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Group Activities in Melbourne
For White Hat, the Twilight Jazz at Cruden Farm is one of the special events of the year. We strongly recommend you gather the family together and get down to one of the most special gardens in Australia as there is only one chance a year for the general public to experience it at the special time of twilight.
Our rating - 5 Hats
The Sidney Myer free orchestral concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl are one of the highlights of Melbourne in summer. Concert 2 of the 2025 series features the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with Jaime Martín (conductor) and Andrea Lam (piano).
Free entry - no bookings required. Gates open at 5.30pm with entry on a first-in basis This performance will be live-streamed on YouTube.
The Sidney Myer free orchestral concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl are one of the highlights of Melbourne in summer. Concert 2 of the 2025 series features the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with Benjamin Northey (conductor) and Reuben Tsang (piano).
Free entry - no bookings required. Gates open at 5.30pm with entry on a first-in basis. The main concert will be preceded by a curtain raiser by the Melbourne Youth Orchestra at 6pm featuring music by Dvořák, Prokofiev, John Williams and more.
The Riverboats Music Festival is the Murray River’s premiere contemporary music event.
Staged in the twin-towns of Echuca-Moama, Riverboats takes place under towering river red gums in a natural amphitheatre next to the mighty Murray. Historic paddlesteamers meander past all weekend, and occasionally the corellas get a bit raucous at sunset. There is one stage and plenty of room for dancing, great artists and some of the best food trucks going round.
White Hat can recommend taking a 2.5 hour trip from Melbourne to spend a weekend on the river for this annual celebration.
This year's lineup includes The Waifs, Tex Perkins - Far From Folsom, The Public Opinion Afro OrchestraMark Seymour & The Undertow, Augie March, Gabriella Cohen, Benny Walker, Jen Cloher, Don Walker, Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier, Fraser A. Gorman, The Kill Devil Hills, and Leah Senior
Our rating - 4 Hats
Experience Werribee Open Range Zoo in a whole new light with Sunset Safari.
In this new and exclusive after-hours event, spend a night out with some of the world’s most iconic animals. Start the evening with a complimentary drink on arrival at the pop-up bar then set off on one of the night’s three experiences. Adventure onto the Savannah for a guided sunset tour, feast with friends at an intimate dinner of African cuisine, and enjoy an immersive performance that showcases the rhythm and soul of Africa.
Proceeds from Sunset Safari help Zoos Victoria support international conservation partners such a Rhino Fund Uganda. Help fight wildlife extinction and be among the first to experience Werribee Open Range Zoo like never before.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world, alongside Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival.
An annual event, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival literally takes over Australia's comedy capital, Melbourne, each autumn with an enormous program of stand-up comedy, cabaret, theatre, street performance, film, television, radio and visual arts.
Full details about individual shows and bookings at Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
White Hat often has to remind visitors that Victoria is a state with four seasons - unlike some of those boring northern states - and we recommend that one of the best ways to experience spring in the Victorian countryside is to visit the Bright Spring Festival.
Bright has a natural beauty complemented by fine cafés and restaurants, marvellous local wineries, accommodation to suit all budgets, adventure sports, walking tracks and bike trails and shopping. The festival offers street and river markets, theatre events, art exhibitions, fireworks, plenty of entertainment and open gardens. For a full list off the open gardens see the White Hat Open Gardens page.
For the full itinerary, visit the Bright Spring Festival website at www.brightspringfestival.com.au
The Melbourne Horror Film Society holds its traditional screenings on the last Tuesday of every month at LongPlay in Fitzroy North. There are typically a few extra, special night's that pop up throughout the year, and you can find the information for each of our events on the MHFS website.
Memberships are required to attend these screenings and are available to purchase on the night. Mini memberships give you access to 3 screenings for just $15. Full memberships cover you for 12 screenings and will set you back $50.
If you're into the more B grade, gory, splatter filled side of horror, The Melbourne Horror Film Society holds its traditional screenings bring syou BLOOD RITUAL. Held on the last Saturday of the month in conjunction with True North in Coburg, the blood letting begins when darkness descends, and with free entry and cheap beer in skulls, it's a night well worth selling your soul for. Information for each of our events on the MHFS website.
The Night Noodle Markets are back, with all the sights, sounds and smells of an Asian hawker market plus the buzz, hype and vibe of an outdoor festival.
It’s a Saturday evening in summer. You’re sitting in a park with family and friends, and a fabulous picnic dinner. The picture is complete when the glorious live music from Opera Australia begins.
Hear our brightest stars, under the stars, sing opera's most famous arias with the magnificent backing of Orchestra Victoria.
Dress up — or not — it's your night to enjoy the power of the human voice in the kind of communal, cultural celebration Melbourne loves best.
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