The Sydney Morning Herald logo

Melbourne live reviews

Advertisement
Emmaline Carroll Southwell and Freddy Collyer in Beyond the Neck.

A response to the Port Arthur massacre, this is not an easy play to watch

Beyond the Neck underscores the importance of memorialising, reflecting upon, and grappling with the terror and the trauma of public violence at scale.

  • Cameron Woodhead, Sonia Nair, Andrew Fuhrmann, Jessica Nicholas and Tony Way

Latest

Peach PRC performs at the Palace foreshore on March 12, 2026

When the performer herself says it’s almost too cold to sing, you have a problem

At Peach PRC’s gig, it’s freezing, and the light rain and cold wind blowing in from St Kilda beach make for harsh conditions to fully embrace the experience.

  • Vyshnavee Wijekumar, Sonia Nair, Cameron Woodhead, Will Cox, Michael Dwyer and Tony Way
Flora unfolds across 12 short chapters.

This sumptuous work features one of the most beautiful entrances you’re ever likely to see

Spectacular and lush, Flora is a major new collaboration between Bangarra and The Australian Ballet.

  • Andrew Fuhrmann, Cameron Woodhead, Tony Way and Bridget Davies
Rain Dogs perform at The Tote, February 27, 2026.

The floor is sticky, it smells bad, and a pint is $10. It’s perfect

Rain Dogs performed at The Tote in a gig that dripped with atmosphere and sweat.

  • Will Cox, Martin Boulton, Tony Way and Sonia Nair
Jarvis Cocker’s voice has lost none of that breathy lustre.

Pulp just gave us the best one-two opening punch I’ve ever seen at a live show

Last night there was both a blood moon and Pulp’s return to Melbourne. I know which one I’ll remember better.

  • Will Cox
Grace Jones performs on the Palace Foreshore stage on March 2, 2026.

Hula-hooping and a nip slip: Grace Jones delivers chaos and fun at St Kilda gig

On an ominous, stormy night on St Kilda foreshore, Grace Jones makes a declaration that sounds a bit like a threat: “I’m gonna have some fun tonight.”

  • Nick Buckley
Advertisement
Ed Sheeran performs at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

Ed Sheeran provides intimate one-man performance to a stadium of thousands

It’s an experience you don’t usually get at a concert, let alone a 2½-hour stadium show. Despite being the only person on-stage, Sheeran keeps everyone engaged.

  • Nell Geraets
Ben Prendergast, Ngaire Dawn Fair, Emily Goddard, John Leary in Kid Stakes.

This is a red-letter event for any committed theatregoer worth their salt

Red Stitch is offering the vanishingly rare opportunity to see Ray Lawler’s Doll Trilogy, which gives deeper context to the beloved Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.

  • Cameron Woodhead, Tony Way, Jessica Nicholas and Marcus Teague
Kesha performs at John Cain Arena on February 22, 2026

With a severed mannequin head and a high-energy gig, Kesha is taking control of her own story

The 38-year-old American singer-songwriter’s The Tits Out Tour feels like a reclamation of her identity and music.

  • Vyshnavee Wijekumar, Andrew Fuhrmann, Cameron Woodhead, Jessica Nicholas, Nadia Bailey and Marcus Teague
Chappell Roan performs at Laneway Festival, Flemington Park, February 13.

A ruckus and a proposal as one of the world’s biggest acts hits the Melbourne stage

With a line-up featuring Chappell Roan, Geese, Lucy Dacus, Role Model and Wet Leg, this year’s Laneway Festival took crowds on a fantastical ride.

  • Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen