Things to do in Melbourne today

Update October 23, 2023: Woot! The full line-up of food vendors has just been announced. Scroll to the bottom of this article to see who'll be serving up your dumpling feasts when the market opens next month. Birrarung Marr will transform into a fragrant hawker-style market this November, providing Melburnians with the perfect opportunity to gather with friends outdoors, get amongst the bustle and most importantly – eat!  Across the sea of vendors that will set up shop over the 18-night foodie fest, visitors can expect truckloads of authentic Asian delicacies like skewers, zesty salads, loaded bao, oodles of noodles and, of course, dumplings. And lots of 'em, too.  All your faves will be in high supply, like xiao long bao, gyoza, won tons, xiu mai and loads more. The market promises to look after a range of tastes and dietary requirements so that all are welcome to partake in the festivities.  “I’ve enjoyed many delicious dumpling dinners over the years I lived in Melbourne and I can’t wait to contribute to that custom," says the market's program director Elena Kirschbaum. "We’re working hard to create an incredible food festival that will hopefully become a much-loved annual event and can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store that’s sure to surprise and delight.” With clever cocktails and even a dedicated sake bar to wash all that spicy, salty, savoury goodness down, Downtown Dumpling Market is set to be one of the hottest foodie destinations in the city this spri

Dickens' A Christmas Carol is returning to the Melbourne stage. Set for a pre-Christmas season from November 12 to January 7, the smash hit staging of the timeless holiday story will be playing at the Comedy Theatre.  A Christmas Carol was the most-awarded play of 2021, sweeping the Tonys with five award wins. Two Tony Award winners themselves created the magical rendition: director Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) and playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). The production delivers striking staging, moving storytelling and 12 traditional Christmas carols, including ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Silent Night’. The cast announced for 2023 includes Game of Thrones' Owen Teale as Scrooge, Aisha Aidara as Little Fan, Grant Piro as Fezziwig, Deirdre Khoo as Jess and Kaya Byrne as Nicholas. The performers will join the previously announced cast members of Debra Lawrence (Ghost of Christmas Past), Bernard Curry (Bob Cratchit), Sarah Morrison (Belle), Samantha Morley (Ghost of Christmas Present), Anthony Harkin (Marley), Andrew Coshan (Fred) and Stephanie Lambourn (Mrs Cratchit). A Christmas Carol will run between November 12 and January 7. Tickets are from $49.50, and you can get them on the website here. Read our five-star review of the 2022 production here: It’s been nearly two centuries since Charles Dickens wrote his famous ghost story, A Christmas Carol, and in that time the play has become synonymous with the holiday season. We’ve been treated to a number of

Since its original West End run, when the now unspeakable yellowface casting of Jonathan Pryce as a Vietnamese pimp marred its otherwise blockbuster success, Miss Saigon has felt problematic, even a little off. An adaptation of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly – itself the subject of colonial revisionist criticism – it has never quite shaken free of controversy. Some of the show’s offences were mitigated by judicious casting, so that Vietnamese actors finally got to play themselves on stage. But others linger or haunt the work in ways more difficult to articulate. The story – American soldier and Vietnamese bargirl fall in love but are separated by the fall of Saigon – has remained the same, as has the lushly romantic score. But since its debut, a lot of work has been done on the lyrics, which in the original production leaned heavily on the crassness and posturing self-regard of US military jargon. It’s a more culturally sensitive work as a result, even if the outline of American imperialism is still visible underneath. The problem, though, stems not from Miss Saigon’s cosmetic Americanisms but from something deeper, something that can’t be changed. The show was written by Frenchmen Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, riding high after the undeniable triumph of Les Miserables. Vietnam’s relationship with America is tricky, certainly, but its relationship with France – the original, brutal colonisers of that country – is positively toxic. Perhaps the rot set in before a sing

We're just as sad as you are that cherry blossom season is over, but the good news is that it heralds the start of the cherry-picking season. And if you can't get enough of those sweet and juicy red morsels, then make your way to CherryHill Orchards this summer to pick and eat as many cherries as your heart desires. This year, the cherry-picking season will kick off on November 8 at CherryHill's 40-hectare orchard in Coldstream. Then, on November 27, CherryHill's original orchard in Wandin East will also open its gates to eager pickers.  Sessions last for two hours, and cherries are charged per kilogram – trust us when we say these are some of the largest, sweetest cherries going around. And the fun doesn't stop at picking cherries; the orchard will host on-site food trucks and stalls hawking food and cherry-flavoured products. On top of the famed cherry ice cream, you can also shop pantry goods like cherry vinaigrette, cherry syrup, cherry barbecue sauce and cherry glaze. You can also bring your own picnic, or pre-order a box of goodies to enjoy on the orchard grounds. The sweet specialists at Mary Eats Cake have created three different-sized packs featuring treats like shakshuka quiche, cherry delight doughnuts and a selection of cheeses. And if you visit on a weekend or public holidays, you'll be treated to the sweet sounds of live tunes performed by a rotating line-up of local musos. The cherry-picking festival will run from November 8 to late December at the Coldstream o

When the multiple Tony Award-winning Moulin Rouge! The Musical, adapted from the 2001 jukebox extravaganza film by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, first can-can-canned its way into Melbourne, we had barely staggered out of lockdown.  Walking into the already-majestic Regent Theatre ablaze with the red light district glow of thousands of hand-painted bulbs, a dozen glittering chandeliers and spanned by great arched hearts felt like actual Absinthe fairy magic, drunkenly transporting us half the world away and back in time to the infamous Parisian club’s heyday.  Returning to the Regent Theatre for this encore run, directed by Jennifer Sarah Dean locally from a book by John Logan, I wondered if the wow factor would still inspire awe. It sure does. Derek McLane’s dazzling scenic design, realised here by Isabel Hudson and illuminated by Gavin Swift following Justin Townsend’s creation, literally spills off stage and through the fourth wall, past a towering blue elephant and the club’s world-famous windmill commanding royal boxes on either side. Before the lights even go down, limbering dancers weave through the audience. Returning stars Alinta Chidzey and Des Flanagan impress all the more now they’ve lived so long in the roles of rags to riches courtesan Satine, the fake diamond of this financially struggling club, and her penniless, naïve would-be suitor Christian. As depicted by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in the movie, while the former handled the movie’s big musical num

“City arts people. Gullible as fuck.” It’s hard not to chuckle, as a Melbourne-based critic, when listening to this acidic aside during a drug deal chat playing out in the carpeted and wood-panelled pub of Hope Hill, the ‘haunted’ town that houses Malthouse’s latest immersive theatre offering Hour of the Wolf.You may think that being made to do the heavy lifting – pursuing a story on foot, following loose threads that diverge – is a mug’s game. But suppose you dug the Southbank institution’s lockdown-interrupted blockbuster Because the Night, the more recent undersea antics of Love Lust Lost or were lucky enough to catch Sleep No More in NYC. In that case, you’re likely happily ‘gullible’.Corralled in hushed anticipation wearing the headsets that relay the narration, dread-filledscore and deftly woven actor’s dialogue – expertly stitched by composition and sound designerJethro Woodward – the audience emerges from the darkness behind a blast door into strobingblue light. Finding ourselves in this boozy den accompanied by a very on-the-snout rendition of Duran Duran’s ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’, murdered in slurring karaoke by Brooke Lee’s Janey,who has just returned from Italy with some startling news. Interrupting the shameless flirting of Kevin Hofbauer’s cocky Jason, his ensuing crankiness won’t stop his determination to drive Lucy Ansell’s Vick home, despite the inconvenient fact she lives with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Jack Green’s Gareth has just popped a pill provided by a

There are few voices more recognisable and beloved than that of Sir David Attenborough's. For decades now, the famous British biologist's dulcet tones have accompanied countless incredible documentaries showcasing the wonders of the planet we call home.   A new immersive audiovisual experience from BBC Earth will transport you inside one of those documentaries at the Melbourne Convention Centre this year. Stepping in, you'll be surrounded by massive multi-angle screens playing a documentary from one of BBC Studios' award-winning natural history series, Seven Worlds, One Planet. Of course, it'll be accompanied by the voice of Sir Attenborough, who'll guide you on a 360-degree journey to far-off places across the globe, unveiling the intricacies of the natural world. You'll see up-close visions of all kinds of animals, from fireflies and monkeys to cassowaries and so much more.  The world-first experience premiered in London earlier this year and is coming exclusively to Melbourne from October 27 to January 28. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Looking for more things to do? Check out our guide to what's on this week. 

Have you ever wanted to walk the hallowed halls that once housed notorious criminals like Ned Kelly and Mark 'Chopper' Read? Well, soon you'll have your chance: the historic Pentridge Prison in Coburg is reopening for public tours from April 3, 2023.  Pentridge opened its doors in 1851 and served as a maximum security prison for nearly 150 years, so you know it's going to be spooky in there. The 90-minute tours, which are partially narrated by former inmate Uncle Jack Charles, will delve into the stories of former inmates and highlight the historical disproportionate imprisonment of First Nations people. As you listen, you'll be taken through different sections of the prison, learn about how the place was run and how prisoners were treated.  Tickets start at $35 and will be available through the Pentridge Prison website. Watch this space for more details.  Love being spooked? Read about Cell 17, the most haunted prison cell at Old Melbourne Gaol.

Summer calls for opulent seafood feasts and special occasions shared with friends. It's time to gather a crew, get your hands dirty and dig into the best of the catch! Australia's native crabs – mud crabs or 'muddies' as they're affectionately called – are now in season, and so Crown's home to regional Chinese fare Spice Temple is getting in on all the action with their luxurious $99 live mud crab feasts. Crabs are one of the most revered ingredients in Chinese cooking and the centrepiece of many a hero dish in Spice Temple's banquet-style menu. Executive chef Andy Evans ensures they're steamed to retain their sweet, tender texture. The crustaceans are sourced from Queensland, fresh out of the net, and kept alive right until hitting the pans on order. The food world knows that mud crabs are currently at their best, their flesh delicate and irresistibly succulent, but the Spice Temple team is taking things up a notch by bathing them in their flavour-packed array of authentic sauces.  Take your pick from five different dressings, including the red-hot Four Chillies, punchy and savoury Salted Olive and Black Bean, sharp and pungent Black Bean and Salted Chilli, rich and spicy XO Sauce or the classic Ginger and Shallot. Each dish carries a $99 price tag until Sunday, December 31 – a great excuse to round up a group for a shared feast as the summer and holiday festivities rev up in the weeks ahead. Head to the website for more details.  Keen to hop aboard a sushi train? Check out

Expect a magical night out at this cocktail bar popping up in Chinatown — not just metaphorically, but an actual magic-filled evening featuring a line-up of magician superstars direct from Japan.  Stepping into the neon-lit Maho Magic Bar will whisk you away to Tokyo, with up-close-and-personal experiences with expert magicians alongside delicious cocktails. There's no stage for the performers here as the intimate show will take place right at your table, where you'll be just inches away from the bamboozling sleight-of-hand magic.  Japan’s best magicians will suprise and delight visitors, incorporating debonair storytelling, illusions and even hyponotism. While you enjoy the show, you'll sip on bespoke cocktails mixed by a Japanese master mixologist. Or if you're after a more traditional libation, try authentic Japanese sake, whisky, shochu and rare spirits like umeshu. On the 'special menu' the magic of performance and mixology will combine, with those who are daring enough to order a special drink receiving a surprise magic trick in return.  “I wanted to showcase Japan’s electric energy here in Australia and give audiences an experience unlike anything they have had before," says Broad Encounters creative director Kirsten Siddle. "Seeing close-up magic really does inspire awe. The sheer skill, finesse and charisma of these master magicians is intoxicating. People can indulge in the ultimate hedonistic night out in Tokyo without even leaving Melbourne.” If you're prepa