Get ready for a fun filled October while you enjoy the countless art shows, theatre productions, and entertaining events that the Melbourne International Arts Festival is famous for! Follow our guide so you don’t miss out on anything!

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Melbourne is famed for being the art hub of Australia, home to award winning galleries, a vast diversity in culture, and some of the most innovative events on earth. So, it comes as no surprise that it is the host for one of the greatest International Arts Festivals around. Melbourne International Arts Festival enthrals its guests every October with a program of music, theatre, visual arts, dance and cabaret, captivating its audience by connecting art, people and ideas. Here are our top picks for this year’s Melbourne International Arts Festival.

  • Theatre; Gender Euphoria

    Gender Euphoria is the country’s biggest trans and gender-diverse line up ever to perform together. With an ensemble of ten entertainers creating music, comedy, burlesque, circus, and poetry, the show explores the modern term of gender, identity, and what makes a person unique, while celebrating the queer voices of Australia. Get involved in the performance as you cheer, yell, and cry with the artists, becoming part of the act yourself.

  • Dance; Rite of Spring

    The world-famous Chinese dance choreographer, Yang Liping blends together western and eastern traditions to form the iconic ‘Rite of Spring’. She has created a new ballet show which promises stunning performances, incredible costumes, and epic music. Head on down to South Bank’s Arts Centre and get swept up in the romance and beauty of this visual spectacle.

  • Music; Flaming Lips

    This legendary rock band made headlines 20 years ago when they released their ground-breaking album, The Soft Bulletin, winning multiple awards as well as the hearts of all rock enthusiasts. Now they come together again to perform their aural masterpiece, combining powerful melodies, lush orchestration, and complex harmonies. Hear some of their greatest hits and discover a couple of new tunes along the way.

  • Visual Arts; Teamlab

    Teamlab brings a whole new world to the festival’s visual art display. This Japanese based team brings dreamers and thinkers together such as animators, mathematicians, architects, and engineers. The art collection promises magical, dramatic, and unique sculptures of light that create a dazzling display in the gallery. Teamlab’s goal is to surpass the boundaries between humans and nature, transcending oneself and the world.

  • Free; Melbourne Art Trams

    You don’t even need to buy a ticket to the Arts Festival to see some of what it has to offer. During the festival, Melbourne’s trams are transformed into moving works of art, bringing vibrance into the everyday city streets. Artists from Victoria submit ideas for new designs and each selected artist is given their own tram to decorate, using their unique style to set each line apart from one another.

Melbourne International Arts Festival runs from the 2nd to the 20th October.

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Cameron Ward
Cameron Ward
Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward began with a passion for travel and turned it into a thriving tourism business. He co-founded Sightseeing Tours Australia after starting out as a tour guide in Melbourne. Cameron delights in helping visitors get the most from their trip to Australia. Whether he's leading tours or writing about his favourite places, Cameron loves sharing his local insight with fellow travellers.

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