Art & culture events
Dress up in your evening finest for a night out with the performing arts aficionado with dinner and a show in the Melbourne theatre precinct. See some of the biggest blockbuster musicals premiere in Melbourne starring some of the country's finest talent. Head over to Southbank and catch a performance by The Australian Ballet, Melbourne Theatre Company or the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Arts Centre and Hamer Hall. Discover some of the world's most impressive exhibitions at the Melbourne Museum or admire art by notable painters and sculptors at the National Gallery of Victoria.
28 Apr 2011 - 25 Oct 2012
Melbourne's newest top quality night of comedy is here! Every Thursday and Sunday night in the city, Softbelly Comedy has some of the biggest names...
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6 Jun 2011 - 2 Jul 2012
Every Monday, Comedy@Spleen is the city's free weekly comedy hotspot, with a packed room every week. With drop-in guests like Jimeoin, Adam Hills,...
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6 Sep 2011 - 28 May 2012
An inspiring and uplifting concert by resident harpist Michael Johnson, presenting music composed in the Gardens. This small and personal concert...
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4 Oct 2011 - 29 May 2012
An inspiring and uplifting concert by our resident harpist Michael Johnson, presenting music composed in the Gardens. This small and personal...
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11 Jan - 19 Dec 2012
Checkpoint is the city's premier above ground underground comedy room. For just $5 come fill yourself with $6 drinks and put your continence to the...
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8 Mar - 27 May 2012
See animations, drawings, prints, sculptures, theatre models and books from one of the world’s leading contemporary artists and filmmakers.
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9 Mar - 1 Jul 2012
Enter the pages of rare illustrated Persian, Mughal Indian and Ottoman Turkish manuscripts and be transported to distant lands and other times.
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24 Mar - 15 Jul 2012
Melbourne Museum's Top Designs is a dynamic exhibition showcasing Victoria's exceptional emerging designers. Currently in its 12th year, Top Designs...
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31 Mar - 15 Jul 2012
The world premiere of the award-winning exhibition Ancient Rome: Explore the Empire that Shaped the World has come to Melbourne. Ancient Rome...
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31 Mar - 29 Sep 2012
Pop M'art is a new creative concept in Melbourne. It is a moveable art studio that pops up anywhere in private or public locations, allowing people...
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18 Apr - 27 Jun 2012, 18 Jul - 19 Sep 2012, 10 Oct - 19 Dec 2012
Imagination is the only pre-requisite for this year-long course of fun-packed drama classes for young people aged 9 to 13! In a small class of only...
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21 Apr - 26 May 2012
This is the world premiere of Australia Day. 'Jonathan Biggins has ways of making you laugh. Lots of them' - Time Out'A master of making the...
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1 - 25 May 2012
Curated by Theodore Wohng at Dark Horse Experiment. Lux 0. 27 consists of works by artists Kit Webster, Sam Fagan, Tim Sterling, Taree Mackenzie,...
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4 May - 7 Oct 2012
A new exhibition of stunning artefacts from one of the world's great ancient civilisations. The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia, will explore an era...
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9 May - 22 Jun 2012
Director Judy Silman is proud to present a curated exhibition of collectable and exceptional works by Australian artists, represented at Artman...
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12 May - 23 Jun 2012
This is the Australian premiere of The Heretic, which has received the London Evening Standard Award for Best Play of 2011. 'An absolute corker,...
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15 May - 31 Dec 2012
Join in a 30-minute laughter session at Federation Square at 11:00am on the 1st Sunday of each month. Laughter Clubs come together for a session and...
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16 - 26 May 2012
"The better part of valour is discretion"Exciting and accessible Shakespeare is what the Australian Shakespeare Company is renowned for and now it is...
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17 May - 8 Jul 2012
An annual non-acquisitive sculpture and installation prize and exhibition. Inspired by the Incinerator gallery's history, it explores the themes of...
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19 - 29 May 2012
Stonnington Jazz celebrates its seventh year of presenting Australian Jazz. For ten days in venues across Stonnington, music lovers will have the...
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22 May - 2 Jun 2012
Heroism is a cross-cultural and historically persistent phenomenon. Martin Hodge's latest series of observational drawings and watercolours are...
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22 - 27 May 2012
The St Kilda Film Festival has a uniquely high profile in Melbourne and 2012 it will be in its 29th year of operation. The St Kilda Film Festival is...
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23 May - 9 Jun 2012
Introducing 'On the Production of Monsters' by Robert Reid. Ben is a true Melbourne hipster, plugged into the city and giving off 'cool' like some...
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24 May - 12 Aug 2012
You gotta hang on until at least Tomorrow to see the hit production of Annie, everyone's favourite orphan, light up the stage at the Regent Theatre.
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24 - 27 May 2012
Art Melbourne, Melbourne's Affordable Art Fair attracts over 14,000 visitors annually with the purpose of buying art. Featuring work that is both...
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25 May 2012
The Academy of Ancient Idols presents Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Opera excerpts in concert. Featuring:Madama Butterfly - Rosamund...
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25 - 26 May 2012
In the 20th century, Britain overthrew its unfair reputation as a "land without music. " Three of the great composers who played key roles in this...
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26 - 27 May 2012
The Dandenong Ranges has a rich and vibrant artistic heritage which Open Studios brings to life in an interactive weekend event. Artists in the hills...
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27 May 2012
The performance highlight of Melbourne Tap Week, Melbourne's celebration of International Tap Dancing Day, kicks off at 11. 00am on Sunday May 27. ...
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1 Jun - 1 Jul 2012
As Melbourne's winter chill takes hold, Federation Square will bask in the glow of The Light in Winter - a free, month-long program directed by...
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2 Jun - 7 Oct 2012
Gasp in awe at the luxury and opulence of the extravagant private world of Napoleon and Joséphine at this year's NGV Winter Masterpieces exhibition.
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2 - 29 June 2012
Melbourne residents can share the vision of late Australian eye surgeon, Professor Fred Hollows, at a new photography exhibition at the City of...
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2 Jun 2012, 4 Jun 2012
Through movies as diverse as Paradise Road and The Right Stuff, the music of The Planets has permeated our culture. Holst's spectacular astrological...
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4 Jun 2012, 2 Jul 2012, 6 Aug 2012, 3 Sep 2012
Theatre Slam is a spectacular night of performance where you witness some of Melbourne's finest actors slam down their talent with one, two and three...
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5 Jun 2012
The Australian Ballet School return to present a collection of contemporary and classical works. The first performance will include a pre-show...
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6 Jun - 21 Jul 2012
For Mrs Stewart, a Coronial Inquiry seems too little, too late. In 1975, her son Tony Stewart was a young sound recordist for an Australian news...
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6 Jun 2012
Ears Wide Open is an interactive 80-minute journey into music, live on stage, conducted and presented by Australia's most charismatic musical...
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7 - 8 June 2012
Dolores Daiquiri and Rosy Rabbit present Baby Bombshells - Newcomer's Contest. See the burlesque stars of tomorrow in the official opening of the...
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7 - 11 June 2012
Get square eyes with films for kids, about kids, and some even by kids, to amaze and delight kids. Kids of all ages flock to Melbourne's...
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8 - 9 June 2012
Enter a world of seduction and fantasy veiled to the outside world. Be swept away to another realm of luscious seduction, veiled fantasy and...
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8 Jun 2012
A brilliant improvised comedy about WA's Pinjarra Massacre. Created and performed by Nyoongar and Wadjella (whitefella) actors, Bindjareb Pinjarra...
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9 - 10 June 2012
A night of glamorous and classic tease to dazzle and delight the burlesque aficionado in us all! "The Big Tease" is the Australian Burlesque...
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10 - 11 June 2012
Think you know what burlesque is? Well think again! A revue of Australia's premier neo-burlesque artists in a beguiling romp through the bizarre and...
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14 - 15 June 2012
In his Fourth Symphony, Mahler creates a magical evocation of the spirit of childhood, ending with a heartfelt hymn to sacred innocence. Mahler's...
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15 - 30 June 2012
Christopher Rimmer is a British born photographer who is best known for his large scale portraits of African tribal people and wildlife rendered in...
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16 Jun 2012
Bloomsday in Melbourne is an internationally acclaimed festival which celebrates James Joyce annually on 16 June. In 2012, Bloomsday presents a...
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16 Jun 2012
Bring your flags, bring the corgis and warm up your voices ready for the Best of British - Diamond Jubilee Celebration ConcertIn the presence of Her...
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17 - 18 June 2012
Danielle de Niese was born in Melbourne and won Young Talent Time aged 9, then moved to Los Angeles, won an Emmy and made her debut with the LA Opera...
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20 Jun - 7 Jul 2012
'The Golden Dragon is [an] astonishing piece of stage writing' - The Globe and Mail In the cramped kitchen of The Golden Dragon, a tooth is wrenched...
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22 Jun 2012, 25 Jun 2012
The Melbourne Town Hall's magnificent organ takes centre stage for the stirring concerto by Francis Poulenc, featuring as soloist the man who has...
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27 Jun 2012
One of the great singers of our time, Deborah Voigt combines musical intelligence with a stunningly rich and characterful voice to create...
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28 Jun - 28 Oct 2012
Discover the gods of gaming with Game Masters. Featuring over 125 playable games, ACMI's latest blockbuster exhibition celebrates the work of the...
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29 Jun 2012
There can be few more haunting and evocative sounds in all of music than that of the female Celtic folksingersCeltic Divas presents a glittering...
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30 Jun 2012
Both Sides Now is a concert that promises gospel to soul, funk to pop with up to 120 voices on stage, songs with seven part harmonies and a band...
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30 Jun 2012
A Garry Ginivan Attraction based on the books by Beatrix Potter. Celebrate the 110th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter's beloved classic with Happy...
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2 - 14 July 2012
Melbourne's annual festival of all things magical gets underway on July 2 with some of Australia's best magicians appearing (and disappearing) at the...
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7 Jul - 18 Aug 2012
Abdicating her power, Lear holds a contest for her daughters with a portion of her empire as a prize. When one child refuses to play the game, the...
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10 - 15 July 2012
Mel Brooks is pure comic genius. His musical The Producers is the story of Max Bialystock, a struggling Broadway producer and Leo Bloom, a...
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10 Jul - 5 Aug 2012, 9 Aug - 9 Sep 2012, 12 Sep - 7 Oct 2012, 11 Oct - 11 Nov 2012
A Project that brings The Atrium at the Incinerator Gallery back to life by transforming the once empty shell into an energetic space, affirming that...
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12 - 21 July 2012
The third annual Melbourne Cabaret Festival will burst out across Melbourne over an expanded ten night season from Thursday 12 to Saturday 21 July...
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13 - 14 July 2012
Katherine Thomson's Diving for Pearls dramatically records the moment Australia joined the vast world of globalised economics in the 1980s and the...
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13 - 15 July 2012
The largest gathering of crime writers ever held in the history of Australia will take place at the Reader's Feast Crime & Justice on in July. It...
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14 Jul 2012, 16 Jul 2012
Alternating between the massive orchestral splendours of two works inspired by Roman spectacle, and the contrasting colours of Beethoven and Debussy,...
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16 Jul 2012, 22 Jul 2012, 23 Jul 2012
This concert pairs two great works inspired by very different experiences away from home, both written for the musicians available and, as a result,...
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17 Jul 2012
In July, Tinalley warms the heart with music inspired by love, passion and intimacy in its second program 'As Dreams are Made on'. Scale the heights...
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19 - 22 July 2012
Design:Made:Trade is the one and only design fair of its kind in Australia. The design fair, now in its fifth year, is part of Australia's largest...
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20 - 21 July 2012
See the classic movie on the big screen, re-mastered to its original cinematic glory with sub-titles so everyone can Sing-A-Long!Frock up for the...
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20 Jul 2012, 21 Jul 2012
Ravel was an innovator who brought together superb skill and vivid imagination to create music that is enthralling in every way. From the lush...
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20 - 29 July 2012
This annual Festival is a unique celebration of projected media onto outdoor surfaces that transforms Gertrude Street into an illuminated outdoor...
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24 Jul 2012
This is the story of Thom and Alethea: two neighbours in an apartment block, trying desperately to keep their lives from falling apart. But the wall...
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25 - 29 July 2012
The international ice dance sensation Imperial Ice Stars make a triumphant return this winter with a dazzling new production of The Nutcracker on...
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26 - 29 July 2012
Australia's No. 1 Craft and Quilt Fair is back to brighten and bedazzle Melbourne's craft and quilting community with breathtakingly vibrant...
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26 Jul 2012, 28 Jul 2012
A selection of Russian masterpieces provides the perfect showcase for the talents of the brilliant young conductor Tugan Sokhiev. Ravel's...
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28 - 29 July 2012
Be treated to inside views of Melbourne's most significant buildings for just one weekend and discover secret rooftop gardens and sustainable design.
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1 - 5 August 2012
Think of the Melbourne Art Fair as a local gallery opening on a massive scale, with art to blow your mind, fashionable people, and a drink to be had.
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2 - 17 August 2012
Helicopterby Angela Betzien'The Betzien-Cáceres collaboration represents much of the best new theatre that has emerged . . . ' - The Courier Mail...
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2 - 19 August 2012
Ensure your winter's complete by cramming your minipass with every award-winning, big-budget, no-budget, international, local film and events at MIFF.
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2 Aug 2012, 4 Aug 2012
A program of Mozart rarities presents an opportunity to bask in the master composer's classical purity. Conductor Reinhard Goebel is one of the most...
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3 - 4 August 2012
If you loved Codgers, then don't miss this brand new production. Five marvellous women find themselves back in their infant school classroom plying...
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9 Aug 2012, 10 Aug 2012
In the first concert in the refurbished Hamer Hall by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, former Chief Conductor Markus Stenz renews his...
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10 Aug - 21 Sep 2012
Mali in the City is Zoos Victoria's mammoth public art event part of Melbourne Zoo's special 150th Anniversary Celebrations. The installation will...
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11 Aug - 15 Sep 2012
Ace reporter Hildy Johnson has had enough of the sleaze of the Chicago newspaper game. At midnight, she's catching the train east where she'll marry...
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12 - 13 August 2012
The ACO's internationally-acclaimed Beethoven symphony series reaches its climax with Symphony No. 9, Ode to Joy, featuring one of the finest British...
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15 - 18 August 2012 (dates to be confirmed)
Featuring a curated program as well as a focus on young and emerging filmmakers, Bayside Film Festival brings a touch of lightness to your world! The...
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16 - 19 August 2012
Backed by a ten-piece band, Rhonda dims the lights as she slips into the world of one of America's most mysterious sirens, Julie London. After rave...
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16 Aug 2012, 18 Aug 2012
In Beethoven's cheerful Pastoral symphony, a storm brings refreshment to the idyllic countryside. In the First Act of Richard Wagner's opera Die...
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21 - 26 August 2012
With lyrics by Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King) and music by ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Mamma Mia!), this highly...
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23 Aug - 2 Sep 2012
Prepare for larger-than-life characters and stories that leap off your page as talented writers descend on Melbourne to celebrate the written word.
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25 Aug - 29 Sep 2012
Marlene is out to celebrate her big promotion at work. And she's earned it. It's a just reward for years of dedicated service and hard work at the...
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30 Aug 2012
The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra is one of Australia's finest advocates of orchestral chamber music and promises to invigorate and move audiences with...
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30 Aug - 1 Sep 2012
Sir Andrew Davis leads a celebration of the music of Australia's - and Melbourne's - greatest composer, the fascinating and brilliant Percy Grainger....
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1 Sep 2012
The Bugalugs Bum Thief tells the hilarious tale of the town of Bugalugs, where the residents wake up one morning to find their buttocks...
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5 - 22 September 2012
Happy Endingby Melissa Reeves'Reeves is one of our most accomplished playwrights' - Theatre Notes Louise is in her forties, happily married (more or...
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8 - 11 September 2012 (dates to be confirmed)
Prepare to hold on tight as the Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) graces Melbourne for the first time ever this September! In what will be...
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15 Sep 2012
Pirates, buried treasure, sword fights, treasure maps and muskets! Join twelve year old Jim Hawkins on his hunt for buried treasure but watch out. ....
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23 Sep 2012 (dates to be confirmed)
The tradition of jazz at Montsalvat is continued with a festival that has music from a range of styles, featuring Australia's finest jazz performers....
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26 Sep - 14 Oct 2012
The much-loved Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual showcase of the breadth and depth of talent emerging from Victoria's diverse and complex...
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27 - 28 September 2012
From its successful world premiere in Sydney comes master playwright David Williamson's 43rd play Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica. What do a classical...
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3 - 7 October 2012
Set in Manhattan in the 60's, Promises, Promises stars Australia's favourite leading lady, Marina Prior (Mary Poppins, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as...
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7 - 8 October 2012
One of the world's finest keyboard players, respected conductor and historian, and director of the Academy of Ancient Music, musical firebrand...
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