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How to have fun in Melbourne I am feeling... INSPIRED
No matter what time of year, there are always a kajillion performances, events, and festivals happening in
Melbourne. And, being a student, there are heaps of cheap deals out there for you to capitalise on!
no matter what floats your boat
MTC UniMelb Theatre Pass: Ok, get on to this, stat! For just $50, you’ll get tickets to seven different
By Charlotte Ekkel Melbourne Theatre Company productions throughout the year. That’s basically $7 per show; bonkers! Last
year, I saw a whole bunch of plays that I never would have otherwise, and they were all brilliant in different
ways. Go online to grab the form to fill out. Any questions, just come find me!
Ahh Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne. Home of the bushranger barista, the backyard music-maker, the
scooter-riding businessman, the twenty-something who’s far too hip for their own good… and now you!
Welcome to your new hometown! It’s a goodun’, let me tell you. But where on Earth to start? Melbourne is so Festivals: Two key festivals to have on your radar are the Comedy Fest and
big that it can be pretty overwhelming at first. So, in this little (or perhaps not so little) guide, I’m going to give the Fringe Fest, which are both three-week events which take over Melbourne
you a few tried and true suggestions for how to have a brilliant time in this city, no matter what you’re into. when they’re on. The Comedy Festival is running from March 25 until April 19
Get ready to have your heart stolen by this beautiful, buzzing city, my friends… this year. Pick up a guide (they’ll be in most cafés & shops in Feb/March) to see
the full program of shows. I recommend seeing one bigger (and thus pricier)
act, and then going to a couple of random, cheap comedy nights.
I am feeling...CREATIVE Melbourne Fringe runs from September to October and is all about
Melbourne is arty-farty central! Galleries and museums abound, and there’s so much colour and life giving anyone and everyone a platform to put themselves out there
splattered around everywhere you look. Get exploring! artistically. I’m talking unique, made-from-scratch productions like
intense poetry battles and cabarets all about being bisexual. Good
NGV: The most famous gallery in Melbourne. The NGV has several fun and often very, very cheap (we like that). Full program will be out
FREE, quite generous exhibitions, plus one or two temporary paid in August.
exhibitions (usually worth it) which rotate through the year. Spend a bit
of time lying down in the cathedral-like room at the back of the gallery MSO Student Membership: The MSO is Melbourne’s world-renowned symphony orchestra, putting
– it’s absolutely mesmerising. 20 mins away by tram.
on a huge range of performances every year, from live sound-tracked movie screenings to classics by
Beethoven and Bach. A student membership (FREE – just sign up online) gets you $20 tickets for almost
Brunswick St: This street is the heart of Fitzroy and it is chockas every show.
with arty vibes! There are a few thoughtfully curated small-scale
galleries around, with Brunswick St Gallery and Sutton Gallery being
my top picks; both free entry. The Rose Street Artists’ Market (just off
Brunswick St) is also fabulous and is open Sundays from 10-4. I am... UP FOR A BOOG
Don’t just sadly wait til the next college party rolls around for a boogie! Sate that ravenous appetite for
dancing at one of these hot spots:
Street art: Melbourne is pretty famous for its laneways, the
majority of which are plastered with incredible graffiti art. If you take
the 19 tram (heading towards the city) right to the end of the line, The Night Cat: Night clubs can be super lame, but this one gets it right. Really good live music almost
then walk a couple blocks east, you’ll hit some of the best arty lanes every night. Sundays are salsa nights (the best) and Wednesdays are for swing! $15 entry usually. 30 min
in Melbourne. Start with Hosier Lane, Rutledge Lane and AC/DC Lane. walk from college.
It’s worth visiting these laneways on multiple occasions because
they’re ever changing; art of this kind is inherently ephemeral, which Thursgays: A FREE-entry weekly party (need I say more?)
to me is a big part of its magic. held at the Fitzroy nightclub Yah Yah’s. For queer folks &
cheap in the drinks department, with two levels for dancing and
ACMI: The Australian Centre for the Moving Image is a really unique museum which looks at the past, killer lip sync battles (which many a JCHer has won). Pretty
present and future of film, TV, video games, digital culture and art in Australia. It’s located up the back of Fed standard, trashy music, and a lot of fun. Be prepared for long,
Square (20 min by tram). It’s currently closed due to huge redevelopment works, but it will re-open halfway albeit pretty fast-moving, lines. 30 mins by tram/bus from
through this year, so put it in your diary as a Semester Two activity. The generous main exhibition is always college.
FREE. It’s amazing.
Nocturnal @ Melbourne Museum: Ok, so this is a little bit
Melbourne Museum: This place is brilliant. The permanent cool. The Museum puts on a themed, after-hours, adults-only party
exhibitions are FREE for students (just make sure you’ve got your once or twice a month. That means dancing with the dinosaurs.
UniMelb card on you!) and can keep you going for hours. My favourite And the whales. And the rocks. Don’t forget the rocks. Tickets are
room is the one with all the rocks in it. Super gneiss. There’s even an around $30.
actual forest smack-bang in the middle of the museum! About a 25
min walk from college. Make an afternoon of it and have a picnic in Evie’s Disco Diner: An into-the-morning dance party dedicated
the surrounding Carlton Gardens.
exclusively to disco at an 80s-themed bar? Yes please! A 50%
vegan menu, an emphasis on sustainability and low waste, and a
Tick off places you’ve been!
swish-as drinks list? Even more yes please! 30 min tram/bus ride
from college, 10 min Uber.
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