Things to do in Melbourne this week (Jun 10-Jun 16)

Melbourne Uni’s swish new, blue-hued Union Theatre seats 398 people. It’s a number made quietly devastating by Western Sydney playwright S Shakthidharan’s sprawling family epic Counting and Cracking.  Spanning almost 50 years, four generations and multiple countries – connecting Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, to Sydney – much of what occurs is informed, one way or another, by the terrifying devastation of Sri Lanka’s Civil War. The fighting was ignited by the Black July riots of 1983, a pogrom that cruelly claimed countless souls. Bob Hawke’s Labor government offered 100 visas to the predominantly Tamil minority fleeing the country-wide wave of violence, or one for every fourth audience member. A pin-drop moment. But there’s much more on offer here than grasping despair.  It’s been five long years since Belvoir St Theatre first presented Counting and Cracking at the Sydney Town Hall during the 2019 Sydney Festival. Having travelled around the world since, snapping up a bunch of awards along the way, it’ll land in New York in September. But first, Melbourne audiences can see this glorious work of love and understanding as part of Rising.  Opening with a flourish of culture-clash comedy, an abundantly effervescent Shiv Palekar’s awkwardly topless Siddhartha is deeply uncomfortable about wading into the Georges River. He’s been ordered to do so by his overbearing yet bountifully loving mum Radha (a fabulously commanding Nadie Kammallaweera) to ceremonially scatter the a

It's baaack! After two hugely popular winter seasons, Melbourne's favourite illuminated event is returning in 2024. From June 14 to August 4, take a nighttime stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens and experience luminous pathways, lit-up tree canopies, soothing soundscapes and brand new installations. "We are thrilled to see Lightscape returning for its third year. The Gardens provide an exquisite canvas for us to create a magical world of light, nature and wonder," said David Harland, director and chief executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. "In 2024 we have a few surprises up our sleeve as we build on the experience to make it exhilarating for both returning and first-time visitors." For the upcoming season, you can expect a reimagined 2.2km trail accompanied by stunning lakeside reflections, large-scale illuminated sculptures and other wonders, with more than 100,000 tiny lights on display. New in 2024 is 'Submerged', an immersive work where you walk through thousands of suspended lights as the installation changes colour in response to the movement. Also making its Australian debut is 'Lily' by French artistic studio Tilt – it's a series of abstract, three-metre-tall glowing flowers that will captivate people of all ages. Most importantly, you'll also be able to grab a bite to eat and warming drinks at the Welcome Zone or 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 m

Sunset Boulevard’s Norma Desmond is a magnificently complex creation. Originally depicted by Gloria Swanson in Billy Wilder’s magnetic 1950 movie, she’s the star of countless silent movies, a living legend accruing thousands of adoring fans during her heyday. But the talkies took over Hollywood, and her light was cruelly dimmed, sending her retreating to her decaying hilltop mansion with loyal butler Max Von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim). While Norma cuts a tragic figure in her middle ages as the story begins, she can still command a room. “I am big. It’s the movies that got small,” she acidly enunciates at down-on-his-luck movie writer Joe Gillis (William Holden in the movie) when he unexpectedly shows up at her door. Spying a way back to the spotlight through his words, she sets him to work on her chaotic Salome screenplay, abusing her money as power over him. As a noir-tinged chamber piece, Sunset Boulevard hangs on this increasingly twisted relationship, dancing between dark and the light as moments of hope are dashed to doom. It’s just the stuff The Phantom of the Opera maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber thrives on, eventually securing the story after a tortuously long ‘will they, won’t they’ that thwarted both Swanson and Stephen Sondheim. Webber’s soaring musical adaptation – with Phantom-like stirrings over a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton – returns to Australian stages, care of Opera Australia, almost thirty years after Debra Byrne and Hugh Jackman ta

Rising is back for sixteen nights across three weekends from June 1-16. As a chill settles over the city, the festival returns with a nocturnal vengeance boasting a packed line-up of 116 events. Choose from a mix of free and ticketed options for performances and installations encompassing theatre, music, dance and art.  Wander through large-scale installations, micro-bars and everything in between as our landmarks and labyrinthine laneways are drenched in a new light. A whopping 651 Australian and international artists will gather to warm Melbourne’s spirits, in a festival celebrating contemporary creativity of all kinds. There’ll be eight Australian premieres, six global premieres and 32 new commissions – nice! This year, the festival’s action-packed Night Trade Hub will sprawl through the laneways around the Capitol Theatre to Howey Place, featuring interactive art, dumplings, dance and more — with free entry. The line-up for this area has also recently been expanded to include psychic readings, karaoke and a full club program. Night Trade Stage Door will host six different late-night DJ parties throughout the festival, for those who want to dance with somebody. Down the road, Fed Square will play host to The Blak Infinite, a vibrant free program of First People’s art and politics. Kimberley Moulton (the curator behind last year’s Shadow Spirit installation) and Kate ten Buuren (Taungurung) have curated the expansive exhibition, anchored by Embassy, Richard Bell’s installat

Broad Encounters, the folks behind last year’s large-scale, free-roam production Love Lust Lost and 2019’s A Midnight Visit, have announced another immersive show opening this June. This time around, they’re embracing the immediacy of a smaller-scale space, with their latest show billed as an intimate soirée for small groups. When Night Comes is a multi-sensory theatrical experience that promises to be intoxicating in more ways than one. Set across fantastical yet hedonistic spaces, those who dare to enter will be introduced to a dark, decadent and delicious den where the cocktails are as enticing as the gazes of the cast.  Expect sublime sounds, visions, tastes and feelings – it’s all part of the celestial show. The production is set within a section of Collingwood’s Austral Theatre, one of Melbourne’s original beloved dance halls which first opened in 1921. The building will be demolished soon to make way for apartments, so this could be one of your last chances to take a peek inside Melbourne’s history. Head over to Collingwood from June 11 to catch When Night Comes for a strictly limited season with sessions already selling fast. Tickets are from $63 and available until August 3. Head to the website to book now.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.  Feeling theatrical? Check out the best theatre and musicals happening in Melbourne right now.

While we may not see snow in Melbourne during winter, that doesn't mean we can't live out our winter wonderland dreams. A new frosty pop-up is opening this June and it's perfect for a dose of festive fun during the dreary colder months.  Frosted: A Winter Spectacular is a huge celebration of Christmas in July, with heaps of themed attractions that your little ones will love all under a big top tent. There's an inflatable Snow Land playground, live circus performances, a polar bear ball pit, an icy toboggan slide, skating rink, a reindeer barn, elf village and heaps more. Take adorable family photos with colourful characters and beautiful themed sets, enjoy warming bites to eat and even make craft creations to take home.  This seasonal celebration is happening in Narre Warren (opposite Westfield Fountain Gate) from June 21 to July 21, lining up nicely with the school holidays. General admission tickets are priced from $32.50 for a two-hour session, and are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.  Looking for more things to do in Melbourne? Check out our guide to what's on.

Mark your calendars and grab your warmest winter woolies, Melburnians: the Queen Vic Market's beloved Winter Night Market is back. From June 5 to August 28 you can spend cosy Wednesday evenings enjoying live entertainment, huddling around open fires and feasting on goodies from a selection of global street food stalls, carts, trucks and festival bars. This year, more than 35 traders will light up the open-air market sheds across a bumper 13-week season. Highlights include piping hot soup served in a bread roll by the Soup Factory, souvas by the Cypriot Kitchen, camembert croquettes by Frencheese, charred corn on the cob and Portuguese tarts by Casa Nata. When you get thirsty, warm up with sips of warm butter beer, mulled wine and ginger beer. Antagonist Spirits will once again be serving up its spiked Milo cocktail, while resident brewers Brick Lane will be pouring its amber nectars. As always, you can expect roving performers, tarot reading, the famous silent disco and a rotating line-up of homegrown talent. After sipping and snacking, be sure to explore the dozens of stalls selling locally sourced and handmade products including jewellery, art, skincare, books and homewares.  Looking for more things to do? Check out our round-up of the best things happening in Melbourne this week. Plus, these are Melbourne's best winter festivals.

This year, a brand-new illuminated attraction invites Melburnians to experience something truly special, with an Indigenous-created event inspired by the rich tapestry of First Nations' traditional storytelling.  Gumbuya Dreaming will be a mesmerising digital light experience, taking up residence at Gumbuya World theme park this winter. Captivating light installations and soundscapes will explore nature through her 60,000 year journey – highlighting the beauty of flowers, the dance of fire and water, and the majesty of land and animals. Set along a wildlife trail, visitors will also be immersed in a soundscape as they wander along the luminous trail.  The installation is created by acclaimed Indigenous artist Wayne Quilliam, who also recently contributed to the Lume's Connection exhibition.  “Each one of the zones is connected through our traditional storytelling, they’re a culmination of my knowledge and the all the stories that have been told to me,” says Quilliam. “We’ve created this as a meeting place to share our stories with the world and tell the history of the land that it’s sitting on."  The word 'Gumbuya' has the Aboriginal language meaning of 'meeting place', and the experience will form a contemporary interpretation of ancient stories, to honour and celebrate Aboriginal culture, art and innovation. The experience will begin with a smoking ceremony, before participants are led on a stunning visual journey.  Running from June 8 to July 21, the all-ages experience

After acclaimed performances in Sydney last year, Melbourne Theatre Company is bringing Julia to the Southbank Theatre stage from May 31 until July 13. This production from Sydney Theatre Company and Canberra Theatre Centre documents one of the most pivotal moments in Australian political history: former Prime Minister Julia Gillard's famous 2012 'misogyny speech'. Demand for this play looks to be robust, so we recommend heading to the Melbourne Theatre Comany website to secure your tickets sooner rather than later. Time Out Sydney reviewed Julia when it played at the Opera House in 2023. Read on for that four-star review:  When Julia Gillard’s distinctive ocker voice first emerged from Justine Clarke’s mouth on Opening Night of Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Julia, the audience literally gasp-screamed. It was, without mincing words, pretty freaky.  STC’s production of Julia is a long-awaited response to one of the most iconic (and spicy) speeches made in Australian history. Written by Joanna Murray Smith, directed by Sarah Goodes, and starring national treasure Justine Clarke as Julia Gillard herself, this deeply Australian story is an amorphous re-imagining of all the forces that led up to that moment in 2012 when Julia Gillard so perfectly and viscously roasted Tony Abbott in the House of Representatives.  Julia is an intoxicating and fascinating experience that hits something deep and resounding within us We all know *that speech* (and if you don’t, watch it right

Grab your wands and your Hogwarts house tie, because a brand new magical experience that is every Potterhead's dream is coming to Melbourne. Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is apparating to the Mornington Peninsula in 2024, with a mystical encounter that will have you living out your witch or wizard fantasies in the muggle world. Follow in the daring footsteps of Harry himself through the infamous Forbidden Forest, where you'll meet hippogriffs and unicorns, as well as cast powerful spells. The outdoor trail adventure will lead you on a fully immersive journey, finishing with a Potter-themed village that has food, drink and merch on offer. Warner Bros is bringing this exciting experience Down Under after whirlwind success in the US, UK and Europe, with the Forbidden Forest making its Australian debut deep in the woods of Mt Martha next April.  Suitable for fans of all ages, tickets for this magical experience are on sale now. You can find out more on the website here.  Looking for more fun things to do in Melbourne? Check out what's on this week here.