Everything You Need to Put in Your Diary for September
Catch the return of Victoria's annual hot chocolate festival, head to a vegan market or dig into the the next iteration of Stokehouse's monthly pasta series.

Everything You Need to Put in Your Diary for September
A lot happens in this big, bustling city of ours. Think movie marathons, exhibitions, and everything from booze-fuelled shindigs to outdoor adventures in between. And, of course, there's always more around the corner, with next month no different. That means that there's plenty to look forward to, and plenty of activities to fill your diary to the brim. To help you plot things out, make plans with the gang and make the most of every moment, we've rounded up Melbourne's best happenings for September. Don't say you don't have anything to do this month.
Top Image: The Westin, Societea, supplied.
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Food & Drink
Oktoberfest at Tallboy & Moose
Oktoberfest comes to Preston, complete with special sips, a beer competition, and a menu that's far more than just pretzels and brews.
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Arts & Entertainment
Jurassic World: The Exhibition
This exhibition filled with life-sized, lifelike creatures is roaring into Sydney for the dinosaur franchise's 30th anniversary.
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Food & Drink
Freddy's Pizza Farewell Party at Young Hearts
Join this farewell fiesta to treat your tastebuds to this kitchen residency one last time. Oh, and did we say there's limoncello?
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Travel & Leisure
Luminous at 206 Bourke Street
Swap footy scarves for lanterns — 206 Bourke Street is about to be lit, literally, with a Chinese festival glow over Grand Final weekend.
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Food & Drink
Poodle Patio Party x Lilac
Poodle is throwing another of its patio parties, with this iteration a disco-themed Sunday sesh with Cremorne mates Lilac Wine Bar.
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Design & Style
Lekker Bikes Garage Sale Spring 2023
The Amsterdam-born bike brand is hosting a one-day garage sale with discounts of up to 50-percent off, plant-based food, a DJ set and a raffle.
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Arts & Entertainment
Future Play Lab: 'Tron' Screening
Catch the 1982 classic on the big screen, followed by a chat about games, technology and the film's use of AI after the screening.
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Arts & Entertainment
Maho Magic Bar
A Shinjuku-inspired bar and a performance space in one, this neon-lit venue pairs sake cocktails and shōchū with magic shows at your table.
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Arts & Entertainment
Listen Out 2023
Fresh from Coachella, Skrillex and Four Tet are coming to Melbourne to headline this electronic-meets-hip hop festival.
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Arts & Entertainment
Blue Beetle
The first live-action superhero film with a Latino lead sometimes struggles with standing out versus being generic, but boasts plenty of charm.
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Arts & Entertainment
A Haunting in Venice
Leaning into gothic horror in this Halloween-set murder-mystery, Kenneth Branagh's Poirot movies get their best instalment yet.
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Arts & Entertainment
RELICS: A New World Rises
15 secondhand everyday objects have been transformed into LEGO® civilisations at Melbourne Museum.
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Travel & Leisure
Cherryhill Orchards Blossom Festival 2023
This Yarra Ranges orchard is getting into the swing of cherry blossom season with cherry ice cream, cherry vodka and paint-and-sip sessions.
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Food & Drink
Barkuterie Boards
Richmond's Bridge Hotel is doing snack platters for pooches so you can have a pub date with your pup.
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Arts & Entertainment
Biosphere
'Jurassic Park' isn't the only film about life finding a way thanks to this cleverly contemplative survival comedy starring Mark Duplass and Sterling K Brown.
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Food & Drink
Kwãnt at Society
Kwãnt, one of the world's best cocktail bars, is bringing its tropical-inspired cocktails to Society for one night only for Negroni Week.
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Arts & Entertainment
Spacetember Film Festival
Space movies are taking over IMAX Melbourne's massive seven-storey-tall screen, including '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'Interstellar', 'Apollo 11' and 'Nope'.
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Arts & Entertainment
The 'Friends' Experience
Replicas of Central Perk, that orange couch and the 'Friends' fountain have arrived in Melbourne to make your day, your week, your month and even your year.
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Food & Drink
Into The Valley
A heap of boutique wineries will be pouring their vinos at Into The Valley, a free pop-up taking place in Collingwood for three weeks in September.
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Food & Drink
Mezcal Fiesta
Hecho en Mexico is hosting a one-night celebration of Mexican Independence Day with a five-course dinner curated by Theo Loizou of 'Masterchef'.
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Arts & Entertainment
Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature
'Fantastic Beasts' has been turned into a natural history exhibition — and you can see it at Melbourne Museum.
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Arts & Entertainment
Theater Camp
Drama kids and stage obsessives, prepare to be seen by this hilarious, affectionate and deeply authentic mockumentary.
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Arts & Entertainment
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Pop culture's favourite heroes in a half shell get the 'Spider-Verse' treatment — and it's their best spin in cinemas yet.
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Arts & Entertainment
Indie Symphony
The orchestra meets the controller in a one-night-only celebration of the indie game industry.
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Food & Drink
Free S'mores at Atlas Dining
There'll also be free Vodka Cruiser cocktails, in case you want to relive your teenage dreams.
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Arts & Entertainment
Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story
Featuring interviews with Kylie Minogue, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Kelly, Ed Sheeran and more, this affectionate documentary pays tribute to the Mushroom Records founder.
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Arts & Entertainment
Haunted Mansion
Despite a great cast, this third attempt to bring the theme-park attraction to the screen can't summon up anything beyond a stretched and by-the-numbers affair.
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Arts & Entertainment
Past Lives
Debut films don't get any better than this movingly tender, blisteringly honest and deeply complex romance — and neither do new movies in 2023.
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Food & Drink
Whisky Dinner Series at Archer's
Whisky connoisseurs, pay attention — Archer's is bringing its four-course whisky dinners back for three monthly instalments.
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Arts & Entertainment
Westfield x Live Nation
Catch performances from Amy Shark, Jessica Mauboy or Thelma Plum at this free live music event series.
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Arts & Entertainment
Sanctuary
Solely set in a hotel room, this searing two-hander gets Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley digging into power, privilege, fetishes and fantasies.
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Food & Drink
Cocktail Hour at Lucas Restaurants
The Lucas Group's venues are throwing a happy hour special for the ages, including $9.50 cocktails, $6.50 craft beers, wallet-friendly wine and small plates specials.
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Arts & Entertainment
Italian Film Festival 2023
Attenzione: Melbourne's celebration of Italian cinema is back for another year of Europe-set big-screen must-sees.
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Food & Drink
The Westin's High SocieTea 2023
Indulge in caviar, premium cheese and theatrically plated tarts in what might be The Westin's fanciest high tea yet.
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Food & Drink
That's Amore Cheese Apericena Puglia Dinner
This Pugliese-style dinner will feature a four-course feast including matching regional wines.
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Food & Drink
El Camino Cantina's Gone Cruisin' Vodka Cruiser Ritas
The Tex-Mex chain is serving up Vodka Cruiser-inspired margaritas until the end of September.
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Arts & Entertainment
Strays
Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx voice pooches on a mission in this hit-and-miss canine comedy, which gets lewd and crude with adorable dogs.
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Food & Drink
Botswana Butchery x Nikka Whisky Degustation
This luxurious six-course degustation trips through four courses of wagyu and paired whisky cocktails.
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Arts & Entertainment
BlackBerry
'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' star Glenn Howerton is phenomenal in this tragedy-meets-farce version of the first must-have smartphone's rise and fall.
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Arts & Entertainment
Dreamweaver at Chadstone – The Fashion Capital
Discover an immersive world of digital art and imagination this September.
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Design & Style
RESET Festival
Fed Square is championing planet-friendly living with a Zero Waste Festival, vegan market and hands-on workshops from Brunswick community favourite CERES.
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Travel & Leisure
Funlab Day of Fun 2023
Get putting, go bowling, mash buttons or work your way through a challenge-room hotel for a fiver — and help a great cause.
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Arts & Entertainment
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
After kicking off its Australian run here in 2021, the spectacular (spectacular) stage show is returning to Melbourne for a second season.
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Food & Drink
Spring Sunday Sessions
Wrap up your week with bottomless Four Pillars gin cocktails and produce-driven eats overlooking the Yarra.
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Arts & Entertainment
Brisbane Music Trail
It’s non-stop tunes in Brisbane throughout September as three music festivals descend on the city.
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Arts & Entertainment
Dark Matters
This exhibition hits Melbourne University's Science Gallery in partnership with European particle physics lab CERN.
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Food & Drink
Cooking with Cooper 2023
Learn from Chin Chin's Executive Chef Ben Cooper, before sitting down to a punchy Thai-inspired lunch.
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Arts & Entertainment
LYNCHPINS: Essential David Lynch
BYO damn fine cup of coffee for this cinema season, which showcases six of Lynch's films on the big screen.
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Arts & Entertainment
Korean Film Festival in Australia 2023
Get your Korean cinema fix with five days of top-notch films at ACMI.
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Arts & Entertainment
Queer Screen Film Fest Online 2023
Stream along with this year's tenth-anniversary QSFF at home, including new queer highlights and retro standouts.
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Food & Drink
Rossi Presents 'In The Corner'
Live jazz-hop served with chef Boggio’s signature lasagne. That's your Wednesday night sorted.
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Travel & Leisure
Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2023
Ever seen a million tulips in bloom? This spring, you can.
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Arts & Entertainment
Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation
Disney's nostalgic new musical about Hundred Acre Wood's beloved residents is playing Comedy Theatre.
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Travel & Leisure
CluedUpp: Beauty & the Beast Experience
This 'Beauty and the Beast' escape room-meets-scavenger hunt game is taking over Melbourne's streets.
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Arts & Entertainment
Connection
The Lume's stunning new multi-sensory exhibition is dedicated to First Nations art and music.
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Arts & Entertainment
Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon
A massive Marilyn Monroe exhibition featuring more than 200 artefacts is taking over Sydney Town Hall for three months.
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Arts & Entertainment
Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi
This stunning Pierre Bonnard exhibition in collaboration with the Musée d'Orsay — and with scenography by architect India Mahdavi — is enjoying its world-premiere at the NGV.
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Arts & Entertainment
Wanderer Festival 2023
With 40+ musos taking the stage, market stalls and a myriad food pop ups this Sapphire Coast celebration makes for a very worthy road trip.
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Travel & Leisure
Deni Ute Muster
The Deni Ute Muster is a uniquely Aussie rural festival complete with Bogan Bingo, camel rides and other real-life Australian Idols (ahem Nollsy).
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Arts & Entertainment
Rembrandt — True to Life
Australia's most-comprehensive Rembrandt exhibition in 25 years is taking over the NGV all winter.
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Travel & Leisure
Gears and Beers Festival 2023
This annual celebration is about two things: cold beer and mixed-surface cycling.
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Arts & Entertainment
Goddess Nights
Party in ACMI's world-premiere 'Goddess' exhibition after hours, complete with food, drinks, and femme-focused music and performances.
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Food & Drink
The Humble Pasta
Stokehouse Pasta & Bar is hosting a monthly dining series championing the humble pasta.
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Food & Drink
Bottomless Lunch at Bluestone BBQ
Coburg's Bluestone BBQ is serving up two hours of unlimited slow-cooked smoked meats and free-flowing drinks for just $59 per person.
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Arts & Entertainment
Miss Saigon
The award-winning tale of love and loss in the Vietnam War is coming to the Sydney Opera House.
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Food & Drink
Bottomless Brunch at Hotel Sorrento
A free-flowing feast of cocktails and bites infused with the flavours of Hong Kong.
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Arts & Entertainment
Elvis: A Musical Revolution
A new Elvis musical is hitting Melbourne to get you all shook up about the king of rock 'n' roll.
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Arts & Entertainment
BIGSOUND 2023
Fortitude Valley's huge annual music event is back for 2023, with 141 artists hitting the festival's stages across four big days.
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Arts & Entertainment
Brisbane Festival 2023
Glowing gardens, dancing drones, circus in a cathedral, fireworks, kazoos: they're all on this citywide arts festival's lineup for 2023.
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Arts & Entertainment
Wicked
Get ready to defy gravity: this 'Wizard of Oz'-inspired blockbuster musical is returning to Sydney.
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Arts & Entertainment
Disney's Beauty and the Beast: The Musical
You'll want to be this delightful Disney musical's guest when it hits Sydney from June 2023.
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Food & Drink
The Fitzroy Mills
A new Fitzroy market showcase a top selection of local food producers each Saturday.
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Food & Drink
Dining à Deux
Feast on French fare against a backdrop of immersive French impressionist art at The Lume's new dining series.
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Travel & Leisure
Soulful Sundays
This neighbourhood wine bar is devoting Sundays to local makers and creatives with a calendar of wine tastings, gin blending, paint-and-sip sessions and more.
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Arts & Entertainment
Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion
This world-premiere exhibition at ACMI celebrates women across 120-plus years of screen history.
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Food & Drink
All-You-Can-Meat Wednesdays 2023
Feast your way through unlimited pork belly, chicken schnitzels, chicken wings and German sausages.
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Food & Drink
Wagyu Wednesdays
Take midweek steak night to the next level with prime wagyu cuts, bottomless hand-cut fries and local vino on tap.
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Food & Drink
$9.95 Schnitzel Tuesday 2023
Tuck into $9.95 schnitzels one day a week at The Bavarian.
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Travel & Leisure
Submerged
This dazzling exhibition at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium dives into the mysteries of the bioluminescent underwater world.
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Arts & Entertainment
My Working Life: Stories From the Collection
Discover the cultural and social diversity of working life over the years at the Immigration Museum's latest exhibition.