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A colourful art exhibition with a sculpture and letter painting on the walls.

Melbourne's must-see exhibitions

From interactive installations to pop-up art galleries, these exhibitions can't be missed.

Two people seated below a neon sign.
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The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

Animator and filmmaker Adam Elliot working on a claymation set, adjusting characters.
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Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

An ancient Roman marble bust with its nose chipped off, displayed on a small square plinth.
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Rome: Empire, Power, People

This Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Ancient Rome.

Two individuals talking to each other inside Melbourne Museum at night, with blue lighting.
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Nocturnal: Museum After Dark

Experience Melbourne Museum after hours, when the doors stay open and the night belongs to adults.

Two models stand smiling outdoors in vibrant, unconventional fashion ensembles.
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Melbourne Fashion Week

M/FW takes over the city from 19–25 October.

Visitors enjoying an evening event at the National Gallery of Victoria, seated on stools under shadowy lighting.
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NGV Friday Nights: Cartier

NGV Friday Nights shine with Cartier, featuring live music, flims, food and drinks.

Man wearing traditional Italian dress - red hat, green waistcoat, holding an Italian flag in front of the Exhibition Building.
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Italian Festa and Expo

Celebrating all thing Italian at the Royal Exhibition Building and Museum Plaza.

An oil painting depicting a scene from a Moroccan courtyard in earthy warm tones.
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Susannah Bond and Melissa Fraser: Oceans Apart

Contemporary oil paintings capturing the recent travels of artists Melissa Fraser and Susannah Bond.

Installation view of the Spartans & Anzacs exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance, with people walking around the space, reading panels and looking at displays.
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Spartans & Anzacs

This exhibition invites reflection on the enduring values forged in conflict.

Black and white photograph of a busy Melbourne city intersection with trams, cars, people crossing the road, and buildings, dating from around the 1950s or 1960s.
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Making Modern Melbourne

This free exhibition examines the tumultuous twentieth century in Melbourne.

A little girl looking at a colourful display of cushions in an art gallery.
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Children's Play: Ragnar Kjartansson

A new children's exhibition by Ragnar Kjartansson, inspired by the idea of a theatrical feast.

An Australian landscape watercolour painting by Maxine Wade, of a large gum tree by a body of water, in muted shades of green, blue, tan and cream.
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Maxine Wade: Land For Sale

This exhibition features Australian landscapes painted in watercolour.

Two people standing in front of a large pink spiky wall of speakers in an exhibition space.
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Reverb: A Journey into Sound

ACMI and RISING present Reverb: A Journey Into Sound, a major exhibition of vinyl culture and music.

Georgian antiques decorating a dining table, including candlesticks and ornaments.
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Taste and Temptation

An exhibition exploring the taste and temptations of 18th-century drinking and dining.

A black and white photograph of a family eating a meal at the family dining table circa 1950.
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You Have a New Memory

An exhibition that explores how and why we remember, through the lens of the Library's collections.

Two hands wearing protective blue gloves holding up a small portrait mounted in a display case.

Special Interest Tour: Unlocking the Collection

Join the Johnston Collection's guides for behind-the-scenes access to hidden treasures.

Barbie dolls from an exhibition, specifically featuring a light-skinned doll with a 1959-inspired look and a dark-skinned doll with braided hair, against a pink background.
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Barbie: The Exhibition at Melbourne Museum

Barbie: The Exhibition makes its Australian debut at the Melbourne Museum.

A painting of a woman in a pink dress, against a blue background.
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Emily Dober: My World

Enjoy the world of artist Emily Dober in The Gallery at City Library.

Art photograph of a female floating on water viewed from above.
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Physis: Elemental Bodies

An exhibition of works by photographic artist Lilli Waters.

An exquisite Cartier diamond tiara, suspended against a black background.
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Melbourne Winter Masterpieces: CARTIER

Featuring nearly 400 extraordinary jewellery objects, alongside rare archival materials.

People on the back of a flatbed truck in a tree and fern setting.
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Mimpi

Exploring the intersection of experimental music, Javanese song and ritualistic dance.

A geometric-shaped portrait of a seated woman with red hair wearing a green dress.
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Mark Niehus: Different Midnights

A collection of paintings, moving image and free verse that explore the experience of solitude.

A mixed-media artwork on an oversized playing card.
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The Community Art Card Project

Gallery visitors can engage in collaborative art-making to create an installation.

Byzantine icons of Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist, their heads haloed in gold.
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Divine Thresholds: Icons and the Orthodox Christian World

Discover centuries of craftsmanship, devotion and momentous history in this new landmark exhibition.

Three First Nations artists posing for a group shot in front of large artworks in a gallery.

Ngura Walkatjunanyi: Marking and Painting Country - Opening

A celebration of matriarchal lineage and intergenerational survival.

A fashion model wearing a magenta patterned high-neck gown featuring an oversized structured front bow accent on a runway.

Student Collections Runway

Featuring collections by student designers.

People milling around Fed Square at night.

Melbourne's unmissable after dark events

From hidden laneway markets to epic pop-ups, Melbourne gets lit once the lights go out.

Mossy bird's nest balanced between twig branches on a tree.
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Design X Nature

An outdoor exhibition of artworks exploring how natural systems inform creative practice.

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Brightly coloured artwork on the cream brick facade of the Hero Apartment building, with passers-by and a car on the road below.

Show Me Love

A billboard-sized artwork by Clinton Hayden on the front of the Hero Apartment Building.

Street art mural featuring women's faces.

Street art

Melbourne laneways are filled with street art, stencils, paste-ups and mixed media.

Small screens with birds, along St Kilda Rd, outside National Gallery of Victoria.

Julian Opie's Australian Birds

See the artist's illuminated birds on St Kilda Road.

Night view of the Federation brass bells, perched atop metal upright supports.

Federation Bells

The Federation Bells are a set of 39 brass bells located in Birrarung Marr in central Melbourne.