Top 10 things to do in Melbourne to put a spring in your step

From experimental art, exhibitions and theatre to micro-games, literary talks and musical performances, there are plenty of things to busy yourself with this spring.

Immerse yourself in the best experimental art at the Fringe Festival

The city comes alive in October with the 20-day Melbourne Fringe Festival, a celebration of experimental, independent and contemporary live art that transgresses boundaries and champions creative freedom. Take your pick from over 500 genre-defying events that traverse cabaret, circus, comedy, dance, music, theatre, film and visual arts.

Explore the physical limits of endurance and exhaustion in the high-intensity performance event Mass Effect. Experience a radical public art intervention that reimagines Melbourne’s landscape through the lens of Boon Wurrung knowledge and the enduring presence of water Country in Kummargii Yulendj Barring Gadhaba. Shimmy, stomp and spin on a kinetic technicolour dance floor at Fed Square where every movement pumps clean, green energy straight into the party’s heart in Power Move.

The opportunities for participation are endless, as disparate pockets around the city are activated in a showcase of the very best emerging and established artists from around the country.

Pay homage to songstress Donna Summer

For one afternoon only, bask in the musical brilliance of undisputed Queen of Discotheque Donna Summer in a double-billed performance at Hamer Hall featuring Marcia Hines and Casey Donovan. Backed by a roaring nine-piece band led by musical director and drummer Joe Accaria, the set will cover a selection of Summer’s 32 chart singles, including 14 top 10 and four No.1 singles.

Play four newly commissioned micro-games at ACMI

ACMI is putting on a free interactive exhibition of four micro-games created by established and emerging Australian developers, as part of its major new playable exhibition, Game Worlds – on until February 2026.

Nurture a communal creature that depends on you for sustenance and company in Apartment 809’s ACMI EGG. Experience the game from a different direction in the asymmetrical, two-player puzzle What’s Your Angle by Callum Chatfield and Mally He. Solve a series of tasks to restore colour to an abstract, pallid game world in Salix8 Sunset, developed by electronic musician and visual artist Tim Koch. Answer calls on a nostalgic videogame hint line in Hint Line ’93 by Secret Lab and Yarn Spinner.

Relive electrifying thriller The Talented Mr Ripley in this STC stage production

Patricia Highsmith’s page-turning 1955 novel The Talented Mr Ripley, adapted for the silver screen into a 1999 psychological thriller featuring Jude Law and Matt Damon, is having somewhat of a resurgence. Andrew Scott starred in a Netflix eight-part adaptation last year, and in a few short weeks, Arts Centre Melbourne will present a Sydney Theatre Company production, adapted for the stage by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Sarah Goodes. Heartbreak High’s Will McDonald reprises the role of antihero Tom Ripley in this tale of tension, passion and betrayal – also starring Faisal Hamza, Andrew McFarlane, Johnny Nasser and Claude Scott-Mitchell.

Sit in for a talk at the Wheeler Centre

The Wheeler Centre has curated a blockbuster program of local and international literary talent to usher in the tail-end of the year. Delve into food, fame and the dark side of the hospitality industry as former MasterChef judge Melissa Leong retraces her new memoir, Guts. Step inside the storied life of actor, producer and director Griffin Dunne as he relives his star-studded childhood and decades-spanning Hollywood career. Catch superstar Australian authors Jane Harper, Jay Kristoff and Trent Dalton as they discuss their latest books. And join Atlantic cultural critic Sophie Gilbert as she sheds light on a Millennial pop culture that twisted feminism into objectification.

Enjoy a diverse spread of sounds at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Across 10 days in October, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival descends on to the city. Kicking things off is an epic takeover across eleven CBD venues, featuring more than 100 musicians in a choose-your-own-adventure of free live music. Fed Square is hosting a dream triple bill with UK multi-instrumentalist Tenderlonious and Melbourne groove masters Horatio Luna and On-Ly. Dubbed the “45 Queen” for her use of 45 RPM vinyl in sets, international DJ Natasha Diggs will whip the dancefloor into overdrive. Venture over to ACMI for a co-curated program of three films that capture the spirit of jazz. Harry Connick Jr headlines the final weekend of the festival with a six-hour celebration of jazz, soul and New Orleans classics at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, featuring US jazz legend Bill Frisell and local icon Emma Donovan.

Enjoy a Melbourne Theatre Company play

Melbourne Theatre Company is closing out the year with a bang with three smash-hit productions. Daphne du Maurier’s classic 1938 novel Rebecca has been adapted into a stage production with a powerhouse cast including Pamela Rabe (The Children), Nikki Shiels (A Streetcar Named Desire), Stephen Phillips (The Architect) and Toby Truslove (Utopia). Also with a book at its genesis, Dying: A Memoir is writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law’s stage adaptation of acclaimed Australian author Cory Taylor’s memoir of her terminal illness diagnosis. Grappling with mortality, creativity and acceptance, Dying promises to be an illuminating, deeply moving work of art. And for the first time in 30 years, the MTC is presenting a brand-new production of Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s joyous war of words and razor-sharp banter, resuscitated for the stage under the astute eye of associate artist Mark Wilson (Jacky).

Travel back in time with the Vikings

For the next few months, Melbourne Museum is hosting the Galloway Hoard, one of the UK and Ireland’s most significant archaeological finds of the century – spotlighting over 100 objects that have been buried for over 1000 years. Discovered in 2014 in southwest Scotland, the Hoard brings together a stunning variety of objects, including family heirlooms, and materials in one find. The extraordinary collection includes a rare pectoral cross and a rich collection of jewellery – including silver arm rings, beads and brooches. It also features the largest surviving collection of gold objects from Viking-age Britain and Ireland and incredibly rare surviving textiles.

Celebrate the Festival of Lights at Fed Square

Head to Fed Square for two free, fun-filled days to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Victorian Festival of Diwali. Among the embarrassment of riches to participate in, there’ll be live folk and classical dance showcases, Bollywood performances, and kirtan, the singing of ancient Vedic mantras. If you’re inspired to model the moves you’ve just witnessed, participate in Bollywood and yoga workshops designed for all ages. Or visit the bustling bazaar for handicrafts, jewellery and Indian street food. The two days will culminate in a fireworks display on the Yarra, and landmarks peppered around Melbourne – from the Melbourne Town Hall and the MCG to the Melbourne Museum and Old Treasury Building – will light up in purple and saffron.

Experience the best of what Italy has to offer at the Italian Festa and Expo

For a cultural celebration of a different ilk, the free two-day Italian Festa and Expo will unfurl across the Royal Exhibition Building and Museum Plaza. Suitable for Italophiles of all ages, the much-loved festival returns for yet another iteration. Attendees can look forward to more than 50 food trucks and marquees spotlighting authentic Italian street food and regional specialties. There will also be handpicked fashion, design, and lifestyle stalls and multiple stages of live music, DJ sets and street performers. A co-curated program of jazz will be on offer in conjunction with the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and an exclusive wine degustation experience will be held in the stunning Royal Exhibition Building Gallery. For the tots, creative workshops, family-friendly shows and a petting zoo are part of the program.

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