What's on in August

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A crowd of people mingling inside Forum Melbourne.

Discover things to do in Melbourne in August, from free events to exhibitions, attractions and places to visit.

A lighting display that shows a red design with a square and a light above and below.
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Now or Never

Twelve days of art, ideas, music and technology await - a festival of new dimensions.

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.

A small tour group looking up from the ground floor of the La Trobe Reading Room.
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State Library Victoria Unlocked

On this exclusive tour, gain access to State Library Victoria before the doors open to the public.

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.

People walking towards a red illuminated archway that reads Winter Night Market.
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Winter Night Market

The Winter Night Market returns to the iconic Queen Victoria Market sheds.

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.

Novelty wind-up chattering teeth against a yellow background.
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Basement Comedy Club: Weekend Showcase

Bringing you the biggest names and best comedians in the country, and beyond.

Parents and child seated in cinema seats, parents holding large striped containers of popcorn, the child in the middle smiling up at the screen.
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Library Cinema at narrm ngarrgu

Each month, watch a movie on the big screen, including contemporary, classic and documentary films.

A dark interior space, with smoky purple rounds of light, silhouettes of people's arms pushing into these open spaces.
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Imaginator

An immersive experience that celebrates imagination, technology and play.

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.

Four rows of people sitting smiling and laughing.
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Kings of Comedy: Underground, Uncensored, Unrivalled

Enjoy stand-up comedy from future stars and celebrity guest headliners.

Two different hands holding two wine glasses, resting on a restaurant's dining table, a plate of food and napkins also on the table.
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Mystery Sidedoor City: Wine and Asian Fusion Bites

Enjoy off-menu bites and paired drinks at a hidden Melbourne venue on this guided tasting adventure.

A group of smiling participants in a studio workshop setting, holding glass-domed terrariums.
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Serene Terrarium: Workshop for Beginners

Create your mini plant world while enjoying a soothing cuppa and a calming environment.

Two three-dimensional botanical sculptural paintings by artist Josh Davison hanging side-by-side on a pale coloured gallery wall.
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Joshua Davison

More Life is a solo exhibition by artist Joshua Davison.

Four women standing and holding up small mosaic lamps in front of a circular neon sign.
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Mosaic Art Classes Melbourne: Turkish Lamp Workshop

Make beautiful mosaic lamps at this Turkish lamp workshop

Several rows of people painting on canvases in a room with large, wall murals.
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Drip Splash: Creative Night Out

Unleash your inner artist with a night of drinks, paint, music and friends.

Smiling photography teacher and participants standing in a graffitied laneway in Melbourne.
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DJB Photography Class: Full Manual Mode

Bring along your DSLR or mirrorless camera on this highly rated beginner photography course.

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.

A delicately painted porcelain plate with a blue design depicting waves around the outside and a burning landscape in the centre.
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Margaret Ackland: Reflections

Margaret Ackland’s elegant still lifes serve up the uneasy truths of contemporary life.

A young child wearing a dressing gown, looking at an open picture book in her lap, blurred twinkling lights behind her.
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Bedtime Storytime

Hop into your pyjamas, grab your favourite teddy and enjoy bedtime stories.

Four cabaret performers surrounded by pink and yellow feather fans.
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Cabaret Ridiculous

An hour of variety entertainment that’s as unpredictable as it is unforgettable.

Red laser beams dance across the water’s surface,
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Multimmersion: Upside Down V2

A contemplative exploration of light, space and reflection transforms the Yarra River – Birrarung.

A person spooning food from a large salad bowl onto a plate they hold in their hands.
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Local Lunch Club

Live well, eat well, together at Kathleen Syme Library.

Woman in blue dress sitting in a garden, with face upturned.
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Forest Therapy

Unwind with forest therapy (shinrin-yoku) and immerse your senses in nature.

Bowls and sauce-making tools on a bench in a restaurant setting.
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Learn to Cook Thai: Pad Thai and Papaya Salad

Join a hands-on cooking class, featuring two of Thailand’s favourite dishes.

People seated in a dark bar venue watching a stand-up comic performing on stage, holding a microphone.
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Underground Comedy

This comedy night offers raw, unfiltered stand-up every week.

A drawing of three dolls dressed in kimonos against a mint green background.
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Japanese Storytime

Visit City Library for immersive Japanese language storytime.

A group of friends playing the board game dungeons and dragons at Fortress Tavern Melbourne, with a Dungeon Master dressed in a witch's costume leading the game.
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Dungeons and Flagons

Forge friendships through adventure at Dungeons and Flagons at Fortress.

People looking up at the trees on a guided walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Aboriginal Heritage Walk

Wominjeka: journey into Melbourne Gardens with an Aboriginal guide.

A woman with two red plaits and a white cap holds up a picture book in a kids library area.
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Stompers

Bring your child to Library at The Dock on Tuesdays for a lifelong love of books.

Seated audience watching a standup comedian perform with microphone in a small underground venue.
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Bar Humbug Comedy

Bar Humbug Comedy is a free weekly stand-up comedy night.

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.

A man dressed as Elton John with a white suit and comically tall top hat and high-heeled boots, stretching in a flamboyant pose.
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Elton John: Your Song

Matthew Hadgraft presents the music of Elton John.

Two people on a stage giving each other a high five, one also holding a microphone.
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Comedy at the Coopers Inn

A comedy club featuring the best local, interstate and international stand-up comedians.

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.

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.

Market stall tents with signage next to a heritage brick building, with greenery and families.
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Younghusband Market

With great music, curated stalls, hands-on workshops and delicious food, a vibrant scene awaits.

A group of people standing around and talking on a darkened stage, with others sitting and talking to a person in a wheelchair.
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Play: Melbourne Fringe Radical Access Movie Nights

Film screenings and panel discussions that embed accessibility at the core of creative process.

Floral accessorie made from silk and beads.
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French Embroidery Workshop

Learn to craft an anemone brooch, from hand-dyeing silk to beadwork.

See all events in August

Discover more

An aerial shot of Melbourne city with the MCG in the foreground on a sunny day.
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What's on in September

Things to do in Melbourne in September, from free events to exhibitions and places to visit.

Young kid sitting on the shoulders of an adult in a large crowd of people watching a show.

Melbourne for free

Discover free things to do in Melbourne, including galleries, museums, events and festivals.

Young child, in front of an artsy background, looking up at something.

Family and kids

Find things to do with the kids, from family-friendly events to fun attractions and workshops.

A night tennis match at Rod Laver Arena.

Major events

From the Australian Open to the Melbourne Cup, major events take centre stage throughout the year.