest periods of the year. From June 7 to 18, explore music, food, art and culture in abundance from impromptu participation moments and immersive installations to noteworthy live performances and artworks beyond belief. Hosted at venues ranging from the Forum to Birrarung Marr, the packed itinerary spans across more than 185 interactive events that make the perfect addition to a CBD night out.

Dress the tree, pop the turkey in the oven and pour yourself a glass of eggnog, because Aussie comedians Rhys Nicholson and Joel Creasey are here to make the Yuletide gay. The pair is teaming up to host their very own, very flamboyant Christmas extravaganza, and we're all invited.  The pair of comedy icons and self-described "drunk aunties" will treat Sydneysiders to a show at Newtown's iconic Enmore Theatre on Friday, December 1. Featuring a yet-to-be-revealed line-up of special guests, the cheeky shows are set to celebrate the end of a huge year for both comics. After winning the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Most Outstanding Show Award, Nicholson also returned as a judge for RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under while also starring in Netflix’s sci-fi series The Imperfects. The other half of the duo, Creasey, continued to successfully co-host one of Australia’s favourite national drive shows with Kate Richie and Tim Blackwell, as well as Eurovision with Myf Warhurst.  If that's not incentive enough to check out this outrageous Yuletide party, we don't know what is. Tickets start at $36 and are on sale now, snag them here. RECOMMENDED: Sydney's best gay and queer bars The best comedy nights in Sydney

Dress the tree, pop the turkey in the oven and pour yourself a glass of eggnog, because Aussie comedians Rhys Nicholson and Joel Creasey are teaming up to host their very own, very flamboyant Christmas extravaganza. And we're all invited.  The pair of comedy icons and self-described "drunk aunties" will treat Melbournians to a show at Thornbury Theatre on Saturday, December 9.  Featuring a yet-to-be-revealed line-up of special guests, the cheeky shows are set to celebrate the end of a huge year for both comics. After winning the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Most Outstanding Show Award, Nicholson also returned as a judge for RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under while also starring in Netflix’s sci-fi series The Imperfects. The other half of the duo, Creasey, continued to successfully co-host one of Australia’s favourite national drive shows with Kate Richie and Tim Blackwell, as well as Eurovision with Myf Warhurst.   If that's not incentive enough to check out this outrageous Yuletide party, we don't know what is. Tickets are from $36 and are on sale now, snag them here. Love a good live show? Here are the best theatre shows happening this month.

Ever wish you could be a part of a record-breaking live performance? Rising’s hugely ambitious, mass participation event 10,000 Kazoos offers you a chance to do just that. Projected to be one of the biggest musical projects Melbourne has ever staged, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create howling melodies and ground-shaking sounds alongside 9,999 other kazooists. Luckily, the humble kazoo requires no musical skill, so anyone with a set of working lungs and an eager attitude is welcome. To get involved, simply sign up here, make your way to Federation Square on June 10, help yourself to a biodegradable kazoo (the event organisers will ensure there are plenty to go around) and prepare to flex your musical muscles for a truly unique experience. Admire the almighty chorus produced by such an array of wind instruments for the first (and possibly only) time in the heart of the CBD.   Want more winter fun? This is your guide to Melbourne's best winter festivals and events. Plus, here's everything glowing and illuminated this month.

Wander slightly off St Kilda Road down a sparkling river path lit by glowing elm trees and let your nose follow the sweet scent of buttery popcorn and hot chocolate to a magical world of ice-skating, culinary delights and winter fun. Watch as The Rink at Birrarung Marr materialises in front of you, frozen over to make room for ice skaters of all ages and abilities to glide at their own pace. Kicking off on June 1 to celebrate both Rising and the beginning of Melbourne’s winter, this pop-up invites visitors to carve up the glacial arena under a blanket of glimmering lights that mimic and augment the night sky. Stay on your toes and fuel up during skate sessions with the plethora of tasty culinary options – from woodfired pizzas and hot dogs to crêpes and fancy cheeseboards – that surround the frosty rink.  There will also be daily presentations by professional coaches (who will definitely put your shaky routines to shame), free art workshops and a rotating line-up of DJs. Entry to the precinct is free, while ice skating tickets cost $22 for children and $34 for adults. Book a 90-minute session via the website. Want more winter fun? This is your guide to Melbourne's best winter festivals and events. Plus, here's everything glowing and illuminated this month.

A retrospective solo exhibition covering 50 years of Peter Tyndall’s iconic career is set to open in Melbourne, starting December 9. The exhibition will be the most comprehensive to date, featuring more than 200 works, including over 130 unstretched paintings. Drawing from the University of Melbourne’s own collection and also including works on loan from national institutions and private collections, the show is set to display some never-before-seen pieces. Tyndall's preoccupation with perception of meaning and how art is comprehended is contrasted by an exacting, almost pop-art style of painting – a distinction that is front and centre in this exhibit. The university's contemporary art museum, Buxton Contemporary, will house the retrospective and also host a series of educational programs on the artist. The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive publication on the artist that will include important essays by the curators, Doug Hall AM and Dr Claire Roberts. Samantha Comte, senior curator of Art Museums, says this exhibition continues Buxton's focus on the practices of artists and tendencies within contemporary art through its programs. "Attracting a cult following since his stellar rise in the 1970s, Tyndall is known by many in the art world as unique in his vision," she says. "This exhibition celebrates half a century of his constant, inventive permutations, looking at art, ourselves and the world, which we are eager to introduce to a new generation." The Peter Tynd

Beating About The Bush is a new exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat that combines the best of traditional Australian Impressionism with works from contemporary Australian female photographers. Since early colonisation, the Australian ‘bush’ as a subject has largely been portrayed in art and literature by men. This exhibition juxtaposes these traditional portrayals against a series of contrasting styles and feminist perspectives to challenge the rigid male-gaze that has endured for so long. Audiences can revel in the classic beauty of paintings by revered artists like Tom Roberts, Charles Conder, Frederick McCubbin and Arthur Streeton. In contrast, contemporary images by photographers including Anne Zahalka, Leah King-Smith, Fiona Foley, Polixeni Papapetrou and Jacqui Stockdale will also be on display, taking up feminine space in a typically male-dominated scene. Louise Tegart, curator of the exhibition and director of the Art Gallery of Ballarat, says the display explores what’s been left out of the Australian Impressionism discussion; both within the works and in the wider cultural conversation. "These artists don’t beat about the bush," she says. "They tell a more comprehensive story, addressing issues pertaining to immigration, First Nations people, gender and social status." Beating About The Bush officially kicks off November 5 with a tour of the exhibition by Tagert herself, followed by readings of Henry Lawson’s bush poems by local Ballarat performers on Novembe

The impact of Jewish creativity on cinema is undeniable, and JIFF 2022 is all about celebrating that and the continuation of Jewish talent. And this year’s long-awaited Jewish International Film Festival program is full to the brim with fantastic new films supported by star-studded casts. Produced all across the world, the exciting line-up of 52 premiere films will be playing for Melbourne audiences until November 27. See some of your favourite actors on the big screen, including Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Dustin Hoffman, Candice Bergen, Judd Hirsch, Rotem Sela, Sasson Gabay and Lior Ashkenazi. Get ready to experience the sheer scale of JIFF’s 2022 program, which features everything from arthouse and popular feature films to extraordinary documentaries and side-splitting comedies. One of the many highlights of the program is a series of documentaries depicting the life stories of several literary giants such as A.B. Yehoshua, David Grossman and Joyce Carol Oates, with one even featuring local Melbourne partisan hero Maurie Hoffman. JIFF screens at Elsternwick's Classic Cinemas and Hawthorn's Lido Cinemas until November 27. To view the entire program or secure a ticket online, head to the website or purchase a ticket at the theatre’s box office. Consider yourself a cinema buff? Here’s where to get cheap movies tickets in Melbourne.

To celebrate the upcoming record release of her latest album Mercurial, singer songwriter Vera Blue has announced an upcoming Australian tour. Following the album's upcoming release on October 28, Melbourne audiences can catch the electro-pop vocalist playing live in Melbourne at the Forum Saturday, November 12 – and from the Gold Coast to Sydney, the entire tour will be supported by Australian musician and songwriter Becca Hatch. In anticipation of her latest release, Vera Blue says this body of work has been “a long time coming”, with the new album set to offer some insight into Blue's metamorphosis from folk singer Celia Pavey to the Australian pop powerhouse we know today.  “[It] tells the stories of my life since Perennial came into the world. This album is colourful, emotional, personal, chaotic, passionate, transformative and beautiful and most of all, Mercurial. Just like the show will be,” she says.   Coming off the back of playing national festivals like Grapevine Gathering, Splendour In The Grass, and Yours and Owls, and gearing up to play Beyond The Valley over New Years, Vera Blue is ready to continue putting on a show. Find tickets for her limited shows before they’re all gone. Love live music? Here’s the best gigs on sale now in Melbourne.

Another year under your belt and little-to-nothing to show for it? Not to fear, four of Australia’s funniest satirists are teaming up to end the year with a banging series of live shows. All’s well that ends well, right? Featuring The Chaser’s Charles Firth, The Shovel’s James Schloeffel and ABC’s Mark Humphries, these three comedians are joining forces one again for The War on 2022 – and this time around, they're bringing newcomer and musical comedian, Gabbi Bolt, along for the ride. Kicking off an Aussie tour November 23, the funny group will be sharing their hot takes and outrageous jokes around the country before landing in Melbourne Saturday December 3. As the name suggests, the show offers up a fast paced and hilarious wrap up of the year past featuring some of the The Chaser’s and The Shovel’s best one-liners, upbeat musical acts, and outrageous sketches. Teasing some of the material for the upcoming shows, Firth wryly tells us they'll “touch on hilarious topics such as the war in Ukraine, the impending climate apocalypse, destruction of women’s bodily autonomy in America, and how to be as charismatic as Peter Dutton.” Firth also mentions that the group are lucky to have Gabbi on board for the shows, after taking the TikTok comedy community by storm. And as a further a testament to her skill, comedian Wil Anderson even compared her to Tim Minchin, saying: “if you want to be the kind of person that can say ‘I saw Tim Minchin before he was big,’ Gabbi’s that sort of act

Jump in your 'Yellow Submarine' and get excited because Melbourne audiences are set to snap up a taste of a live Beatles concert for one night only. Performed by a huge lineup of over 40 musicians, Beatles fans can excite in the splendour that is the return of Australia’s own hugely successful Beatles show: All You Need is Love. Since its inception in 2015, All You Need is Love has continued as a much loved live music experience that revives the songs of the Beatles through four esteemed singers backed by a full orchestra and rock band. This year, the performers bringing the magic of The Beatles back to life include Jack Jones from Southern Sons and Ciaran Gribbin of INXS, along with Jackson Thomas and Sarah McLeod. Produced by Australia’s leading producers of Beatles shows, Phil Bathols and Tim Woods, the vocal powerhouses will be accompanied by The Day Tripper Band and The Strawberry Fields Rock Orchestra.  Audiences can expect all of the classics, with over 30 Beatles tracks on the setlist for the night including ‘Yesterday’, ‘A Day In The Life’, 'Something', and of course, 'Yellow Submarine'. Pick up your tickets ASAP to sing and dance the night away to some of The Beatles greatest hits performed live at Melbourne's Hamer Hall – seats are disappearing fast. Are you a live music fan? Here's where to find live music every night of the week. 

The timeless story of Alice in Wonderland is a classic that offers something for everyone – and come January, Melbourne audiences will be treated to six brand new must-see theatrical performances of Alice’s adventures down the rabbit hole. Playing live at the Athenaeum Theatre, Alice in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll’s Timeless Classic will bring to life much-loved characters from the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter to the Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts, led by a cast of talented actors. Audiences can expect bright costuming, ingenious stagecraft techniques and imaginative puppetry that will excite the entire family.  Directed and adapted by Penny Farrow and produced by Ethan Walker, the production stays true in many ways to the original book. With plenty of wordplay and humour for the adults, and colourful scenes and physical comedy for the kids, it’s sure to be an easy crowd pleaser. Alice in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll’s Timeless Classic arrives at the Athenaeum Theatre on January 6. Grab your tickets at Ticketmaster to join Alice on her adventures. Into theatre? Here's the best of Melbourne theatre this month. Time Out's 100 Days of Summer calendar is here to help you plan your entire summer in Melbourne.

Forget everything you think you know about pirates – the new exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat is set to unveil a more surprising history of piracy. Celebrating the rich lives and the diverse crews aboard traditional pirate ships, the exhibit, Under the Black Flag, hopes to excite audiences with tales and imagery of pirate adventures. As well as a series of pirate-inspired contemporary pieces, the exhibition showcases Sally Smart’s pirate collages. Created as part of her series The Exquisite Pirate, these pieces depict female pirates as a metaphor for gender and identity inequality. In addition to the gallery’s display, the exhibition features a series of interactive pirate-themed programs aimed to involve and excite kids, including pirate stories, pirate-inspired parrot art, exploring street art, and making pirate telescopes.  Curator of the exhibition and gallery director Louise Tegart says that many of the artists in the show drew inspiration from the liberated nature of pirate stories. “The playful nature of these works, and the serious concerns that they explore, set the tone for this exhibition. It works on different levels – we explore this odd corner of popular culture with some fun and engaging works, but for those who look a little deeper, it does take on some very serious concerns.” Under The Black Flag is free to view. See the full program for kids, or check out more at the website. Into regional art? Here’s the top regional galleries to visit in Victori