Things to do in Melbourne today

Melbourne’s brimming with fabulous high tea experiences, but now there’s a new one you need to add to your rotation. Call your nan, your girlfriends, or whoever else it is you ferry along with you to fulfil your highest high tea fantasies, and get your names on the list right away. The Melbourne Marriott Hotel on the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale Street has announced an exquisite New York style high tea, designed to delight and bedazzle your taste buds all afternoon long. Perfect for two, the three-tied stand is offering a selection of cold and warm dishes, plus handmade pastries and desserts.  The high tea will take place daily from noon to 3pm until the end of the year at the hotel’s signature restaurant, The Essence. Inspired by the hotel’s American roots, Marriott Melbourne’s head chef Swami Nanden is bringing Big Apple classics to the table and infusing them with a local Melbourne twist. Think traditional baked raspberry cheesecake, mac and cheese croquettes with sweet mustard pickle, mustard mayo, and mouthwatering pastrami and sauerkraut bagels. Swami has worked in some of the world’s most famous restaurants, Michelin-starred Benares Mayfair, Noma and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s.  “It’s about creating delicious morsels that look and taste amazing,” Swami said. “So many people eat with their eyes – plus, we live in an Instagram age – which is why we’ve paid particular attention to detail and the aesthetic appearance of these dishes.” Forget about exxy flights to NY

Australia’s own internationally recognised, poly-talented provocateur and piano man, Tim Minchin, is playing a handful of intimate, informal solo dates around the country this summer.  Minchin will perform songs drawn from his “serious” 2020 studio album, Apart Together, from his musicals, Matilda and Groundhog Day, from his TV and film writing, and from his early songwriting days around the turn of the century. The set list will be fluid, the chat unplanned, and the vibe informal. We’re told that he plans to wear shoes. This will be Minchin’s first national tour since 2019’s Back, but he did play a show for the Sydney Opera House’s 50th birthday celebrations in November last year. At the time, he spoke to Time Out Sydney’s arts and culture editor Alannah Le Cross, and he had this to say about performing live: “What excites me is dragging the audience sideways further than they expect to be dragged, you know, trusting them to come with me, always… I'll play a ten-minute song about cheese. And then I'll play a polka version of 'Bad Guy' by Billie Eilish… I make people cry at the end, like I always try to do, because I'm a manipulative fucking gaslighter. And then I'll play some old shit.”  Performances of An Unfunny Evening with Tim Minchin and his Piano will kick off in Melbourne in October before visiting Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart in November and Canberra in December. From late January 2024, the show will visit Geelong, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Newcastle before playing the

The beloved regional town of Bendigo will bask in the glow of the changing seasons with a massive, colourful festival in September. The annual celebration of spring called Bloom is celebrating its 20th year, bathing the town in colour with more than 50 events and experiences throughout the season.  From idyllic gardens to cultural tours, foodie events and even a tram party, there's so much to explore during the festival. Some of the highlights include the annual tulip display, with more than 53,000 tulips painting a rainbow across Bendigo’s heritage main street. After the sun sets, the tulips are transformed into a kaleidoscopic light walk called Bloom After Dark. Plus, you can take a ride on a tram-turned-pop-up bar when the Groove Tram rolls into town. One of the town's famous heritage trams has been fitted out to be transformed into an entertainment venue, where musical performances, fine wine and local views are the order of the night.  Plus, there are loads of events for foodies, with a tour of Bendigo's finest restaurants in Flavour Trail: A Gastronomic Adventure, where you'll dine in a progressive dinner across your journey. Then, there's the Heathcote Wine and Food Festival on the first weekend of October, where you can sample the latest wines. Or you can discover Bendigo’s charming heritage buildings with the Heritage and Hidden Spaces Wine Walk on Saturday, October 21.  The program is absolutely jam-packed with so many events; it's definitely worth checking out the

When the multiple Tony Award-winning Moulin Rouge! The Musical, adapted from the 2001 jukebox extravaganza film by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, first can-can-canned its way into Melbourne, we had barely staggered out of lockdown.  Walking into the already-majestic Regent Theatre ablaze with the red light district glow of thousands of hand-painted bulbs, a dozen glittering chandeliers and spanned by great arched hearts felt like actual Absinthe fairy magic, drunkenly transporting us half the world away and back in time to the infamous Parisian club’s heyday.  Returning to the Regent Theatre for this encore run, directed by Jennifer Sarah Dean locally from a book by John Logan, I wondered if the wow factor would still inspire awe. It sure does. Derek McLane’s dazzling scenic design, realised here by Isabel Hudson and illuminated by Gavin Swift following Justin Townsend’s creation, literally spills off stage and through the fourth wall, past a towering blue elephant and the club’s world-famous windmill commanding royal boxes on either side. Before the lights even go down, limbering dancers weave through the audience. Returning stars Alinta Chidzey and Des Flanagan impress all the more now they’ve lived so long in the roles of rags to riches courtesan Satine, the fake diamond of this financially struggling club, and her penniless, naïve would-be suitor Christian. As depicted by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in the movie, while the former handled the movie’s big musical num

It’s time for a vamped season of sax in the city with the return of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) this October.  Since 1998, MIJF has taken the underground above ground and celebrated the best of jazz culture by showcasing leading and emerging contemporary artists from home and abroad. Running from October 20-29, MIJF will become the epicentre of Australia’s vibrant and buzzing jazz scene in late October, with music taking over the streets, concert halls and clubs. As already disclosed, music legends Chaka Khan and Nile Rodgers and Chic will commence the jazz festivities with a launch event at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday, October 22. They'll be supported by ARIA-winning neo-soul queen Kaiit and Horns of Leroy. Tickets are now available, and you can get them here.  Described by Spin as “her generation’s most imaginative and thrilling jazz interpreter”, American multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Cécile McLorin Salvant will perform. Also featured on the line-up is America’s most critically acclaimed jazz supergroup SFJAZZ Collective, who will commemorate their 20-year anniversary at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Using his spirituality and deep ancestral history as a rhythmic touchstone, the revered South African composer, producer and Blue Note pianist Nduduzo Makhathini will collaborate for the first time with Kalkadungu composer and didgeridoo musician William Barton in an exclusive performance for MIJF.  Also for the first time ever, the award-

Whether you’re more partial to a lasagne-themed street party or an all-day music hop across dozens of venues, you can do both with the brand-new festival the Eighty-Six. Running from October 23 to 31, the festival will take over venues along High Street in Melbourne's northern suburbs, from Westgarth to Preston. All along the 86 tram route, theatres, record stores, bars, restaurants and bowls clubs will participate in what is touted as the largest party a tram line has ever thrown. The festival’s keynote event is Super Saturday, where, on October 28, more than 200 local selectors, artists and international guests will curate and host Super Saturday parties, including: Hope St Radio x All Are Welcome, When Pigs Fly, Soju Gang, 3RRR, Northside, The Round Table x Finders Keepers, No Lights No Lycra and more.  Whether you’re a veteran raver, a toddler or an old-school rocker, Super Saturday will showcase Melbourne’s multifarious music scene across 40 venues like Thornbury Theatre, Merri Creek Tavern, Capers, Northcote Social Club, and more. The festival has made the entire Super Saturday program free to attend on a first-come, first-served basis; make sure you register for your ticket at the website here. In need of a plan of action? Well, while what you do with your Super Saturday remains at your discretion, the gang at Eighty-Six suggest you start your day at a café with a croissant listening to a folk band, meet some pals for lunch at the pub and listen to some post-punk band

Under the big top at Festival Park’s the Vault, it’s easy to feel nostalgic for childhood trips to the circus where you sat in awe of soaring acrobats and aerialists. However, once the action in Matador kicks off, it becomes clear that although there’s no shortage of performers hanging high, this spectacle is much spicier than your typical circus. Instead, we enter an alternate dimension where love (and sex) reign supreme and wearing red is pretty much compulsory. The performance begins with strict instructions for the audience: the more we cheer, the better the show. As a talented performer soars sky-high, hanging from a platform equal parts cage and bed, the roar that erupts proves us all obedient listeners. What follows is an ambitious mix of dance, circus and burlesque that’s as fiery as it is fast-paced. The cast (including Tayla Lemon in the titular role of the Matador) is at the top of their respective games, moving through raunchy and rueful moments with graceful ease and flair. The dancers are often expected to be able to traverse extremely diverse genres in today’s industry, but this cast takes that to the extreme. It’s not often you see choreography spanning commercial jazz, contemporary ballet, voguing, salsa, burlesque and (some admittedly slightly strained) pointe work. Yet somehow, it all comes together for a cohesive and ultimately seductive experience.   Matador – sabor de amor is the latest version of an acclaimed show written by Melbourne-based theatre mak

Have you ever wanted to walk the hallowed halls that once housed notorious criminals like Ned Kelly and Mark 'Chopper' Read? Well, soon you'll have your chance: the historic Pentridge Prison in Coburg is reopening for public tours from April 3, 2023.  Pentridge opened its doors in 1851 and served as a maximum security prison for nearly 150 years, so you know it's going to be spooky in there. The 90-minute tours, which are partially narrated by former inmate Uncle Jack Charles, will delve into the stories of former inmates and highlight the historical disproportionate imprisonment of First Nations people. As you listen, you'll be taken through different sections of the prison, learn about how the place was run and how prisoners were treated.  Tickets start at $35 and will be available through the Pentridge Prison website. Watch this space for more details.  Love being spooked? Read about Cell 17, the most haunted prison cell at Old Melbourne Gaol.

It's the most wonderful time of the year for fashion fans — Melbourne Fashion Week is returning for a six days of sartorial heaven.  This year, M/FW runways will pop up in unique and unexpected locations, including the rooftop pool deck at new CBD hotel Le Méridien, the Regent Theatre alongside Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the immersive art exhibition Connection at The Lume, an abandoned industrial garage, plus many more. The program for 2023 includes more than 100 free and ticketed fashion events, including nine premium runways, as well as exhibitions, workshops, talks, shopping events and performances. Showcasing their collections on the premium runways will be some of Melbourne's fashion favourites, including Jason Grech, Bec + Bridge, Ngali, Aje, J’Aton, Oroton, Arnsdorf, to name just a few.  Plus, in a celebration of sustainable fashion, up-and-coming fashion designers will showcase their clothing upcycling skills in the Upcycle Runway on October 26. Hosted by VAULT, the National Trust's pre-loved designer fashion outlet, the initiative will transform Block Arcade into a catwalk where ten designers will parade one avant-garde design and one streetwear look. Even better, all of the pieces will be available to buy after the event.  This all sounds very fancy, but don't make the mistake of thinking that fashion events are only for those living the high life. M/FW has plenty of free events and pop-ups to check out if you're strapped for cash. There will be three free runway ev

Who is Elvis? Obviously, we know who he was – an impossibly handsome young lad with the crooner’s voice who gyrated into rock stardom before choking on his own excess. But what does he mean to us now? Is he a figure of cultural appropriation, a white guy made good on the shoulders of black artists? A cautionary example of capitalist indulgence, the music industry’s archetypal Icarus? Or a symbol of class aspiration and the transformative power of fame, the poor man risen to the greatest pinnacle of celebrity? Elvis: A Musical Revolution seems for a while to have a bet each way, before coming down hard on the latter reading, succumbing eventually to the starry-eyed wonder of the besotted fan, dazzled by the light of genius. This Elvis can be dismissive, rude and narcissistic but the portrait painted here is ultimately hagiographic; his journey pointedly ends not in the bloated chintz of his Vegas years, but the triumph of his ’68 Comeback special. There is not a single mention of drugs or liquor, food or death. In the role of the King, Rob Mallett has an unenviable task: how to embody the look, moves and sound of Elvis the performer without bringing to mind whole generations of Elvis impersonators, that tacky wave of 'dodgy uncles in polyester jumpsuits' we try to avoid at weddings. While he doesn’t really ever look the part – there’s a strange resemblance to Crispin Glover’s 'cool phase' George McFly in Back to the Future – he does sound like him. Elvis’s baritone was richer