Newsletter #1011 What's On Melbourne

Next Week - Out Now

Newsletter: What's On Melbourne | 19 - 25 May 2026

What's On Melbourne Newsletter

Tuesday 12th May 2026 - Monday 18th May 2026

Featured This Week

Australian Heritage Festival
Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett
Body Worlds | The Anatomy of Happiness
Box Hill Record and Comic Fair
Bubble Planet: An Immersive Experience
Day of Immunology: Discovery Tours
Eskimo Joe
Fantastic Furniture | Spend & Save
Fondue Chalet @ Fed Square
Luxury Escapes Live: Travel Expo
Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City
Magic Show: Impossible Occurrences
Melbourne Art Book Fair
Melbourne to Williamstown Cruise
Melbourne Design Week
NBA House Australia
Opera Australia: La Traviata
Peter Iseli: 21 Taras Thangka
Pint of Origin - Beer Festival
Public Transport | Free until 31 May 2026
Rocky Road Festival of Flavours
Silvers Circus Spectacular
Sleep At The 'G
Sleepless Footscray Festival
Spicers Retreats - Shop Now and Get extra deals
The Book of Mormon
The Jury Experience: Million-Dollar Murder or Web of Lies?
Waitress | Broadway's smash-hit musical

Free Every Week

Stay safe - Be kind - Be Melbourne

Mind-blowing magic right before your eyes - Dinner & Show

Impossible Occurrences Magic Show

Every Friday night witness magic miracles up close with award-winning magician Luke Hocking at Melbourne's #1 magic & illusion show at the 5 Star Marriott Hotel.

Read More.. Book Now

Day of Immunology Discovery Tours

Until 17th May 2026 @ The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

Discovery tours provide a unique opportunity for the community to find out more about medical research see our state-of-the-art facilities learn about our exciting discoveries and talk to passionate scientists about their research.

Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City

Wed-Mon (ends Friday 31st July 2026) @ 206 Bourke Street

Five years in the making, this groundbreaking recreation by the world's top 3D modelling specialists lets you explore this Seventh Wonder like never before!

Read More.. Book: Fever

A line-up of immersive experiences performances and art installations

Sleepless Footscray Festival

Friday 15th May 2026 - Sunday 17th May 2026

For three days and nights in May, music, performance and art take over a car park, a laneway and the Hub in Footscray's CBD. The program runs from afternoon into the early hours. The lineup is live - bands, forward-thinking electronic acts, roaming performers, visual artists and theatre.

Schedule Tickets

You've been called for jury duty. Step into a thrilling courtroom drama where the audience is the jury

The Jury Experience: Million-Dollar Murder or Web of Lies?

Saturday 16th May 2026 @ St Kilda Town Hall

Inspired by true events, this courtroom drama sees greed, passion, and revenge collide in a gripping murder trial. But with no DNA evidence, a tangled love triangle, and a multimillion-dollar divorce in the mix, who's telling the truth? Throughout the show, analyze witness testimonies, examine the evidence, answer complex questions, and try to uncover what really happened.

Read More.. Book: Fever

Publishers, artists, designers, and collectives working across contemporary printed matter

Melbourne Art Book Fair 2026

Friday 15th May 2026 - Sunday 17th May 2026 @ NGV Great Hall

Spanning artist books, zines, magazines, photobooks, small press publishing, and experimental formats, the fair reflects the full range of practices shaping the field right now-from emerging voices to established studios and presses.

Australia's leading design festival, held annually over 11 days in Melbourne and regional Victoria

Melbourne Design Week

14th - 24th May 2026

Driven by ideas, MDW provides a platform for designers, thinkers, educators, businesses, and enthusiasts to come together to share perspectives, showcase new work, and consider how design can be a force for good in an increasingly complex world.

Box Hill Record and Comic Fair | Now @ Clayton

Sunday 17th May 2026 @ Clayton Hall

You'll find Rare Records collectible 45's Beatles Records Kiss Records hard to find CD's music posters music memorabilia football cards swap cards rare comics Batman comics Superman comics and heaps more.

"What should I do? Plunge into the vortex of pleasure and drown there?" - Violetta

Opera Australia: La Traviata

Friday 8th May 2026 - Saturday 16th May 2026 @ Regent Theatre

From the vivacious chorus of the famous 'Brindisi' to Violetta's soaring 'Sempre libera' and the breathless notes at the opera's tragic end, Verdi's music for La Traviata is a thrilling, emotional experience.

Rocky Road Festival of Flavours

May 2026 @ Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road and Mornington Peninsula

Make a date to join us for our month long dedication to all things rocky road.

Australia's largest community-driven celebration of culture and history

Australian Heritage Festival: Change

Ends 18th May 2026

Celebrated across cities and regions nationwide for more than 45 years the Festival invites communities to connect with Australia's diverse stories offering immersive experiences that bring heritage to life for thousands of people each year.

Pint of Origin - Beer Festival

15th - 24th May 2026

Pint of Origin is a truly unique festival showcasing the wide world of beer at venues across Melbourne for ten days every May. It's a choose-your-own-adventure pub crawl with bonuses and prizes on offer for the avid beer explorer.

Venues Passports

Fed Square will transform into the French Alps this winter with Fondue Chalet

Fondue Chalet @ Fed Square

Friday 15th May 2026 - Saturday 27th June 2026 @ Fed Square

Featuring 18 private, cosy chalets (ski lodges), it's the perfect spot to gather with your loved ones. Let us transport you to a charming French alpine village-sip on mulled wine, indulge in traditional French fondue, and soak up the warmth of crackling fire pits.

Peter Iseli: 21 Taras Thangka

Saturday 16th May 2026 @ Melbourne Town Hall

A free exhibition of the biggest painting of female buddhas in the world, painted in three separate sections.

Immersive Light Show

Enlightenment: The Four Seasons

Until 31st May 2026 @ Immigration Museum

Experience spring summer autumn and winter through rich immersive visuals that blend seamlessly with the interior of Melbourne's Immigration Museum.

Read More.. Book: Fever

NBA House will transform The Timber Yard into a basketball and culture experience

NBA House Australia

Thursday 14th May 2026 - Sunday 17th May 2026 @ The Timber Yard

Spanning more than 6,000 square metres, NBA House Australia will feature interactive basketball activities, live NBA playoff viewing, gaming zones, music, exclusive merchandise, food and drink, photo opportunities, and appearances from NBA personalities and entertainment talent.

Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett

Until 24th May 2026 @ Meat Market

Join the deliciously salacious utterly hilarious uber-award winning Bernie Dieter as her gin soaked haus band soundtracks a night of breathtaking circus gender-bending aerial and fire-breathing sideshow at its most provocative and hilarious best.

Read More.. Book Now

Melbourne's best Asian night market returns to Queen Victoria Market this Autumn

Hawker 88 Night Market

Wednesday's @ Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market transforms the open-air sheds into a vibrant hawker-style precinct filled with glowing lanterns authentic Asian street eats and live entertainment. Feast your way through bold flavours enjoy a rotating line-up of cultural performances and discover special $8.80 offers across food and market finds.

Every night 7,628 young people in Victoria have no place to call home.

Sleep At The 'G

Thursday 14th May 2026 @ Melbourne Cricket Ground

By experiencing one night sleeping at the iconic MCG, you, along with your friends, families and colleagues, will raise essential funds to support vulnerable youth who are experiencing homelessness, to become independent adults that thrive.

Fantastic Furniture Autumn Sale

Ends 25th May 2026

Fantastic Furniture is proud to be Australia's best value furniture and bedding retailer with a 1000 strong passionate team always ready to help.

www.fantasticfurniture.com.au

Shop Now and Get extra deals

Spicers Retreats | Winter Campaign

Book now before Monday 31st August 2026

Spicers Retreats is a curated collection of luxury lodges boutique hotels and private eco-retreats located in New South Wales and Queensland. Each destination offers a unique blend of relaxed luxury gourmet dining personalised service and immersive nature-based experiences.

Play School: Come and Play!

Until 12th July 2026 @ Australian Centre for the Moving Image

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.

Read More.. Book Now

The exhibition brings together handwritten letters private diaries rare manuscripts and treasured keepsakes to tell stories of passion heartbreak and devotion

Rebel Heart: Love letters and other declarations

Until January 2027 @ State Library of Victoria

From Cleopatra and Mark Antony to Romeo and Juliet love has often meant breaking the rules. Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations is a sweeping new exhibition at the State Library that explores love stories from across Australian history - the bold the forbidden and the deeply personal.

View ancient Roman artifacts and learn about their daily life

ROME: Empire Power People

Daily until 25th October 2026 @ Melbourne Museum

Featuring original statues mosaics frescoes jewellery and everyday objects from the humblest to the most sumptuous this Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Rome's political cultural and social life.

The Offbeat Sari

Daily @ Bunjil Place

Featuring more than 50 saris by India's most renowned designers the exhibition includes highlights such as the glamourous designs of Sabyasachi Diksha Khanna Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Tarun Tahiliani; innovative garments by Anamika Khanna Abraham & Thakore Raw Mango and Rimzim Dadu; and the iconic hot-pink sari of the Gulabi Gang - a powerful symbol of resistance in India.

An immersive experience surrounded by bubbles

Bubble Planet

Daily until 29th June 2026 @ Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre - Brunswick

Step into a planet beyond your imagination with VR technology themed rooms fantastical landscapes and even the biggest ball pit you have ever seen.

Read More.. Book Now

Embark on an extraordinary exploration of the human body

Body Worlds | The Anatomy of Happiness

Daily until 26th July 2026 @ The District Docklands

Embark on a fascinating journey through anatomy and physiology witnessing the impact of disease through stunning full-body plastinates intricate organs and revealing transparent slices.

Read More.. Book: Fever

Live musical experience by candlelight

Candlelight Concerts

Melbourne's most quietly beautiful night out is a Candlelight Concert by Fever.

Our Picks

A Tribute To Taylor Swift

Coldplay vs. Ed Sheeran

Timeless Composers

Tribute To QUEEN vs ABBA

Vivaldi Four Seasons

Candlelight Babies: Classical Sounds to Stimulate Little Minds

The Jazz Room: A Journey to the Heart of New Orleans

See ALL Candlelight Concerts in Melbourne

Performing Arts

Shows that make Melbourne Australia's top theatre destination..

Shows & Musicals

Check out the rest of the shows plays and musicals playing now and coming soon to Melbourne in our spanking new Theatre Guide.

Theatre Guide..

Broadway's smash-hit musical

Waitress

Until 2th July 2026 @ Her Majesty's Theatre

Starring acclaimed powerhouse Natalie Bassingthwaighte as Jenna alongside show-stopping Gabriyel Thomas as Becky theatre favourite Mackenzie Dunn as Dawn charismatic stage and screen star Rob Mills as Dr Pomatter and legend of Australian entertainment John Waters as Joe.

ART | Modern Classic Play

Until 17th May 2026 (extended) @ Comedy Theatre

Richard Roxburgh Damon Herriman and Ryan Corr star together in the internationally award-winning play ART by Yasmina Reza.

The Book of Mormon

Tuesday - Sunday | Season extended until 19th July 2026 @ Princess Theatre

This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries sent on a mission to a place that's about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone the award-winning creators of South Park and two-time EGOT winner Robert Lopez THE BOOK OF MORMON has truly become an international sensation.

Late Night Vice

Thurs - Sun - until 24th May 2026 @ Spiegel Haus Melbourne

Late Night Vice is a cocktail-drenched fever dream where cabaret collides with chaos. This show is Rated 18+ strictly adults only.

Melbourne to Williamstown Cruise

Hop on board this two hour cruise that ventures out into Port Phillip Bay to Williamstown. Departing from Southbank Promenade you will gently meander down the Yarra River passing by a number of city highlights including Crown Casino Westgate Bridge Exhibition Centre and Polly Woodside.

After approximately 45 to 60 minutes of travelling you'll arrive in the charming and historic town of Williamstown. View this early colonial settlement from the water characterised by buzzing restaurants cafes and galleries amongst picturesque gardens. Stay for lunch.

Then sit back and relax as your captain takes you back to Southbank a great opportunity to witness the stunning Melbourne skyline.