Unexpected Melbourne Activities | Dream by Luxury Escapes

Melbourne is a city constantly in flux. While first-time visitors are naturally drawn to its iconic attractions, repeat visitors and those eager to delve deeper should venture beyond the familiar, exploring offbeat art exhibitions, boundary-pushing theatre and cutting-edge innovation.

Here are some of the best experiences in a city that’s every bit different, and never tires of eating, drinking and creating.

1. Sing along with the supernatural

The Australian production of BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL has taken residence at Melbourne’s gilded Regent Theatre in a strictly limited season, exclusive to the city, until 11 September. Based on Tim Burton’s beloved 1988 film of the same name, the Tony Award-nominated show is famed for wacky lyrics, dark humour and a gothic aesthetic, with music and lyrics by Melbourne’s own Eddie Perfect. In a thrilling full-circle moment, Perfect will don the iconic striped suit for the first time to bring the titular character to life.

2. Build your childhood dreams

Step brick-by-brick through a galaxy far, far away with LEGO® Star Wars™: The Exhibition, the brainchild of Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught, the southern hemisphere’s only LEGO® Certified Professional. On display at Melbourne Museum, the exhibition features the largest collection of life-sized LEGO® Star Wars models ever assembled, making it the world’s most extensive touring LEGO® brick showcase. Gawk at eight million bricks, design your custom lightsaber and allocate time to eat a Chewie Cookie at the Australian-first Star Wars Galactic Cafe.

3. Sip cocktails in hidden or cosy bars

Melburnians love to eat, drink and boast that the city has the nation’s best nightlife (it does). At Solace, mixologists serve spirit-forward cocktails alongside electronic music acts. Nearby, Mr Mills dishes tomato and anchovy oil martinis and bergamot and green apple margaritas, while, just down the street, dimly-lit Backspace serves a coffee infusion to a base of rye whisky and cognac.

In a lush Chapel Street courtyard, Jungle Boy pours tiki-style cocktails with house-made syrups. Curious on Flinders Lane wows with boozy ice cream and theatrical service, and StoryVille on Lonsdale Street enchants with fairytale-inspired creations like Rapunzel, Rapunzel (Peychaud’s Bitters, Ambra Limoncello, Fairy Floss Hair).

4. Explore the art of the underground

Located in West Melbourne, The Blender Studios is an art complex centred around working artist studios, offering behind-the-scenes tours that reveal the city’s street art culture. Visitors can also join creative workshops led by locals. The National Gallery of Victoria, Australia’s most visited gallery, is currently showcasing masterpieces by Monet, Renoir and Degas in a French Impressionism exhibition, ahead of the highly anticipated Westwood | Kawakubo fashion showcase. ACMI’s Game Worlds exhibition, kicking off from September, is well worth a visit, with guests invited to explore the landscapes of video games.

5. Discover the live music scene

Grand in design, but intimate in feel, The Forum is the beating heart of the CBD’s mid-scale music scene, boasting a sky-blue ceiling, proscenium arch and cabaret-style booths. Located on the corner of Russell and Flinders Street, there’s not a bad seat in the house. Just a few tram stops north in Collingwood, The Tote has been a gritty dive bar and rock ’n’ thrash metal pub since 1980.

Further north, the Brunswick Ballroom hosts everything from jazz music, cabaret, DJs and comedy, and most performances offer a dinner-and-a-show option. For a full Melbourne arts experience, book a behind-the-scenes tour at Arts Centre Melbourne.

6. Join a nighttime ghost tour of Old Melbourne Gaol

In 1880, Australia’s most infamous bushranger, Ned Kelly, was captured and brought to the Old Melbourne Gaol, where he met his fate months later. More than a century on, whispers persist that his spirit, and those of many others, linger in the bluestone walls. Is Melbourne’s most haunted building truly home to the restless dead? You’ll be the judge on the theatrical Ghosts? What Ghosts? night tour. Step into the darkness, switch on your spirit radar and steel yourself for unexplained sights, sounds and encounters around every cold corner. Tours leave at 6.30pm and 8pm.

7. Take a self-guided vintage fashion trail

Melbourne’s second-hand clothing scene mirrors the city – eclectic, artistic, a little gothic and full of unexpected treasures. Start at Vintage Sole in the city or Lost and Found Market in Fitzroy for denim, leather jackets, band shirts and the occasional museum-worthy collectible. On Saturdays, the graffiti-covered Rose Street comes alive with the Rose St. Artists’ Markets, where stalls overflow with pre-loved fashion. 

For rare designer gems, Reina in Curtin House stocks European and Japanese labels such as Chanel and Issey Miyake from the early ’90s to mid-2000s, while neighbouring dot COMME curates standout pieces from its archival collection. Come evening, take the new outfit for a spin with dinner in the city or to see the work of Martin Grant, an Australian-born, Paris-based fashion designer, at the Ian Potter Centre.

Feature image: Michelle Grace Hunder. Supplied: Visit Victoria