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SHAREFrom sport and fashion, to fine art and live performance, August packs a punch when it comes to entertainment across venues including the National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square, the Comedy Theatre and Marvel Stadium.
White Night Reimagined
22-24 August, Various Locations
White Night Melbourne returns in 2019, but not as locals and visitors alike know it. This year, for the first time, over three consecutive nights, three of Melbourne’s iconic park precincts will undergo a transformation to host White Night Reimagined.
Birrarung Marr will transform into the Physical Realm where people will witness fantastic feats of grace and dexterity with works celebrating the art of performance. Engage in senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch in the Treasury Gardens’ Sensory Realm, and at Carlton Gardens, feed the soul and imagination with the mysterious creatures and spiritual experiences of the Spiritual Realm.
Melbourne’s iconic cultural institutions will also come alive with their own special programming across extended hours, as a broader food and music offering, that includes the ever-amazing Supersense, showcases the best local produce and talent.
Australian Boomers v USA Basketball
22 & 24 August, Marvel Stadium
The strongest green and gold contingent in living memory are set to face off against the red, white and blue of USA Basketball at Marvel Stadium this month, as both nations make final preparations for the FIBA World Cup.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience basketball alongside the biggest crowds to ever come together in Australia, these matches will deliver a fan experience never before delivered in Melbourne.
The Australian Boomers will include NBA stars Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Matt Dellavedova and many others.
Come From Away
NOW SHOWING, Comedy Theatre
Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of thousands of stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland, Canada that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
Do not miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony and Grammy nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by this year’s Tony winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley with musical staging by Tony nominee Kelly Devine.
On September 11, the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all.
Melbourne International Film Festival
1-18 August, Various Locations
MIFF is a film-lover's paradise, with international premieres, red carpet glamour and the best local, national and international cinema set to entertain for hours on end.
Established in 1952, MIFF is one of the oldest film festivals in the world and the most significant screen event in Australia. An iconic Melbourne event, the festival takes place annually in the heart of the city, presenting an acclaimed screening program alongside industry and celebratory events.
MIFF showcases the best in current cinema from around the world, as well as retrospectives, tributes and talks.
Since its inception, MIFF has also been committed to local film: it is Australia's largest showcase of new Australian cinema featuring world premieres, and the country's most vocal champion of emerging and established local film-making talent.
White Night Melbourne 2018 - Guerilla Opera
Rain Room
Opens 9 August, Jackalope Pavilion
Random International’s monumental artwork, Rain Room, has captivated more than 500,000 people, worldwide and will make now make its southern hemisphere debut at the Jackalope Pavilion in St Kilda.
A 100 square metre field of continuous rainfall, Rain Room is a responsive environment engaging all the senses, allowing you to be fully immersed in the rain while simultaneously protected from it. A globally significant work, Rain Room seeks to explore how human relationships to each other, and nature are increasingly mediated through technology.
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion
Opens 17 August, Bendigo Art Gallery
Cristóbal Balenciaga was one of the most innovative and influential fashion designers of the 20th century. His exquisite craftsmanship and pioneering use of fabrics revolutionised the female silhouette, setting the scene for modern design. Revered by his contemporaries, including Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, Balenciaga was referred to as ‘The Master’.
This exhibition explores the work and legacy of this renowned couturier, showcasing more than 100 garments and hats crafted by Balenciaga from the 1950s and 1960s – arguably the most creative period of his career – through to the work of his protégés and contemporary designers.
Alongside iconic garments are archive sketches, patterns, photographs, fabric samples and catwalk footage, providing a unique insight into Balenciaga's salons and workrooms. The results of new, forensic investigations into the garments – including a collaboration with X-ray artist Nick Veasey and a digital pattern making project with the London College of Fashion – reveal the hidden details and processes which made Balenciaga's work so exceptional.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Opens 9 August, Her Majesty’s Theatre
Melbourne's Golden Ticket has arrived. Roald Dahl’s delicious tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is a delectable treat featuring songs from the original film, including Pure Imagination, The Candy Man and I’ve Got a Golden Ticket, alongside a brand new, toe-tapping Broadway score.
Willy Wonka is opening his marvellous and mysterious chocolate factory to a lucky few. That includes Charlie Bucket, whose bland life is about to sweeten with colour and confection beyond his wildest dreams. He and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a mesmerising joyride through a world of pure imagination.
Now is your chance to experience the wonders of Wonka. Get ready for the Oompa-Loompas, incredible inventions, costumes and sets and more, more, more at this everlasting showstopper.
Melbourne Writers Festival
30 August – 8 September, Federation Square
Melbourne Writers Festival is a bookish arts party that will bring this City of Literature to life.
For more than three decades, MWF has been bringing together the best writers, thinkers and performers from Australia and around the world to revel in the power of words to unite and inspire.
As well as bringing together the authors you adore, the Festival is pushing the boundaries of a traditional writer’s festival and creating more space for self-expression as they invite visitors to step outside their creative comfort zone.
Melbourne Fashion Week
28 August – 5 September, Various Locations
The hallmark consumer fashion event of the season, M/FW presents spring and summer ready-to-wear collections and creatively showcases Melbourne as an iconic destination for fashion, retail, design and hospitality.
The diverse program features everything from runways and exclusive experiences, to pop-up fashion moments and talks with industry leaders.
NGV Friday Night
2, 9, 16, 30 August, NGV International
Join the masses at NGV Friday Nights and discover China’s ancient terracotta warriors alongside new works by one of the world’s most exciting contemporary artists, Cai Guo-Qiang.
Indulge at the Hutong Dumpling Bar, enjoy after-hours access to Terracotta Warriors x Cai Guo-Qiang and boogie the night away Australia’s best bands and performers play live in the Great Hall. Taking to the stage this month are Kira Puru, Hobsons Bay Coast Guard, CLYPSO and Slum Sociable.
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