What’s on in the Arts Precinct for Open House Melbourne weekend

Open House Melbourne has launched its 2024 program and theme for the year, RE/DISCOVER your City inviting audiences to see Melbourne in a new light and celebrate the importance of good design in shaping our communities.

More than 60,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Open House Melbourne Weekend (July 27 and 28) and explore more than 170 unique and intriguing spaces and experiences in every corner of Melbourne. Across the city, buildings and spaces will open for walking tours, talks, presentations, and exhibitions, encouraging Victorians and visitors to seek out new places and reconnect with old favorites.

This year’s program offers six precincts to explore, including the Melbourne Arts Precinct, City of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Design, City of Maribyrnong, City of Hobsons Bay, City of Port Phillip, and City of Yarra.

A total of 13 events and programs are available to explore in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, offering a glimpse into some of the iconic design, award-winning architecture, and heritage buildings. Visitors can sign up for a behind-the-scenes tour of Fed Square, building tours of the Southbank Theatre, Melbourne Recital Centre and Shrine of Remembrance, exhibitions at the Koorie Heritage Trust, ACCA, and Buxton Contemporary, a documentary screening at ACMI, or a walking tour of the city-shaping Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation (MAPT) project.

Participants on the MAPT tour will visit key sites that are part of the major project that is transforming Southbank and the city and will hear from experts involved with delivering the project – including the new 18,000sqm urban garden, significant upgrades to Arts Centre Melbourne’s Theatres Building and the new contemporary art and design gallery The Fox: NGV Contemporary.

Bookings for the Open House Melbourne Weekend will be released in two stages on Wednesday, July 3 at 12pm and Saturday, July 6 at 12pm. Tours of Fed Square and MAPT are free to attend, but places are likely to fill up quickly. Visit the Open House website for more information and to register for tickets.

For those who are keen to make the most of exploring the Arts Precinct during the Open House Melbourne weekend, there’s plenty of extraordinary art, architecture, design, and creativity to enjoy.

Visitors can take a stroll through the expansive Royal Botanic Gardens or visit world-renowned architect Tadao Ando-designed MPavilion in the Queen Victoria Gardens.

Across St Kilda Rd, NGV International and Arts Centre Melbourne present a year-round calendar of exceptional performances and exhibitions.

To cap off the weekend, visitors can take in a show at Southbank Theatre, Malthouse Theatre or Melbourne Recital Centre – each venue has its own unique design features and architectural identity.

This year’s Open House Melbourne Weekend encourages us to explore, enjoy and immerse ourselves in the places and spaces that make up our city and its exceptional precincts. •

Learn more about the Melbourne Arts Precinct