What's on in January

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Large crowd of people watching a concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

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

A scene from Mrs Doubtfire The Musical with the protagonist dancing with three children.
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Mrs Doubtfire

It's a feel-good musical, poppets

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.

A green linocut of a flower and foliage printed on paper and a fabric tote bag.
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Tote Bag Block Printing Workshop

Style your bag just the way you like it with block printing in this beginner's workshop.

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.

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.

Egg yolk pouring out of a long sub sandwich with cheese and salad.
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Gourmet Sandwich Hunt

Elevate your sandwich style with celebrity chef Darren Purchese.

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.

Kids on the grass outside the Shrine of Memorial, holding kit bags and smiling.
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Shrine Kids

Embark on a family adventure with this engaging program designed for discovery at every turn.

Two burlesque dancers in full costume and elaborate headdresses, posing at a bar.
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Burlesque Lounge

Melbourne's sparkling burlesque dinner show experience right in the heart of the city

Still from a film showing a man with a mustache and a brown jacket looking through a shop window.
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Matinees at ACMI Cinemas

Celebrate cinema at a sensible hour with ACMI's thoughtfully curated line-up of films.

Mick Jagger tribute artist, singing into a microphone backlit by purple and pink lights.

Totally Stonez: The Rolling Stones Show

Capturing the sound, look and attitude that defined generations.

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.

Tour leader showing three walking tour participants a page from an open notebook he holds, on a Melbourne city footpath.
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Deeper Melbourne Walking Tours

Walking tours burrowing into history and culture, drawing on local knowledge.

An illustration from the book The Very Cranky Bear, showing a black bear with hands on hips looking cranky against a blue background.
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The Very Cranky Bear

A grumpy bear, four unlikely friends and one brilliant sheep.

A decorated lampshade featuring homemade paper and pressed flowers.
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Pressed Flower Hanging Lantern Workshop for Beginners

Create a magical botanical lantern using real pressed flowers, handmade paper, and warm LED lights.

A dancer wears a vibrant green, light-up ballerina-style tutu dress with a matching crown, and large, glowing translucent fairy wings spread out behind her, standing against a dark background.
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Ballet of Lights: Peter Pan in a Sparkling Show

Peter Pan lights up Neverland in a dazzling dance spectacle.

Portrait of a woman with her face painted blue and embellished with gold stars, wearing a colourful, fan-like headdress.
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Passage: The Art of Atong Atem

NGV presents the first-ever major solo exhibition of contemporary artist Atong Atem.

Looking over a blurred shoulder at a table with books displayed.
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World of the Book

Experience the rare, the sacred and the iconic in this one-of-a-kind exibition.

On a film set with a crew member shooting stop motion figures.
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Lifelike

Lifelike is a major new exhibition celebrating the magic of movie puppetry in all its forms.

Old black-and-white photo of people seated on a bus, two women chatting, a man looking straight ahead.
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The Green Bus

Exhibition tracing Andrew Chapman's 55-year photographic journey through the streets of Melbourne.

A live performance of The Cat Empire band alongside a full symphony orchestra on a large stage, in front of a seated audience.

The Cat Empire with Orchestra Victoria

Enjoy a night of live music at the Bowl when The Cat Empire performs with Orchestra Victoria.

A young female soccer player heading the ball, wearing a red soccer uniform; teammates in the background.
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Home is Football: Belonging in Australian Soccer

Explore how the much-loved universal sport is a source of community for Australians.

A close up of a hand embroidered handkerchief showing a yellow star with blue outline and small floral motifs on a black fabric.
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Sparks in the Dark: 260 Weeks of Resilience

Celebrating the resilience of women living with the enduring impacts of the War in Afghanistan.

A large group of people in active wear all running on a path in park.
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Run the Tan: Run Club

Start the weekend off on the right foot with a run around the Tan.

Four hot air balloons floating in front of the Melbourne city skyline during sunrise, with skyscrapers visible in the background.
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Melbourne Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Flight

Float over Melbourne's iconic landmarks in a sunrise hot air balloon flight.

Selection of cassette tapees with handmade covers.
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Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations

A stirring exhibition exploring romantic love through the State Library's extraordinary archive.

A still from a videogame depicting a Chinese soldier fighting two warriors in front of an ancient Chinese temple.
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Feng Mengbo: Long March Restart

An free exhibition that playfully reimagines modern Chinese history as a videogame.

A person in a black suit holds a large, green ape head sculpture behind them, on a city sidewalk with graffiti-covered walls in the background.
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Rehearsing the City Exhibition

See archival photos from Victoria’s collections, plus work by contemporary street photographers.

A scene from a production of My Fair Lady on stage, with the cast dancing.
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My Fair Lady

Celebrating 70 glorious years since its debut, Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady returns to Melbourne.

A smiling man holds a cheerful toddler in his arms as the child reaches toward a large, textured, teardrop-shaped gourd hanging from the ceiling; part of an interactive installation at ArtPlay.
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Exhibition: Obang 오방

Step into a Korean grandmother's home while she is away visiting her grandchildren overseas.

A black mannequin displaying the gold hot pants and halter top worn by Kylie Minogue in her famous music video, Spinning Around.
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Encore!

50 Objects. 50 Years. One Collection. Treasures from the Australian Museum of Performing Arts.

Three long narrow boats with people seated in them and a guide standing at the rear of each boat, punting on the lake at Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Punting on the Lake

Glide between the bays and islands of Ornamental Lake on a guided boat cruise.

Artwork of handwritten letters with dried frond.
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Romy Durrant and Mia-Francesca Jones: Remember This

An exhibition of visual art, text and sound.

A group seated inside a cafe, interacting, and sampling coffee from small cups with a tour guide standing near them.
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Coffee Culture Tour

Discover the cafés, laneways and stories behind Melbourne's famous coffee culture with a barista.

A wooden sculpture with flowing stripes made from dark and light wood.
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Plant Life: The Nature of Design

Plant Life: The Nature of Design explores humanity’s evolving relationship with the plant world.

Grilled cheese toastie on a plate.
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Vego Toastie Hunt

Elevate your vego sandwich with celebrity chef Darren Purchese.

Black and white half portrait of American singer, songwriter, and pianist Ben Folds, a middle-aged man wearing an open shirt and suit jacket.
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Ben Folds with the MSO

Ben Folds reunites with the MSO this summer, and he's bringing his songbook with him.

Group of smiling people sitting around a table in a pub.
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New to Melbourne Language Exchange

Practise a new language, and make new friends over cheap food and drink.

A tiered High Tea plate of savoury and sweet food served at Hello Kitty and Friends cafe.
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Hello Kitty and Friends High Tea

Enjoy a charming daily high tea, made for sharing little moments of joy with friends.

Artwork by Margaret Preston depicting Banksia flowers in a pot.
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Margaret Preston

NGV's new retrospective exhibition on Margaret Preston.

See all events in January

Discover more

Crowd of people seated on the grass watching the Moonlight Cinema in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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What's on in February

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

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.

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.

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.