What's On

What’s On In Melbourne This Week, This Month And Beyond

By Urban List Writers
27th Mar 2024

It's 2024, and Melbourne's cultural grounds are firing on all burners with plenty of things to do. Festivals, Theatre, food and more are all ripe for the filling of that social calendar, and your stomach. The real question is how many of these can you fit into one week?  

Wondering what's on in Melbourne? Here are Urban List's picks for the best things to do in Melbourne this week, this month and beyond:

Hawker Night Market At QVM

Image credit: QVM | Supplied

Not only do we love Autumn for the crunchy orange and yellow leaves that pepper Melbourne’s streets, but we also love it for Queen Victoria Market’s Hawker 888 Night Market. Kicking off on April 10, every Wednesday night the market will lose its day-time look and transform into a bustling hawker-style street market. The options are endless, from Taiwanese dumplings, authentic okonomiyaki, and Japanese oysters to sugarcane and coconut juice.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone that hasn’t experienced QVM at night, but if that happens to be you—be warned, it gets very busy, very quickly. Get yourself there early, and enjoy the wonderful chaos. From the smoke and sizzle, delightful drinks and all the entertainment, it’s certainly a Melbourne bucket list moment.

The Details:

When: Every Wednesday from April 10 to May 8, 5pm to 10pm
Where: Queen Victoria Market, corner of Queen and Therry Streets, Melbourne CBD
Find the full program
here.

Roaring Back: A Real 3.6 Metre T. Rex Is Making Its Way Down Under To Melbourne Museum


Image credit: Melbourne Museum | supplied

Transporting all dino-lovers back to the age of the Cretaceous, Melbourne Museum will have the privilege of hosting Victoria’s first real Tyrannosaurus rex, aptly named Victoria—one of the most complete T.rex fossils to exist. Spanning more than 12 metres in length and standing at a towering height of over 3.6 metres, this remarkable specimen ranks among the largest dinos to have walked the planet.

The interactive exhibition, kicking off on June 28, will vividly recreate the natural habitat of this prehistoric giant through multisensory installations and immersive digital environments, showcasing the latest palaeontological findings and offering insights into Victoria’s life and demise. 

The Details:

When: From Friday 28 June to Sunday 20 October
Where: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street Carlton, Melbourne
Book tickets here.

Steve McCurry ICONS

Three people viewing Steve McCurry's ICONS exhibit in Melbourne.Image credit: Fever Up | Supplied

Steve McCurry, an award-winning photojournalist best known for his piece ‘Afghan Girl’ (Sharbat Gula) that adorned National Geographic's front cover in the 80’s, is coming to Melbourne with a fascinating retrospective spanning over McCurry’s 40+ years.

Inspired by conflict, ancient traditions and contemporary culture, take a journey through some of the most beautiful and harrowing parts of the world with over 100 of McCurry’s well-known photographs and poignant portraits. ICONS kicks off Wednesday 28 February, and tickets are on sale now.

The Details:

When: Wednesday 28 February to Sunday 19 May
Where: Seaworks Williamstown | 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown
Book tickets
here.

Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience 


Image credit: Unko Museum | Supplied

If you don't already know what Unko translates to, you can probably guess. Yep, Japan's museum dedicated to poop has made a pit stop in Melbourne this year to celebrate "max unko kawaii" which loosely translates to "the maximum cuteness of poop". The one-of-a-kind experience that's taken Japan by storm champions all things number two, with kawaii-style poop games, installations and Instagram ops. The waitlist for tickets is open now with Unko Museum expected to open end of December.

The Details:

When: From Wednesday 20 December
Where: Unko Museum, 360 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Book tickets here.

WICKED: The Musical

WICKED the musical in Melbourne is set to kick off in March.Image credit: WICKED | Jeff Busby

WICKED has made the rounds across 16 countries and now, the hit Broadway musical about the untold stories of the Witches of Oz, is coming to Melbourne. The production sensation is set to captivate audiences at the Regent Theatre starting in March. Tickets on sale now.

The Details:

When: From Tuesday 5 March
Where: Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne
Book tickets
here.

After A Massive Sydney Season, Jurassic World: The Exhibition Is Coming To Melbourne 

Dates TBC | Waitlist Open 

whats on sydney things to do jurassic world exhibition
Image credit: Jurassic World | Supplied

Live out your Jeff Goldblum dreams at this insane immersive experience bringing all the Jurassic Park wonder and thrills to Sydney after being enjoyed by more than 5 million people worldwide.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition features richly themed environments (including labs, boats and prehistoric forests) inspired by the films with a life-sized brachiosaurus, velociraptors and even a T-rex, plus the chance to interact with adorable baby dinosaurs. The Melbourne location and season dates are soon to be revealed, and you can join the waitlist here.

A Massive (And Magical) Harry Potter: Forbidden Forest Experience Is Coming To Victoria

Image credit: Harry Potter: The Forbidden Forest Experience | Supplied

Following a sell-out tour in the USA and UK, the official Harry Potter: Forbidden Forest experience is coming to Melbourne. The immersive trail will bring to life plenty of your favourite Harry Potter creatures, including but not limited to Hippogriffs, Unicorns, and Nifflers. Potterheads will also have plenty of opportunities to practice casting their spells amidst the illuminated forest walk. 

The Details:

When: From Saturday 6 April
Where: The Briars, 450 Nepean Highway, Mount Martha
For wait list and more information, click here

Yayoi Kusama's Giant Pumpkin Comes To Victoria


Image credit: Pt Leo Estate | Supplied

Those lucky enough to visit Japan's Naoshima island would have likely experienced the wonder of Yayoi Kusama's work, and specifically her giant polka dot-clad pumpkin sculptures. Soon, however, one of the famed artist's pumpkins will be parking up in Victoria, and it's one of Kusama's largest yet. Landing at Pt Leo Estate from Friday 24 November, Kusama's Pumpkin joins a raft of world-renowned artists and sculptural works from the likes of KAWS, Jaume Plensa and Reko Rennie.

The Details:

When: From Friday 24 November
Where: Pt Leo Estate, 3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks 
For more details, click here

Marshmallow Laser Feast At ACMI 

Image credit: ACMI | supplied

London-based art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast—where science, art and technology converge—is bringing its multi-sensory Works Of Nature exhibition to ACMI, from Thursday 23 November.

While Marshmallow Laser Feast has mesmerised audiences across the globe—like at Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals—this exhibition is a world premiere, featuring four mammoth-scale digital artworks. Guests will feel small, in the best kind of way, as they are immersed in the natural world, from Amazonian trees to the galaxies, with interactive experiences and guided meditation.

The Details: 

When: Various times, Thursday 23 November to Sunday 14 April
Where: ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne
To find out more, click here

TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition

Image credit: TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition | supplied

While the tragedy already resonates globally, with particular thanks to Jack and Rose, TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition offers an unmatched intimate look into the catastrophic shipwreck. Melbourne Museum is rewinding to 1912, giving us a boarding pass into the walls of a full-scale recreated Titanic, immersing guests in the eerie Grand Staircase, First Class Parlour Suite and Verandah Cafe. Decked out with over 200 artefacts, revealed from the depths of the ocean, visitors will learn the stories of ill-fated passengers, from more than 110 years ago. This sold-out exhibition took off in Paris and the USA and is anchoring exclusively in Melbourne from Saturday 16 December.

The Details: 

When: Various times Saturday 16 December to Sunday 14 April
Where: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Melbourne

To find out more, click here 

You may also like: 

NGV Triennial

The NGV Triennial is back in full swing, and like previous, the NGV is pulling out all the stops with 75 works across NGV International, with 75 projects from artists locally and abroad, along with 25 world premieres. 

The line-up is extensive, to say the least, and while there isn’t necessarily one headliner over another, visitors will no doubt be drawn to the work of the divisive Yoko Ono, who’ll be presenting a large-scale text-based piece set to engulf the facade of the NGV International.

The Details:

When: Now until Sunday 7 April 
Where: 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
For more information, click here.

Collingwood Children's Farm


Image credit: Collingwood Children's Farm | Supplied

One for young and old, The Collingwood Children's Farm provides a perfect bucolic escape from the city, without really leaving the city. Take a walks through the community gardens, get some fresh air, and even meet the baby lambs.

The Details:

When: Open seven days a week, 9:30am until 4:30pm
Where: 18 St Heller's Road, Abbotsford
For more information, click here

The Dinos Alive Exhibition

Wondering what's on in Melbourne? Check out this Dino's Alive exhibitImage credit: Fever Up | supplied 

The closest thing to taking a walk in Jurassic Park is about to hit Melbourne at Dinos Alive, an immersive exhibition featuring 80+ life-sized, animated dinosaurs. Your usual suspects—like t-rex, and a pack of velociraptors—will be in attendance, along with lesser-known dinos, too. Along with rex and co, the all-ages exhibition features a VR experience exploring the depths of the oceans along with the creatures that call it home during the Jurassic period. 
Dinos Alive opens on Wednesday 1 November through to late January.

The Details:

When: From Wednesday 1 November
Where: 62 Dawson St, Brunswick
For tickets and more information, click here.

David Attenborough's BBC Earth Experience 

Image credit: BBC Experience | supplied

Discover seven continents and unmatched footage of Earth’s most majestic animals, narrated by the smoothest British voice there is. The BBC Earth Experience, a tale told by Sir David Attenborough, is coming to Melbourne on Friday 27 October. It’s taking the beloved BBC studios’ Seven Worlds, One Planet television show and amplifying it on an epic scale. You’ll be submerged in a 360-degree, audio-visual journey, surrounded by multi-angled screens, spanned over 1608m2 of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

After a widely successful premiere in London earlier this year, BBC Studios, Moon Eye Productions and Live Nation Australia are bringing the tourist attraction exclusively to Melbourne. Prepare to welcome our interstate friends as we flex this once-off experience. Get more details and book tickets over here.

The Details: 

When: Now until late-March
Where: Melbourne Convention And Exhibition Centre, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf
To find out more, click here

400 Gradi Pizza Workshop 

Image credit: 400 Gradi | Supplied

The simple brilliance of pizza is an artform in itself to help you along your pizza-making journey is the well-versed mind of Johnny Di Francesco, award-winning pizzaolo and 400 Gradi founder. Join Johnny at their Brunswick East HQ for a two-hour workshop where he'll take you through the intricacies of making dough, hand-stretching, topping the pizza and cooking it to perfection in the oven. The session will kick off with an espresso and will also include pizza alongside a glass of wine for lunch as well as pizza dough and course notes to take and follow at home. 

The Details: 

When: Various times 
Where: 99 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
To find out more, 
click here

The NGV's Sphere 

A large scale round sculpture at NGV, a regular in what's on Melbourne lists.Image credit: NGV | Supplied 

Ah, the NGV, a regular in many a what's on Melbourne lists. As part of the NGV's Triennial set to open later this year, a towering sphere will take to life in the NGV Garden, exhaling air in a stunning display of natural rhythm. The work, (This Is) Air by leading Australian architect Nic Brunsdon, encourages audiences to consider the relationship with air by visualising air itself through a series of cloud-like configurations before inflating to full capacity. (This Is) Air will be free to experience and is set to provide a backdrop for a host of public performances and summer programs at the NGV

The Details:

When: Sunday 3 December 2023 through to June 2024
Where: NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
For more information, click here

Metartworld 

Wondering what's on in Melbourne but looking for something a little different? Check out he sculptures at Met Art World.Image credit: Fever Up | Supplied 

Metartworld is stepping your typical art gallery dates up a notch with the romantic starry sky exhibition—one of many displayed in the epic 2 500 square metre exhibition that celebrates metal art. Bond over shared art interests and lose yourselves in a fantasy world of unique statues recycled from scrap metal and themed spaces from motorcycles and cars to anime and movies. With a plethora of exhibitions, stimulating art conversations are bound to take place.

The Details:

When: Various times
Where: 155 Boundary Street, Port Melbourne
To find out more, 
click here

1981 Delorian Joy Ride 

A Delorian that you can take for a joy ride.
Image credit: Red Balloon | supplied

Mcfly! Head right back to 1981—well, sort of—in this 1981 DMC Delorian. This stunning piece of auto history is restored to its original 81 specifications, but what you really need to know is that it's kitted out with replica props including time circuitry, flux capacitor, that iconic JVC camcorder and a hoverboard in the back for good measure. 

The hour-long drive will take you in and around Melbourne with your professional driver behind the wheel. It'll set you back $299—book in here.

The Details:

When: available for bookings on weekends
To book your joyride around Melbourne, click here.

Make a day of it and hit up some of Melbourne's best spots for breakfast, lunch and dinner:

Melbourne's best restaurants
Melbourne's best cafes
Melbourne's best bars

Main image credit: Figr (supplied) 

Urban List Best Of: has our highest stamp of approval—curated lists of the very best recommendations for you to eat, do, see, buy or book, carefully chosen by our Editors.

Editor's note: Urban List editors independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. Urban List has affiliate partnerships, so we get revenue from your purchase.

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