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What's On in Melbourne
Spring into some Melbourne action.
Spring has arrived in Melbourne! The blossom has returned to the trees, the sparkle is back in the Yarra River, and the cultural, sporting and food and wine attractions and events continue - what a great city for a spring getaway. Check out a few of our favourite happenings here – or visit that's melbourne for more!
24 - 26 Feb 2012 (annual)
The World Superbike Championship comes to the Phillip Island Circuit in Victoria for the Australian leg. The three-day biking spectacular ends on the Sunday with the second round of both the Superbike World Championships and the Supersport World Championship.
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1 Mar 2012
Electro-rock-pop giants New Order appear for one night at Melbourne's Festival Hall in between dates at the Futuremusic festival. The group reformed in 2011, playing their first major live gigs since their split in the Noughties.
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11 Mar 2012 (annual)
Award-winning Future Music Festival return's to Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on its tour of Australian cities, playing to tens of thousands of music fans. Blending electronica with pop, hip-hop and indie, the festival promises the ultimate sounds of tomorrow, today.
Find out more
9 - 12 Mar 2012 (annual)
Moomba Festival brings a great programme of free entertainment to Melbourne's communities each year, celebrating the city's cultural diversity. First held in 1955, the event is Melbourne's premier family festival with music, sport, art, culture, fireworks, a carnival and parade.
Find out more
8 - 15 Mar 2012 (annual)
The L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival takes in the best of homegrown talent with shows at venues across the city, including the Royal Exhibition Building, hotel ballrooms and main fashion stores. There are also talks from leading global fashion figures.
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21 Jan - 17 Mar 2012; Weekends only (annual)
For once, the elephants aren't the only trumpeters in Melbourne Zoo. Every year, the animals' growls, gibbers and squawks give over to musical melodies during the Zoo Twilights summer concert season. The programme, popular with families, features top Australian performers.
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16 - 18 Mar 2012 (annual)
Formula One motorsport comes to Melbourne's Grand Prix Circuit by Albert Park for the annual Australian Grand Prix. As many as 300,000 fans come to watch the practice and build-up to Sunday's race.
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17 - 18 Mar 2012
Still one of rock's heartthrobs, Lenny Kravitz takes his 2011 album Black and White America on tour. These two dates see him performing hits old and new downunder at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.
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18 Mar 2012 (annual)
The sounds, sights, tastes and smell of Thailand fill Melbourne's Federation Square for the one-day Thai Culture and Food Festival. Buddhist monks bless the festival which showcases Thai massage, kick-boxing, produce, live performances and plenty of Thai food and drink.
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2 - 21 Mar 2012 (annual)
Sassy Melbourne reasserts itself as the culinary hotspot down south by hosting more than 300 gourmet events at the annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Lavish lunches, tastings and barbecues take place citywide and in the surrounding countryside.
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15 - 25 Mar 2012 (annual)
The Melbourne Queer Film and Video Festival offers the best in international gay cinema. The organisers' mission is to exhibit a wide range of exciting, entertaining and challenging films, focusing on the diversity of queer life.
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28 Mar - 1 Apr 2012 (annual)
Touted as the most beautiful event in Australia and, wittily, "the greatest show in earth", Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is a horticulturalist's fantasy. This floral festival takes over the Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building for five days each spring.
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Apr 2012 (annual)
Just an hour outside of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley Grape Grazing Festival is a great chance to visit the region's wineries, both new and established. Each winery organises its own food and musical entertainment.
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12 - 15 Apr 2012 (annual)
The Royal Exhibition Building hosts the four-day Australasian Quilt Convention & Expo, where visitors can browse and buy intricate textile art from over 75 exhibitors. There is a daily programme of free seminars on quilting techniques like appliqué or candlewicking.
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28 Mar - 22 Apr 2012 (annual)
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival features acts from the city's vibrant comedy culture and guest artists from across the globe. More than 1000 comedians appear in over 100 shows - stand-up, theatre, cabaret, music, visual arts and street entertainment.
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28 Apr 2012 (annual)
Lovers of house, club and electronic music head for Melbourne's Showgrounds as Creamfields makes a triumphant return to Australia. Headliners confirmed for this increasingly popular music event include David Guetta.
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20 May 2012
Florence and the Machine takes her soulful indie rock on the road once again in support of the latest album, Ceremonials. This tour date is at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena in the Olympic Parks and tickets are sure to sell out fast.
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23 May 2012 (annual)
The State of Origin tournament sees the best Rugby League talent from New South Wales (the Blues) and Queensland (the Maroons) face each other in three games across Australia. The first match this year is at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium.
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Jun 2012 (annual)
The Good Food & Wine Show at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre features an unprecedented celebrity chef line-up, organic and speciality produce and thoroughly stocked pavilions of wine. Get plenty of tips from the celeb chef of your choice.
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Jul 2012 (annual)
State of Design engages the public with workshops, activities, exhibitions and lectures at venues around Melbourne and Victoria, including Federation Square and the Royal Exhibition Building. The annual festival also features trade events and the Premier's Design Awards.
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Jul - Aug 2012 (annual)
The Melbourne International Film Festival brings high-profile premières and lively parties to central city venues. Australian cinema is featured heavily in the screening programme and the international section is also impressive, representing around 50 countries.
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Aug 2012 (annual)
Bring a healthy appetite to Taste of Melbourne, an epicurean extravaganza in the Royal Exhibition Building. The city's top restaurants serve sample-sized plates of their signature dishes, which visitors gobble up with gusto and wash down with fine regional wines.
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Aug - Sep 2012 (annual)
Founded in 1986, the Melbourne Writers' Festival has been acclaimed as the Australian literary event by the Sydney Morning Herald. Past guests have included V S Naipaul, Bill Bryson, Amitav Ghosh and Peter Singer.
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Aug - Sep 2012 (annual)
Experience an authentic alpine atmosphere in Melbourne during the Winter Festival. Try ice-skating or watch the experts on the large rink in front of the Royal Exhibition Building, enjoy a taste of real après ski fun and try different winter food treats.
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Sep 2012 (annual)
Held in the great outdoors, Parklife is a dance music festival that tours five Australian cities in September and October. The Melbourne leg takes place at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in the King's Domain.
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11 Sep 2009 - 11 Sep 2012
As night falls, watch around 800 of the smallest penguins in the world, the aptly named Little Penguins, waddle comically across Summerland Beach to the safety of their burrows. The 35cm-tall birds are returning from a hard day's fishing.
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Oct 2012 (annual)
The Grand Final is the Holy Grail of Aussie Rules Football and the showpiece finale of the six-month season. Australia comes to a standstill as the two top teams in the league fight it out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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Sep - Oct 2012 (annual)
The Lavazza Italian Film Festival returns to Melbourne venues including Kino Cinemas to celebrate Italian culture and arts with films for both serious Italophiles and movie buffs. The programme features over 20 films chosen from Cannes, Berlin, Rome and Venice film festivals.
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Sep - Oct 2012 (annual)
The annual madness otherwise known as the Fringe gets a grip on Melbourne once more with its exuberant array of new art, ideas and spectacle. The fun isn't restricted to theatres - any unsuspecting space is commandeered by ruthless performers from all genres.
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Oct 2012; Wed and Sat only (annual)
Part of the Caulfield Spring Carnival, the Caulfield Cup at the Caulfield Racecourse is one of Australia's biggest horse races. Every jockey, owner and trainer dreams of winning both this and the Melbourne Cup - but few succeed!
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Oct 2012 (annual)
The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix (or simply Moto GP) at the Phillip Island Circuit is one of the world's great motorcycling extravaganzas. Aerial displays, stunt and drag shows and a motorcycle trade Expo keep spectators entertained in-between races.
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Oct 2012 (annual)
The Melbourne International Arts Festival is Australia's premier annual celebration of the arts. Filling the whole city for over two weeks, the event welcomes the world's best in theatre, dance, visual arts, opera, music and literature.
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Oct 2012 (annual)
The A$3 million Cox Plate, run over a mile and a quarter (2040m) at Melbourne's Moonee Valley racecourse, is one of the Spring Racing Carnival's major races. The prize money is Australia's second largest after the Melbourne Cup.
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Nov 2012 (annual)
The 3200m Melbourne Cup is the biggest racing event in the southern hemisphere and, with prize money of A$6.175 million, it's the richest handicap race in the world. Every year, thousands of excited spectators flood the Flemington Racecourse for the occasion.
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Nov 2012 (annual)
Federation Square turns into mini Poland for one day in November. There's traditional music and dancing on the main stage, stalls, food to sample and buy and kids' entertainment. Cool down with some Polish tipples in the shady beer garden.
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Dec 2012 (annual)
The Good Vibrations festival aims to get back to basics in natural amphitheatres. The Victoria leg of the tour visits Melbourne's The Nursery at Flemington Racecourse. The festival also visits Sydney, Gold Coast and Perth.
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Dec 2012 (annual)
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra plays its annual pre-Christmas performances of Handel's Messiah in Melbourne Recital Centre's Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. The MSO Chorus also join in the stirring performance of the oratorio, which features the famous Hallelujah chorus.
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Dec 2012 (annual)
Melbourne's Australian Masters returns to The Victoria Golf Club. The four-day golfing event is split into two practice days and the pre-tournament Pro-Am. Prize money totals more than A$800,000.
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28 Jan - 23 Dec 2012 (annual)
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra provides an annual season of concerts from January to December (taking the height of summer off). Under chief guest conductor Tadaaki Otaka, the orchestra plays around 130 performances annually across Victoria, inclluding Melbourne's Arts Centre.
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Dec 2012 (annual)
Always a highlight on Melbourne's sporting calendar, the Boxing Day Test takes place over five days at the legendary MCG. And what better way to enjoy the sunshine and cricket in 2011 than with that celebrated rivalry - Australia v India.
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Jan 2013 (annual)
Summadayze starts Melbourne's year off with a huge dance party at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Together with the cream of Melbourne's dance music scene, a hand-picked selection of the world's finest talent ensures 14 hours of non-stop entertainment.
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Jan 2013 (annual)
The top 20 amateur golfers in the world meet at Royal Melbourne Golf Club to do battle. The competition is the most popular of its type in Australia and one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments on the international circuit.
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Jan 2013 (annual)
Australasia's huge touring music festival, Big Day Out moves south for its annual stint in Melbourne at Flemington Racecourse. Numerous international artists appear alongside some of the freshest talent that Australia and New Zealand have to offer.
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Jan 2013 (annual)
The Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena in the Melbourne & Olympic Parks is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year. The world's top players are in Melbourne to get the season off to a smashing start.
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Jan - Feb 2013 (annual)
The huge, three-week-long Midsumma gay and lesbian festival is Melbourne's answer to the Sydney Mardi Gras. Vibrant and colourful parties celebrate queer culture, alongside arts events and a Pride March that attracts 40,000 participants.
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Jan - Feb 2013 (annual)
The year 2012 heralds the Year of the Dragon and, as usual, Chinese New Year features a month of traditional and contemporary Chinese cultural events with dances, food stalls, arts and crafts at different times in various parts of the city.
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Feb 2013 (annual)
Australia's premier short film festival, Flickerfest International Short Film Festival tours the country after opening at Sydney's Bondi Beach Pavilion. Here it arrives for a stint at Melbourne's Kino Cinema.
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Feb 2013 (annual)
The World Superbike Championship comes to the Phillip Island Circuit in Victoria for the Australian leg. The three-day biking spectacular ends on the Sunday with the second round of both the Superbike World Championships and the Supersport World Championship.
Find out more
Mar 2013 (annual)
Award-winning Future Music Festival return's to Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on its tour of Australian cities, playing to tens of thousands of music fans. Blending electronica with pop, hip-hop and indie, the festival promises the ultimate sounds of tomorrow, today.
Find out more
Mar 2013 (annual)
Moomba Festival brings a great programme of free entertainment to Melbourne's communities each year, celebrating the city's cultural diversity. First held in 1955, the event is Melbourne's premier family festival with music, sport, art, culture, fireworks, a carnival and parade.
Find out more
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