
Everything You Need to Put In Your Diary for January
A lot happens in this big, bustling city of ours, especially with COVID-19 restrictions easing. Think movie marathons one day, exhibitions another, and everything from booze-fuelled shindigs to excuses to get outdoors 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 awesomeness to fill your diary to the brim. To help you plot out things out, make plans with the gang and make the most of every moment, we've rounded up Melbourne's best happenings for January. Don't say you don't have anything to do this month.
Top image: William Hamilton-Coates.
Everything You Need to Put In Your Diary for January
Wander through a futuristic light maze, treat yourself to a half-price feast and head to an indoor drive-in.
Everything You Need to Put In Your Diary for January
Wander through a futuristic light maze, treat yourself to a half-price feast and head to an indoor drive-in.
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Arts & Entertainment
Cameo Outdoor Cinema 2020–21
Big releases, retro flicks, choc tops and popcorn under the stars in Belgrave.
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Arts & Entertainment
Ocean Invaders
You can now get up close and personal with swarms of jellyfish at Sea Life's million-dollar exhibition.
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Arts & Entertainment
Melbourne Music Week Extended
The annual event is taking over bars, clubs and unusual Melbourne venues once again.
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Design & Style
MPavilion 2020
Instead of building something new, the event is reactivating its previous six eye-catching structures.
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Arts & Entertainment
David Noonan: Stagecraft
Transformation and ambiguity are the leading themes of this exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
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Arts & Entertainment
Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards
Australia’s longest running and most prestigious art awards for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists is going digital — and it’s free to watch.
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Arts & Entertainment
Imaginaria
A multi-sensory playground with light-filled mazes, inflatable bubbles and a black hole simulator is taking over The District Docklands.
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Arts & Entertainment
Cork and Canvas Reopening
The much-loved paint-and-sip studio is returning with daily sessions from November 4.
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Food & Drink
Lakeside at Carousel
A new lakeside picnic ground complete with food, booze and picnic gear to hire.
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Arts & Entertainment
Sea Life's Dining Under the Sea
Tuck into a three-course meal — and two hours of drinks — while surrounded by marine creatures.
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Food & Drink
Arbory Afloat 2020
The Yarra's floating bar returns with cocktails on tap and a Mediterranean menu.
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Food & Drink
QT Secret Garden Bar
This hidden rooftop has Four Pillars gin cocktails and stunning city views.
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Food & Drink
The Exchange Beach Club 2020–21
This pop-up beach bar in Port Melbourne is back for another summer — with $2 oysters and weekend bottomless boozy brunches.
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Arts & Entertainment
Shakespeare Under The Stars 2020–21
Pack a picnic and see Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' or 'Macbeth' play out in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Arts & Entertainment
Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion
Bendigo Art Gallery invites you into the world of First Nations fashion and textile design at its latest exhibition.
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Arts & Entertainment
Atong Atem: To be real
This exhibition showcases the photographer's work as part of the Photo 2021 International Festival of Photography.
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Arts & Entertainment
Pentridge Open-Air Cinema
Catch a movie under the stars at Melbourne's newest cinema.
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Arts & Entertainment
'Tenet' at IMAX Melbourne
See Christopher Nolan's blockbuster the way he intended — and catch an exclusive greeting from the director, too.
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Travel & Leisure
Inflatable Fun Park
Bounce around Melbourne's pop-up inflatable theme park — and wander through a huge inflatable maze.
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Arts & Entertainment
Eternal
This new Darkfield Radio production is inspired by Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', and is designed to be listened to alone, at home, while you're in bed.
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Arts & Entertainment
Uptown: An Art Exhibition for Our City
This new exhibition turns the top of Bourke Street into an outdoor art gallery.
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Arts & Entertainment
Live at the Bowl
A two-month COVID-safe music festival at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl featuring the likes of Missy Higgins, Lime Cordiale and Birds of Tokyo performing with the MSO.
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Food & Drink
Burrito Heaven at Carwyn Cellars
This summer, pair your Carwyn Cellars beer session with Mexican eats courtesy of the Little Tienda crew.
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Arts & Entertainment
Top Dog Film Festival at Moonlight Cinema
Melbourne's mini film festival dedicated to dogs is back for another bark — and you can take your pupper along.
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Food & Drink
Melbourne's Happiest Hour
Score 50 percent off your entire bill at 30 Melbourne bars and restaurants throughout January.
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Arts & Entertainment
Drive In(Door) Cinema
Motor on into MCEC to watch a movie, with everything from 'The Shining' and 'Clueless' to 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Fury Road' on the bill.
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Arts & Entertainment
Bondathon
Watch your way through all 24 official Bond movies to-date — all in the lead up to 'No Time to Die'.
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Arts & Entertainment
Dude, It's a Coen Brothers Retrospective
It's screening everything from 'The Big Lebowski' and 'Fargo' to 'No Country for Old Men' and 'Inside Llewyn Davis'.
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Food & Drink
Twenty-Nine Cheese Gnocchi 2021
South Yarra's Cucinetta is serving up this extremely cheesy gnocchi for two weeks only.
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Arts & Entertainment
Wonder Woman 1984
Gal Gadot is once again charming and graceful as Diana Prince, but this meandering and muddled superhero sequel doesn't appreciate its true source of wonder.
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Arts & Entertainment
Nomadland
Featuring an exceptional performance by Frances McDormand, this deeply humanist road trip drama serves up a touching observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks.
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Arts & Entertainment
Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles
This culinary documentary serves up glossy, gleaming eye candy for those with a sweet tooth, but it never feels like a full meal.
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Arts & Entertainment
Fed Oasis
Fed Square is transforming into a greenery-filled oasis with a program of free film screenings, live music and workshops.
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Arts & Entertainment
The Dry
The best-selling Aussie crime novel jumps to the big screen, and Eric Bana is superb as its conflicted central cop.
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Arts & Entertainment
Pieces of a Woman
'The Crown' star Vanessa Kirby plays a woman coping with trauma in this raw and resonant drama.
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Food & Drink
Triennial Extra
A month-long series of tunes, performances, eats and drinks, to complement the blockbuster NGV Triennial exhibition.
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Food & Drink
Summertime Fling Festival
Unearth the best of the Macedon Ranges' vinous delights, with a three-week program of wine, food and music events.
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Design & Style
Jungle Collective 'Rare Plant Party ' Indoor Plant Warehouse Sale
Fill your home with new green babies from this warehouse sale.
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Food & Drink
All-You-Can-Eat Meat and Cheese Boards
Feast your way through unlimited German cheese, charcuterie and pretzels.
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Arts & Entertainment
'Lazarus' Live-Stream
Celebrate David Bowie's birthday or mark the fifth anniversary of his death with a live-stream of one of his final projects.
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Food & Drink
Prosecco Bar Pop-Up
Indulge in loaded grazing boards and King Valley prosecco at Gertrude Street's pop-up summer terrace.
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Arts & Entertainment
Promising Young Woman
Carey Mulligan is fierce and formidable in this brilliant, blistering and bubblegum-hued take on the rape-revenge genre.
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Arts & Entertainment
Summerland
This primarily World War II-set drama is mostly a straightforward affair, but it boasts memorable work from Gemma Arterton and a quiet yet potent undercurrent of subversion.
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Arts & Entertainment
Discount Monday
Carlton's independent cinema is doing $7 movie tickets every Monday.
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Arts & Entertainment
Heide Summer Festival
An inaugural program of live tunes, storytelling, dance and performance takes over the museum's sculpture park for nine weeks.
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Arts & Entertainment
Shore Cinema Williamstown
Check out a movie by the water at Melbourne's newest outdoor cinema.
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Food & Drink
Yokoso Collingwood Fitzroy Japan Festival
Enjoy sake, gyoza, Japanese tunes and shopping for kimonos at this one-day street fest.
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Food & Drink
PopeISH
This six-week pop-up sees Pope Joan's cafe classics score a modern Indian update.
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Food & Drink
Jerry Mai and Friends' Epic Summer Barbecue Celebration
A lineup of food legends, a Mornington Peninsula winery and an extended weekend of smoky barbecue eats.
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Arts & Entertainment
Ammonite
Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan are exceptional in this exquisite period romance from the director of 'God's Own Country'.
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Design & Style
Wildlife Victoria x Daily Blooms Natives Bouquet
Grab one of these limited-edition bouquets and help support Wildlife Victoria's animal protection efforts.