Things to do in Melbourne today

Melburnians, we know it’s getting chilly. But we’re not the type of city to give up on going out just because the weather is less than ideal. Aside from the inconvenient truth that we’d never get anything done if we didn’t venture out into the cold, Melbourne is heating up with a reason to hit the streets this winter. Firelight Festival is returning to Docklands this winter from June 30 until July 2. NewQuay Promenade, Harbour Esplanade, Victoria Harbour Promenade, Buluk Park and Docklands Central Park will be set alight, literally, with fiery installations from 5pm on each of the three nights. In fact, this year’s iteration will feature more than 40 fire pits and 35 flame jets.  The free festival is a celebration of winter with a focus on family, community, food, music, fire and light. There’ll be African drumming, roving performers to delight the little ones, warming foods and plentiful fire installations.  Keep an eye out for the Messenger, a five-metre high puppet who’ll be roaming Harbour Esplanade each night. Visit Docklands Central Park to be dazzled by an oversized light installation called Trumpet Flowers, or look to the sky above Victoria Harbour to behold a web of lights visible from all three promenades.  There’ll be plenty of food to satisfy the appetite you’ll work up exploring the promenades. Hearty, warming treats including Japanese curries, Filipino barbeque, hot donuts and s’mores will all be on offer, alongside mulled wine for the grownups.  Plan ahead to m

Victorians and New South Welshmen don’t have too much in common (we wear a lot of black, they for some reason insist on calling parmas "a parmi") but there is some common ground – namely the beautiful Murray River which separates our two states. This year, the Murray border community of Echuca Moama is throwing a fun night festival around this legendary waterway.  Moama Lights is an immersive sound and light event that runs from June 30 to July 23, and takes visitors on a powerful journey through the elements of air, fire, water and earth. It will take place at the Horseshoe Lagoon, and the show will be split into seven zones that all help tell an interactive story about the wonders of the Earth and the beauty of the bush.  The experience on Yorta Yorta land begins with an acknowledgment of country and narration of ‘Spiritual Song of the Aborigine’ by Hyllus Noel Maris. A light and laser show imitating the Aurora Australis will be projected across the lagoon, and several bonfires will illuminate the path forward. An immersive soundscape of thunder, wind and rain will replicate being in the eye of an angry storm, while the grand finale (featuring giant inflatable flowers) will showcase Earth’s landscape as it gives rise to flourishing fauna and flora. In addition to this artistic display of cutting-edge light technology, there will also be an ice skating rink, kids entertainment and food trucks. Entry to Moama Lights is $20 for adults and $10 for children – you can book at th

Choo choo! The Train of Lights is back on the tracks for 2023 and ready to captivate passengers with a magical winter journey through the Dandenong Ranges. Australia’s favourite steam train Puffing Billy will be your conductor for this two-and-a-half-hour round trip that illuminates the natural beauty of the region with thousands of dazzling lights. Departing from Lakeside Station, you’ll be immersed in a spectacle of neon colours as acclaimed lighting specialists Resolution X (White Night, Melbourne Fashion Festival) brighten up the countryside with sparkles, rainbows and hypnotic patterns. The historic train will also be adorned with stunning visual effects, which will light up the trees, tracks and passing towns along the way.  Puffing Billy will chug along the historic narrow-gauge track to Gembrook Station where guests will disembark for a 55-minute stopover. Here, you can warm up by the crackling open firepits with hot chocolate and live acoustic music, and enjoy a sausage sizzle by the Rotary Club of Emerald and District. Make your night even more magical by pre-ordering a Puffing Billy picnic box and blanket including a chef’s selection of cheese, dips, meats, crackers and marinated vegetables.  This enchanting winter journey is only on for two weeks from June 23 to July 9 and seats are limited. Tickets go live on May 24 and you can secure them from $25 here. Love a good train trip? Here are six epic overnight train journeys to take in Australia.

After a hugely popular debut in Melbourne last winter, Lightscape has announced its return to Melbourne. From June 16 to August 6, take a nighttime stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens and experience luminous pathways, lit-up tree canopies and soothing soundscapes.  "Lightscape was an overwhelming success [in 2022] and we are delighted that this world-class event is returning to Melbourne so that Victorians can again enjoy our gardens in a whole new light," says Professor Tim Entwisle, director and chief executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens.  For the upcoming season, you can expect an all-new 2.1km trail accompanied by stunning lakeside reflections, colour-changing installations, large-scale illuminated sculptures and other wonders, with more than 100,000 tiny lights on display. Be mesmerised by an eight-metre sphere filled with over 20,000 moving LEDs, singing trees and a flickering fire garden. You'll also be able to grab a bite to eat at food trucks and bars at the Lightscape Welcome Zone and along the trail. They say that Melbourne is at its best in winter and events like Lightscape, where you can rug up and join friends for a unique experience, are a big reason why. Adult tickets start at $32 and are available through the website – be quick as they tend to go fast.  Find out more about Lightscape 2023.  

If you've been needing a bit of magic in your life, then we've got good news for you: Disney on Ice is returning with a special anniversary show, 100 Years of Wonder. See your favourite characters from films like Moana, Frozen, Coco, Toy Story and more come to life and skillfully navigate the rink with a flurry of special effects like fake snow and pyrotechnics.  Embark on a quest with Mickey and Minnie Mouse as your guides, following Captain Hook's treasure map for clues to find Tinker Bell. It's an action-packed expedition that traverses raging seas, snow-covered mountains and a bridge made of marigolds. You'll also travel to the wintry world of Arendelle and sing along with Elsa, help Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie recruit the Green Army Men for a daring rescue in Andy’s room, and set sail with Moana to bravely encounter the fiery wrath of Te Ka. As you watch characters navigate challenges, there will be many teachable moments that are perfect for inspiring children around the world to discover their inner heroes. Learn about strength and determination from Moana, and teamwork from the Toy Story gang. The six-city tour will take the troupe through Adelaide, Wollongong, Brisbane, Newcastle and Sydney, as well as Melbourne where they'll perform at Rod Laver Arena from June 28 to July 2. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek.  Looking for more things to do? Check out our round-up of the best things happening in Melbourne this week.

Whether you’re yet to grace restaurateur Chris Lucas’ opulent Society with a visit or you’re a die-hard dinnertime loyalist, it’s well worth a look in for a weekend lunch. From Friday to Sunday in the afternoons, the swish restaurant is hosting the Society Social, an extravagant multi-course affair featuring a generous array of savoury dishes and a roving dessert trolley to dazzle you at the end.  The offering was inspired by Lucas’ recent adventures in Paris and New York, cities where palatial dining rooms reign supreme and lunch is a social occasion in and of itself. Expect a fine dining experience but with a casual, unstuffy air and minus the enormous price tag (it costs just $77 per person for your choice of two courses or $99 if you opt for a third). You’ll start with artisanal housemade bread and butter and a rainbow of market-fresh crudité hand-picked daily from local farms. Opt for a crisp disc of radish dunked into taramasalata or a tree-like cauliflower bud smothered with smoked eggplant or crème fraiche. Repeat and relish the lavish assortment of textures and flavours before easing into your meal with one of Society’s signature drinks – or a bottle of Champers to make it a long and lazy one.  If you’ve got your eye on another varietal, just ask for the beverage director Loic Avril and his team of sommeliers, one of which will assist you in selecting the perfect drop from the impressive 10,000-bottle cellar. A selection of Society’s cult favourite snacks follow, fro

Ever wondered what it's like to be hypnotised, or if it's possible for someone to read your mind? Or maybe you're fascinated by sleights of hand and trying to figure out how they were accomplished. Whatever form of magic you're interested in, the Melbourne Magic Festival is sure to cast its spell on you when it arrives in Melbourne on June 26.  Since its launch in 2008, the festival has grown to become the largest festival of its kind, attracting more than 8,000 magic fans from all over the country last year. This year, enjoy two weeks packed full of more than 130 performances of 30 different shows by local magicians and international stars.  This year, the headline international act is Mario Lopez – an award-winning sleight-of-hand master who makes everything he touches look like real magic. Other highlights include the Quizzical Mr Jeff (a fun family show that blends circus with magic), Unusual Objects (an intimate show of objects disappearing, appearing and transfiguring) and Josh Staley (one of card magic's top practitioners). The list of performers and shows is about as long as one of those colourful scarves magicians pull out of people's ears, so check the website and prepare to be amazed.  Keen for more wintery fun? Check out our guide to the best winter festivals and events. Love to get lit? Here's everything illuminated in Melbourne this month.

Winter is here but that doesn’t mean you and the family need to stay at home. Rug up and head west to Grazeland to find your fave foodie precinct utterly transformed into a winter wonderland that will impress both kids and the young at heart. Each weekend from June 23 to July 30, the epic culinary playground will be decked out with dreamy white snow, the biggest snowman in Melbourne at ten metres high, neon lights and eye-popping balloon displays.  As the days get shorter and the temps drop to new lows, there’s never been a better excuse to venture out and have a cosy night by the river. Warm up with mulled wine by the fire pits and dig into a diverse array of international eats, including ooey-gooey raclette cheese from Frencheese, juicy German meatballs from Bratboy or Chinese fare from Lucky Little Dumplings. Couples won’t be able to resist a fun Insta snap in front of the giant snowman or in a chairlift on top of the snowy mountain. With roving performers, live bands and interactive DJs providing plenty of entertainment, have a dance by the magical snow machine or treat the kids to a face painting session and playtime in the fun zones.   When it’s time to sit back and relax, warm up those mitts with a spice-infused wine from Jam Shed or devour a box of Dutch-style pancakes from Little Miss Dutchy.   Christmas may be far away yet, but when there’s an opportunity to have a white Christmas in July – we’ll take it! Looking for more fun things to see and do this winter? Check

Listen up, muggles! Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will finish its record-breaking stint on July 9, 2023. After four magical years at Melbourne's Princess Theatre, the longest-running play in Australian theatre will finally come to an end and depart the country for good. If you want to catch this spellbinding production before it pops on its invisibility cloak and disappears forever, head to the website and snap up a ticket. Read on below for our review of the new one-night version of the play. It’s Christmas for Potterheads. Three years after its celebrated opening at the expensively refurbished Princess Theatre, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is taking an apt step back in time with a second premiere, this time of a streamlined one-play version that carves a good three hours off of its original running time. There are various motivations for this. Even for ardent devotees or seasoned theatre veterans, six hours in a seat is a slog, and once killed-for tickets had become readily available. But what could have been a cynical hatchet job has turned out to be the making of this show. The main pillars of the story remain – picking up where JK Rowling’s novels ended, we meet the children of famed wizard Harry Potter as they depart for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, the enduring friendships that kept Harry alive are elusive for Harry’s awkward son Albus, and when he fails to live up to the towering expectations of not just his school but the entire wiza

There’s something a bit magical about this historic regional town in the dark, cold months – and this is exactly what the Ballarat Winter Festival seeks to capture. From June 24 to July 8, the Gold Rush town will come alive with food and wine events, gigs and performances, an ice rink, a huge market and (our particular favourite) Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill. The festival will include more than 40 events, and it's anticipated around 100,000 visitors will visit the city during the three-week festival.  Highlights of the program include the pop-up ice skating rink, which will host child-friendly, sensory and disco-themed skating sessions, and the Design Exchange Market, which brings together a number of independent designers, artists and creators. Kryal Castle will be hosting Knights of Fire, which tells the story of Snow Queen Neva’s battle to save the kingdom. Expect jousting with flaming sticks, magical potions and axe throwing. For music and art lovers, Be_Hear/Now will showcase some of Ballarat's best artists and performers, including electro-western duo Confetti Western and rapper Sami Regague. But wait, there's more: the Ballarat Wildlife Park is celebrating the arrival of Akasha –Ballarat’s newest tiger. While there, you can also hand-feed kangaroos, seekoalas and emus, meet a wombat and admire the little penguins.  Phew, talk about a jam-packed line-up! You can check out the full program on the Ballarat Winter Festival's website.  For more frosty fun, check o