From sights and sounds to smell, taste and touch – it’s a place which will evoke your senses all-in-one. Who says winter is only about snow and skiing? Keep your chill by visiting these cool escapes that will keep you on your toes all winter-long, whether in Melbourne or in regional Victoria.
Skiing and fun
All winter long, various locations in Victoria Snowfields
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There’s snow place like Victoria’s alpine region in winter, just a few hours’ drive from Melbourne with a range of alps of your choice from Mt Buller, Mt Hotham or Falls Creek. Offering slopes for all skill levels and also classes for beginners – where you can try various exciting snow sports such as skiing, snowboarding, snow tobogganing or even snowshoeing! Course through the picturesque alps with dog sled tours or for the Instagram-worthy buffs, enjoy a breathtaking ride on the scenic chairlift to the top of Mt Buller for that panoramic bird’s eye view of alpine vistas. Keep your eyes peeled as you may even catch a glimpse of Australia’s native animals such as wombats, possums and kangaroos in the snow!
m.au / www.mthotham.com.au / www.fallscreek.com.au
THE LUME Melbourne
June – 31 July 2022 (Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre)
THE LUME is the Southern Hemisphere’s first purpose-built space to seamlessly animate art at such a jaw-dropping scale. Its state-of-the-art design combines sights, sounds, tastes and aromas to give visitors a unique chance to enter into the world of the artist and an invitation to see art in a new light. The inaugural experience at THE LUME Melbourne is set to bring the vibrant works of Dutch master Vincent van Gogh to life in a whole new way.
www.thelume.com/melbourne
Winter Whale Cruise
June – early August 2022 (Phillip Island)
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Embark on a cruise adventure to see aquatic wildlife in Phillip Island – from up-close encounters with migrating humpback and southern right whales, frolicking dolphins alongside the boat to being enthralled by thousands of Australian fur seals when visiting Seal Rocks! In addition to viewing these majestic mammals, sit back and marvel at Phillip Island’s picturesque coastline.
www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au/cruises/winter-whale-cruise
Hamilton the Musical
June – 2 October 2022 (Her Majesty’s Theatre, Exhibition St)
The Tony®, Grammy®, Olivier and Pulitzer Prize winning musical. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre – a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education. With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography.
www.hamiltonmusical.com.au
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
June – 16 October 2022 (Princess Theatre, Spring St)
19 years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world, they’re joined by a brand-new generation of witches and wizards who are about to begin their journey. Direct from Broadway, this dazzling brand-new production can now be enjoyed in one magical afternoon or evening. Experience this spectacular play that delivers spellbinding adventure and even more magic per minute.
www.au.harrypottertheplay.com
Winter Night Market
1 June – 31 August 2022 [Every Wednesday, 5pm – 10pm] (Queen Victoria Market)
Keep your bellies filled with the delectable variety of food at Melbourne’s unmissable winter event for a spectacular 14-week season. Expect the best of Melbourne’s street food traders, brewers, distillers, artisans and entertainment for the perfect midweek winter experience.
Enjoy street food from across the globe, hot bevvies like mulled wine and hot gin toddies, roaring open fires, shopping at artisanal stalls, roving performers and musicians, and fun at the silent disco. With free entry, the only prerequisites are to come hungry and ready for a good time.
www.winternightmarket.com.au
The Picasso Century
10 June – 9 October 2022 (NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne)
The world-premiere Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, The Picasso Century, charts the extraordinary career of Pablo Picasso in dialogue with the many artists, poets and intellectuals with whom he intercepted and interacted throughout the 20th century.
Exclusively developed for the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) by the Centre Pompidou and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, the exhibition features over 70 works by Picasso alongside over 100 works by more than 60 of his contemporaries, drawn from French national collections, as well as the NGV Collection.
www.ngv.melbourne
Light: Works from Tate’s Collection
16 June – 13 November 2022 (ACMI, Melbourne)
Curated by Tate in the UK and drawn from their prestigious collection, this exhibition celebrates groundbreaking moments from over 200 years of art history, and the artists who harnessed this through painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, installation and the moving image. Over 70 works feature in this exclusive blockbuster exhibition, including the great Romantic painter J. M. W. Turner, John Constable, Wassily Kandinsky and Josef Albers, as well as Impressionist painters Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley. These extraordinary paintings are juxtaposed against equally groundbreaking works from modern and contemporary artists: Olafur Eliasson’s crystalline sculpture Stardust Particle (2014), Yayoi Kusama’s kaleidoscopic The Passing Winter (2005) and James Turrell’s immersive Raemar, Blue (1969).
www.acmi.net.au
The Train of Lights
24 June – 10 July 2022 (Puffing Billy, Dandenong Ranges, Belgrave)
Experience Puffing Billy Railway’s Australian-first, must-see event: The Train of Lights offers passengers the rare opportunity to be immersed in the natural surrounds of the Dandenong Ranges at night whilst enjoying a breathtaking light show. Marvel over an array of bright colours, mesmerising patterns and native wild animal projections that leap from the open-side carriages and out towards the sprawling forests and open farmlands, as you travel through Emerald Lake Park, Cockatoo and Gembrook. Partnering up with acclaimed lighting production company, Resolution X, Puffing Billy Railway’s Train of Lights will bring to life a moving light show like no other.
www.puffingbilly.com.au
Winter Wonderlights
25 June – 17 July 2022 (Sovereign Hill)
Ballarat’s popular Winter Wonderlights will return with its sound, lights and wintry delights! During the day, Sovereign Hill is alive with a full programme of hands-on activities, delicious treats, and colourful decorations – including gold mine tours, coach rides, candle dipping, plays and snowfalls. When the sun goes down, that’s when the real magic happens as Sovereign Hill dazzles with a sound and light show illuminating the facades of the iconic streetscape.
www.sovereignhill.com.au/winter-wonderlights
Borealis on the Lake
15 July – 4 September 2022, every Thursday to Sunday (Daylesford, Victoria)
Borealis on the Lake is bringing the Northern Lights to Lake Daylesford this winter. Enjoyed by more than 1 million people worldwide, this mesmerising installation transports you to a place faraway – where time slows down as eyes look up. Through colour, movement, density of light beams and changing weather, unique auroras are projected over the lake. The perfect blend of technology and art, set to a tranquil soundtrack created by French composer Guillaume Desbois, you become truly immersed in the wonder and magic of Borealis. Created by Switzerland-based artivist Dan Acher to create spaces where strangers come together and connect beyond their differences – creating a sense of belonging and community. Landscapes are his playgrounds, reaching thousands of people.
www.borealisau.com
Hot Chocolate Festival
1 – 31 August 2022 (Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery [GORCI])
Keep your hands warm and escape the winter chill with GORCI’s crowd-favourite: 31 new delicious and exotic hot chocolate flavours throughout the month!
Want to feel like a chocolate connoisseur? Then tickle your tastebuds at the Hot Chocolate tasting session where you will sample a selection of eight amazing flavours. After the session, choose from over 50 ingredients to make different chocolate flavoured spoons for your own personalised decadent hot chocolate once you add it to hot milk at home!
www.gorci.com.au
Spoilt for choice with a power-packed programme in store, Melbourne and regional Victoria’s winter wonderland is surely a destination not to be missed! In the capital of arts, coffee and melting pot of culture that it is – you’ll be guaranteed only good times and greater memories to bring home.
For more details, log on to www.visitmelbourne.com
Filed in: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child / Melbourne / Visit Victoria
