Arts & Culture
Bad Seeds’ grassy gig hits all the right notes
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ sold-out show at the Alexandra Gardens on January 31 hit all the right notes, with the rock star and his band wowing the hometown crowd with a high-energy mix of old and new music.
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MSO revives beloved free concert tradition at Sidney Myer Music Bowl
For the first time in 13 years, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will present a full week of free concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, marking a major return of one of Melbourne’s most popular summer traditions.
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NGV’s Kids on Tour is celebrating creativity statewide
For the month of January, NGV’s Kids on Tour has returned to venues across metropolitan and regional Victoria. Offering free art-making programs and activities for children, teens and families, this summer is set to cure any boredom.
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Mystik River Gallery unveils Dharshi de Silva’s Return to Eden
Mystik River Gallery in Southbank has opened its latest exhibition, Return to Eden, a contemplative solo showcase by Sri Lankan–Australian contemporary artist Dharshi de Silva.
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Melbourne’s newest museum opens with blockbuster DIVA exhibition at Arts Centre Melbourne
Melbourne has a brand-new museum – and it has launched in spectacular fashion.
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Asia TOPA honoured at Melbourne Awards for redefining the city’s cultural landscape
Asia TOPA has been recognised as one of Melbourne’s most important cultural forces, taking home the 2025 Melbourne Award for Arts & Events at a gala ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall on November 15.
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Veterans’ arts in full bloom on St Kilda Rd
The garden bed at the foot of the Marquis of Linlithgow Memorial on St Kilda Rd is showcasing a uniquely Melbourne attraction, being the world’s only public arts trail of veterans’ arts.
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Tractors lined up in South Melbourne
This iconic image shows a line-up of International Harvester (IH) tractors lined up outside Harvester House in City Rd, South Melbourne in 1941.
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Southbank choir hits the right note as community gathers for free festive concert
A grassroots choir born from a simple idea – to bring neighbours together through song – has become one of Southbank’s fastest-growing community success stories.
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Malthouse Theatre unveils bold and diverse 2026 season
Malthouse Theatre has lifted the curtain on its 2026 season, unveiling a daring and wide-ranging program that spans contemporary drama, radical reimaginings, cabaret, comedy and dance – reaffirming the Southbank institution’s reputation as one of Australia’s most innovative performing arts companies.
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Southbank News × VCA Graphic Interventions
As you’re turning the pages of this month’s edition of Southbank News, you’ll notice a series of green graphics throughout – a creative initiative conducted in partnership with The University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts (VCA).
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Buxton Contemporary unveils major solo exhibition by Hany Armanious
Buxton Contemporary will close out 2025 with a landmark exhibition by one of Australia’s most acclaimed sculptors, Hany Armanious, whose inventive and playful approach to form has redefined the boundaries of contemporary art.
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Emergence opens at Southgate: A celebration of art, resilience and recovery
A powerful new exhibition exploring creativity, recovery and the human spirit has opened at Southgate Gallery in Southbank, shining a light on how art can help rebuild lives after trauma.
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Let’s Party! Fashion for Kids turns the NGV into a disco of creativity
This summer, the National Gallery of Victoria will sparkle with colour, music and imagination as it opens Let’s Party! Fashion for Kids: Designed by Danielle Brustman, a free interactive exhibition transforming the NGV’s Children’s Gallery into a vibrant fashion playground.
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Mildura council has its eye on one of Melbourne’s most famous pieces of public art
In a bizarre PR stunt, Mildura Rural City Council has placed Melbourne “on notice”, requesting the transfer of Ron Robertson-Swann’s sculpture Vault from its current home in Southbank to the state’s tropical north.
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Massacre in Botanic Gardens, January 1924
The Botanic Gardens are treasured by residents of nearby Southbank, but they haven’t always been peaceful. In the previous decade to 1924 the world was in turmoil, suffering the Great War and the Spanish Flu. But chaos was giving way to order.
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Southbank artist explores the fragility of coral reefs in new exhibition Shifting Currents
Southbank-based artist Lisa Sewards will unveil her latest exhibition, Shifting Currents, at Gallerysmith in Prahran until November 1, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the delicate world of coral reefs through sound and print.
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New mural honours SES volunteers on Southbank landmark
A striking new mural is taking shape on the rear of the Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) headquarters in Southbank, transforming a once-plain wall into a bold tribute to Victoria’s volunteers.
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Espresso Grande: Vision to transform Southbank’s Red Stairs into giant coffee percolator
Imagine sipping a cappuccino inside the world’s largest coffee percolator while gazing across the Yarra-Birrarung from Queensbridge Square.
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Tschabalala Self brings colour, texture and soul to ACCA
The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) has unveiled Tschabalala Self: Skin Tight, a dazzling and deeply introspective exhibition that marks the celebrated Harlem-born artist’s first solo show in Australia.
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Dragon Boat Victoria WTC Wharf Cup
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