April in Melbourne
Even though we are mid-way through Autumn, it doesn’t mean events have slowed down in Melbourne. The International Comedy Festival is in full swing until the 21st of April. Wicked is playing at the beautiful Regent Theatre until the 28th of July and Chicago is playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre until the 2nd of June. The popular Hawker 88 Night Market is back at the Queen Victoria Market. The wonderful Titanic Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum is finishing on the 21st of April, so if you haven’t been yet, get your skates on, it’s definitely worth a visit.
What else is on in Melbourne this month? Here’s our list of exhibitions, festivals, events, musicals, gigs and all things fun happening in Melbourne during April.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Laugh until you cry as everyone’s favourite international comedy festival takes over the city. After Montreal’s Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Fringe, MICF is the third-largest comedy festival in the world and attracts the crème de la crème of comedians from across Australia and around the globe.
In 2024, you can expect a mammoth line-up of international performers such as Atsuko Okatsuka (USA), Carl Donnelly (UK), David O’Doherty (Ireland), Fern Brady (Scotland), Larry Dean (Scotland), Chloe Petts (UK), Julia Masli (Estonia), Lara Ricote (Mexico), John Hastings (Canada), Arj Barker (USA), Jason Leong (Malaysia), Melanie Bracewell (NZ), Jimeoin (Ireland), Spankie Jackzon (NZ), Urzila Carlson (NZ) and more. As for local acts, you can see the likes of Aaron Chen, Ali McGregor, Anna Piper Scott, Anne Edmonds, Aurelia St Clair, Celia Pacquola, Christian Hull, Claire Hooper, Dave Hughes, Fergus Neal, Gen Fricker, Geraldine Hickey, Gillian Cosgriff, Hannah Gadsby, Joel Creasey, Jon Walpole, Julian O’Shea, Lizzy Hoo, Lou Wall, Mel and Sam, Nazeem Hussain, Nina Oyama, Prue Blake, Reuben Kaye, Rhys Nicholson, Scout Boxall, Sez and a lot more.
Running from March 27-April 21, 2024, the program is packed with stand-up comedy, cabaret, theatre and more. Check out the full line-up for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2024 here.
Tickets can be purchased through the Festival’s website, and, depending on the show, through venues and ticketing providers such as Arts Centre Melbourne, Ticketmaster, Ticketek, Trybooking, Eventfinda, and Eventbrite. You can check individual show listings for details on where to book.
Wicked
Broadway’s biggest blockbuster WICKED has flown into Melbourne.
The Broadway sensation WICKED looks at what happened in the Land of Oz… but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood and possesses an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships. Until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
Wicked is playing at the Regent Theatre until July 28. Tickets for the general public are on sale now via the website.
Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius
Dedicated to exploring the life of the visionary artist, inventor, scientist and philosopher, Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius presented by Webuild promises to be THE LUME Melbourne’s most ambitious, immersive and breathtaking experience yet.
Prepare to step inside the world’s most famous works of art as Mona Lisa and The Last Supper come to life on THE LUME’s colossal canvas. This groundbreaking showcase allows you to be immersed in the grandeur and intricacies of these masterpieces, providing an intimate encounter with the brilliance of Leonardo’s artistry not possible in traditional museum settings.
As part of your multi-faceted Leonardo da Vinci experience, you’ll have access to a range of spaces spanning the gallery, including multiple displays of Leonardo’s “machine inventions” on loan from the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome, interactive installations, the incredible in-gallery café – plus more to be announced.
Please allow two hours for this experience. Tickets are $39.90 for concession holders, $49.90 for adults, $29.90 for kids and $129.90 for families. Children under four years of age are free and tickets are available here.
One of the most famous tragedies in modern history, the story of the Titanic and its ill-fated maiden voyage continues to enthral, educate and break hearts more than 110 years after she sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Collect your boarding pass and embark on a journey to explore the powerful stories of those who travelled and worked onboard the legendary ship.
This is the only exhibition in Australia to feature more than 200 real artefacts, recovered directly from the wreck site. Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition focuses on the voyage’s compelling human stories, taking visitors on a memorable journey through the events of that fateful night.
Learn about the ship’s innovative engineering, touch an iceberg that is the same temperature as the freezing waters of the North Atlantic Ocean that night, and experience life onboard through full-scale recreations of the ship’s interiors – including the iconic Grand Staircase.
After a smash-hit reception in Paris and the USA, Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition closes on the 14th of April and is an experience not to be missed.
For more information, visit the website here.
The Pet Show Melbourne
Already a proud pet parent or looking for a new pet but don’t know where to start, then a day out at The Pet Show is a must! Partnering with RSPCA Victoria, The Pet Show is all about paaawsitive pet parenting, sharing education, superb entertainment, and products for all pets from scales to tails and everything in between.
The show includes talks from pet celebrities and expert presenters, a special appearance from everyone’s fave cartoon pooches Bluey and Bingo, a dazzling performance from the famous Wonderdogs, as well as live dog arena demonstrations, a scales and tails touch zone and heaps more. Plus, there’ll be food trucks to fuel your fluffy adventures and special activities for kids.
The Pet Show is being held over the weekend of April 13 and 14 at Melbourne Showgrounds. Find out more about the event on the website.
Hawker 88 Street Market
The Hawker 88 Night Market returns to Queen Vic Market, bringing the sights, sounds and tastes of Asia to Melbourne’s favourite Marketplace this autumn! Enjoy an exclusive five-week season, happening every Wednesday on the 17 Apr 2024, 24 Apr 2024, 01 May 2024 and 08 May 2024.
Watch as the Market transforms into a vibrant hawker-style street market, boasting long communal tables, a canopy of hanging lanterns, traditional Lucky Cat decorations, and vivid neon lights.
Prepare to tantalise your senses with the sights, sounds, and flavours of Asia. Each week, they’ll celebrate the continent with a diverse mix of sizzling street food, refreshing drinks, specialty retail stalls, live music, cultural performances, food-eating contests, and family entertainment!
For more info on the event, check out the Queen Victoria Market website.
Art of the Brick Immersive Experience
The Art of the Brick is a LEGO® exhibition featuring over 100 unique works made from millions of LEGO® bricks. Visited by over 10 million people worldwide and featured on CNN’s “must-see” list, this immersive version is an iteration of the exhibit that received a 4.9/5 rating at its premiere in Atlanta, USA, and features 100+ original LEGO artworks, a LEGO® safari, moving installations, LED light shows, 360° projections and much more!
The Art of the Brick Immersive Experience exhibition features more than 100 contemporary artworks, all crafted using more than one million Lego bricks to make large-scale, life-like creations.
The Art of the Brick Immersive Experience opens on April 14 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. For more information about the exhibition or to purchase tickets head to their website.
Rain Room
Internationally acclaimed as ‘strikingly beautiful’ and a physical experience that is ‘both sensual and artificial’, Rain Room is Melbourne’s most talked about – and Instagrammed – solo art exhibition of recent memory, allowing visitors to “control the weather”. Housed in a purpose-built pavilion by March Studio, an ethereal architectural statement, the ‘Jackalope Pavilion’ in St Kilda is a creative and artistic space, through which Jackalope Hotel group can showcase public art and activations in an urban context.
The Rain Room closes on the 14th April. Book your session via the Rain Room website.
Chicago
The Broadway sensation WICKED looks at what happened in the Land of Oz… but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood and possesses an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships. Until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
For more information, head to the Wicked website.
Nocturnal: Museum After Dark
Step into a world of Museum wonders at Nocturnal, an after-hours Melbourne Museum experience just for adults.
On the second Thursday night of every month, catch up with friends and uncover the secrets and mysteries behind some of the world’s most fascinating exhibits with tours, talks, trivia and wearable art drop-ins, sip on cocktails and grab a bite to eat at one of our pop-up food stalls.
For more information, head to the Melbourne Museum website.
