Melbourne’s secret all-white dinner party Dîner en Blanc returns in February
Dust off your finest white outfit because Dîner en Blanc Melbourne is back for another year.
Dîner en Blanc Melbourne returns on 28 February 2026, transforming an undisclosed city location into a massive open-air dining experience. Dîner en Blanc keeps its venue under wraps until the night itself, with guests meeting at assigned departure points before being guided to the secret spot by volunteers. Everyone rocks up dressed entirely in white, sets up their own tables and chairs, and settles in for an evening of food, champagne, music and dancing.
Dîner en Blanc Melbourne
- Secret Melbourne location
- 28 February 2026
- Phase 1 tickets on sale 13 January 2026
- Phase 3 tickets on sale 20 January 2026
- Register at melbourne.dinerenblanc.com
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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The 2026 edition will feature catering from Curtis Stone Events, champagne and sparkling from Moët & Chandon, and wines from Mornington Peninsula winery Ten Minutes by Tractor. Some departure points will include reserved seating as part of the ticket, plus the option to pre-order a curated meal for those who want a more streamlined experience.
The event first landed in Melbourne back in 2015 and has become a fixture on the city’s summer calendar. Globally, Dîner en Blanc takes place in more than 120 cities across 40 countries, all following the same format of mystery locations, white dress codes and communal dining.
BYO alcohol isn’t permitted under Victorian liquor licensing, so all drinks need to be pre-ordered through the official e-store. Non-alcoholic beverages can be brought from home. The event operates on a leave-no-trace policy, with guests expected to pack up and return the space to its original state at the end of the night.
Registration for Phase 3 is open now at melbourne.dinerenblanc.com, allowing punters to set up an account ahead of ticket releases.
For more information, head here.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival wants your short films
Funny Shorts, proudly supported by .au and presented in partnership with ACMI, is officially open for submissions from filmmakers of all experience levels.
Festival Director Susan Provan is calling for the best in comedy created for screens big and small, noting that it’s been two decades since the festival last ran a short film competition.
Past editions have launched some of Australia’s most celebrated storytellers, and with digital content more popular and accessible than ever, Funny Shorts aims to boost the next generation of comedy filmmakers and content creators.
Funny Shorts – Melbourne International Comedy Festival
- Submissions open: 18 December 2025
- Submissions close: 11.59pm, 20 February 2026
- Screening: First weekend of 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival at ACMI
- Prizes: $5,000 for winner, $1,000 for Audience Favourite
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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Designed to recognise excellence in screen comedy, Funny Shorts welcomes original, short-form, laugh-inducing work from first-timers and seasoned pros alike. If it’s funny, it’s in the running. A panel of leading comedy and film industry professionals will select a shortlist of films to screen at a special event at ACMI during the first weekend of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. One winner will take home a $5,000 cash prize, while the Audience Favourite scores $1,000, thanks to inaugural partner .au.
ACMI Director and CEO Seb Chan says Funny Shorts celebrates the inventive spirit of short filmmaking and fresh comedic voices. As the national museum of screen culture, ACMI is backing these emerging creators and their smart, surprising and silly storytelling. The format may be short, but the laughs will be long.
Funny Shorts is part of a special events program celebrating Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s 40th birthday. Previous winners include heavyweight talents like Oscar-winner Adam Elliot (Mary & Max, Memoir of a Snail) and beloved comedian Frank Woodley (The Adventures of Lano & Woodley).
Elliot, a multi Academy Award nominee and winner, reflects on rarely being included in festivals that celebrate and recognise the art of telling a comedic story in its short form.
For more information, head here.
The Jane Barnes Band is back on the road with Jimmy and Mahalia as special guests
Lockdown projects don’t usually end up touring the country, but the Barnes family has never really done things by halves.
The Jane Barnes Band is returning to stages across five states in 2026, kicking off in Launceston on 15 January following a run of sold-out shows back in 2023. Jimmy Barnes and Mahalia Barnes will appear as special guests on all dates.
The Jane Barnes Band
- Country Club Showroom, Launceston – 15 January
- Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide – 30 January
- BREC, Bunbury – 5 February
- Twin Towns, Tweed Heads – 19 March
- Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – 8 April
Check out our gig guide here.
The Jane Barnes Band came together during the 2020 lockdowns as a family affair, initially designed to connect with folks doing it tough through isolation. Rather than leaning on the Cold Chisel catalogue or Jimmy’s solo hits, the group focused on a different kind of setlist entirely.
The band’s repertoire pulls from all over the place, spanning everything from Otis Redding and Doris Day through to Dolly Parton, John Denver, Glen Campbell, Leonard Cohen and The Beatles. What started with bedroom and lounge room sessions eventually grew into something much bigger, with guest musicians and family members jumping in along the way.
The ensemble has continued to expand since those early pandemic days, with the occasional appearance at Jimmy Barnes shows keeping things ticking over. This theatre run marks a proper return to the stage after the 2023 dates wrapped up.
The Jane Barnes Band will also be appearing at Stranded in the Whitsundays on Hayman Island from 12-17 August, sharing the bill with The Church, Mark Seymour and Mahalia Barnes + The Soulmates.
For more information, head here.
Romy Vager is stepping out solo and her first headline show of 2026 is right around the corner
After a decade fronting one of Australia’s most celebrated indie rock outfits, Romy Vager is ready to do her own thing.
Vager has announced her first headline show of 2026, a special preview of her upcoming solo album at Northcote Social Club on 23 January. The intimate gig marks the next chapter for the RVG frontwoman, giving fans their first proper look at what she’s been cooking up.
Romy Vager
- Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
- 23 January
Check out our gig guide here.
Vager debuted some of this new material while supporting Sharon Van Etten at the Forum back in November, but this Northcote show will be the first time audiences can hear the full scope of the project with a live band behind her.
As the lead singer and principal songwriter of RVG, Vager has built a reputation as one of the country’s sharpest musical minds. The band’s 2023 record Brain Worms took home the Australian Music Prize and the AIR Independent Album of the Year, while also landing a J Award nomination and feature album status across Double J, Triple R, PBS and 2SER.
Years of international touring through the US, UK and Europe have seen Vager open for heavyweights like Pixies, Billy Nomates and Kurt Vile, building a dedicated following well beyond Australian shores.
Support on the night comes from gritty alt-folk artist Milly Strange, who dropped her self-titled debut album back in August, alongside rising folk-rock outfit NoTurns.
For more information, head here.
1927, Dragon, Pseudo Echo and Loverboy: Wanstock 2026 is an 80s dream lineup
If you’ve ever air-guitared to Working for the Weekend in your car, sung Turn Me Loose at karaoke, or simply wondered why a band this massive has never toured Down Under, your moment has arrived. Wanstock 2026 is rolling into Melbourne and Sydney with a lineup that reads like a who’s who of 80s and 90s rock royalty, headlined by Canadian arena rock icons Loverboy making their long-awaited Australian debut alongside local legends 1927, Dragon, Pseudo Echo, Bachelor Girl and more.
The festival will take over Shoppingtown Hotel in Doncaster for two massive nights on 20 and 21 March, while Sydney’s Selina’s in Coogee hosts its own show on 20 March. Melbourne punters get the pick of the litter, with Friday’s lineup featuring 1927 and Dragon, while Saturday brings Loverboy alongside Pseudo Echo and Taxiride featuring Jason Singh. Sydney’s single-night affair pairs Loverboy with Choirboys and Ventura.
Wanstock 2026
- Shoppingtown Hotel, Doncaster – 20 and 21 March 2026
- Selina’s, Coogee – 20 March 2026
- Tickets on sale now from wanstock.com.au and selinas.com.au
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Loverboy finally cross the Pacific
For a band that’s shifted more than 10 million albums worldwide, won a record-setting six Juno Awards in a single night, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2009, it’s genuinely wild that Loverboy have never set foot on Australian soil. The Calgary-formed outfit emerged in 1979 when vocalist Mike Reno met guitarist Paul Dean at the Refinery Night Club, and by 1981 their second album Get Lucky had spawned the ubiquitous Working for the Weekend. That track, along with Turn Me Loose, Lovin’ Every Minute of It and Hot Girls in Love, became arena rock staples that still pack dance floors at retro nights across the globe.
The band’s success was so enormous in the early 80s that they were one of the top five grossing touring acts in the world, playing alongside Journey, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick and Def Leppard. Their self-titled 1980 debut sold four million copies worldwide, while Get Lucky moved another four million in the US alone. VH1 named Working for the Weekend one of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s, and the track has popped up everywhere from Saturday Night Live (in that legendary Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze Chippendales skit) to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Friday night belongs to 1927 and Dragon
Headlining Wanstock’s Friday night is 1927, the Melbourne-formed band whose 1988 debut …ish remains one of the highest-selling debut albums by an Australian artist. The record spent 46 weeks in the ARIA Top 50, peaking at number one for four weeks, and spawned six charting singles including That’s When I Think of You, If I Could and Compulsory Hero. The album earned five platinum certifications and won multiple ARIA Awards, cementing the band’s place in Australian rock history.
Also gracing Friday’s stage are Dragon, the New Zealand-born, Australia-adopted rock institution who’ve been cranking out hits since forming in Auckland in 1973. Led by bassist Todd Hunter (brother of the late frontman Marc Hunter), the band built their reputation on tracks like April Sun in Cuba (which hit number two in Australia in 1977), Are You Old Enough? (a number one hit in 1978) and Rain (another number two in 1983). Dragon were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2008, and their music continues to resonate across generations.
Saturday’s synth-pop meets arena rock extravaganza
Saturday’s Melbourne show pairs Loverboy with Pseudo Echo, the Melbourne synth-pop pioneers who made history as the first unsigned band to appear on Countdown in 1983. Their 1986 cover of Funky Town spent seven weeks at number one in Australia and cracked the top 10 in the US, UK, Canada and Sweden. The band racked up 15 gold and platinum certifications, won Australia’s Most Popular Band at the Countdown Awards, and remain one of the country’s most enduring acts from the new wave era.
Taxiride featuring Jason Singh round out the Melbourne bills across both nights, while Bachelor Girl, Stonetrip and Strait Shooters fill out Friday’s supporting slots. Standing Room Only and Daydreamers complete Saturday’s lineup.
Wanstock itself has grown from humble beginnings. Organiser Geoff Wansbrough started the festival as a birthday celebration a few years back, booking some favourite bands to play at his party. Inspired by the original Woodstock Music Festival and his love of the classic Australian pub rock scene of the 80s and 90s, Wansbrough launched the first Wanstock at the Burvale Hotel in 2018 before relocating to Shoppingtown Hotel in 2019.
Tickets for all Wanstock 2026 shows are on sale now.
For more information, head here.
St Kilda Locals FEAT: Braithe
Vineyard Jam
Ashton Davey
Tinderbox FEAT: Lemonade
Josh Cashman
DJ Mike Wasalsky
Jimmy Stanfield
Melbourne singer-songwriter Jimmy Stanfield will launch his debut record ‘Right Side of Time’ at the Northcote Social Club on January 10th.
Self produced by Stanfield The album features an impressive lineup of collaborators, including drummer Noah Bond (Alabama Shakes, Cut Worms, Widowspeak), keys from Phil Madeira (Taj Mahal, Lana Del Rey, Elvis Costello), horns by Joe Auckland (Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Libertines), and strings from Nick Rosen (Macy Gray). Jimmy’s brother, Brendan Stanfield, and Ben Irawan provide bass and classical guitar, rounding out the ensemble with familial warmth and intricate textures.
Sonically, Right Side of Time draws from a rich palette of influences, weaving together the lilting rhythms of bossa nova and samba—inspired by Stanfield’s grandfather playing Antônio Carlos Jobim and Bola Sete on his Technics SX-EX10L organ—with the raw energy of 60s rock ‘n’ roll from Sun Records legends like Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich, and the gritty boogie rock of Little Feat and Luther “Snake Boy” Johnson. Tired of overproduced modern music, Stanfield took a back-to-basics approach, starting each track with just his voice and a beautifully weathered Yamaha acoustic guitar (a decade-old gift from his brother, still strung with its original strings) or piano. “Writing this way gave me more clarity and stamina,” Jimmy said, “allowing me to build each song from a stronger, more authentic foundation.
High Country Hop 2026 (Festival Day)
It’s Australia’s destination beer, food and music festival. In 2026, The High Country Hop returns to Beechworth from March 27-29, transforming the picturesque town into a full-weekend celebration of the Victorian hop harvest. The festival brings together a curated mix of fresh-hop beer, live music, and local food and drink producers, creating a one-of-a-kind regional weekender.
This year’s festival continues to evolve, highlighting the country’s best ingredients with a diverse line-up of independent brewers, winemakers, and distillers, plus a vibrant program of live music throughout the day.
Overseeing The High Country Hop for its eleventh year is Bridge Road Brewers founder and co-owner Ben Kraus.
“The Hop has grown into something bigger than great local beer,” says Kraus. “It’s about connecting people to place – to the farms, the producers, and the community that makes the High Country special. By bringing together fresh hops, incredible music and the best local makers, we’re creating a deeply immersive and uniquely regional celebration.”
Melbourne band Floodlights lead the 2026 music line-up, bringing their powerful and cathartic live show to Beechworth. They’re joined by party-starting vibe master Joey Lightbulb, garage punk upstarts Public Figures, soft rock genius Way Dynamic, Afro-boogie duo Wrong Way Up, and beloved broadcaster and selector Fee B-Squared, delivering DJ sets threaded throughout the day.
Across the weekend, food and drinks highlight the producers and flavours of North East Victoria. Guests can expect a selection of local wineries, distillers and food operators, offering a regional snapshot of the High Country’s craft and seasonal produce. Friday’s opening night party sees a Bridge Road Brewers beer garden takeover from Brunswick East’s Iegendary Middle Eastern spot, Rumi, who’ll be doing party food for festival goers.
On the beer front, the festival welcomes an enviable list of independent brewers. Alongside the brewers of the High Country Brewery Trail (Bridge Road Brewers, Bright Brewery, Crank Handle Brewing, King River Brewing, Mountain Monk, Last St Brewery and Mitta Mitta Brewing Co), the 2026 guest list includes Blackman’s Brewery, Bodriggy Brewpub, Capital Brewing Co, Philter Brewing, Rocky Ridge Brewing Co and legendary international guests Stone Brewing (San Diego, California) – pouring a mix of festival
favourites and limited fresh-hop releases.
Saturday’s main event at the Historic Precinct Reserve will be family-friendly, with activities for all ages, including the return of the popular Box Wars workshop, all-day music and a relaxed picnic-style atmosphere. The High Country Hop is presented by Bridge Road Brewers and proudly sponsored by Hop Products Australia and supported by the Victorian State Government.
Australian Open
It’s the final set. The stakes are high. Hearts are pounding harder than the serves.
Ambition collides with desire in this razor-sharp queer comedy where love, reputation and pride are all on the line. Serving scandal, smashing egos, and dripping sweat – Australian Open is the fiercest game in town.
Brought to the stage by an exceptional team of actors and creatives, Australian Open dives headfirst into the chaos of competition and the messiness of human connection. Expect volleys of biting wit, dazzling performances and plenty of sweat-soaked drama – all played out under the glare of the world’s brightest spotlight.
Playing as part of the By Theatre Works programming stream during the 2026 Midsumma Festival, don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the highly anticipated return season of this engrossing Australian work.
Theatre Works is a vibrant hub for creative expression, fostering the development and presentation of innovative and daring performances. Committed to supporting the next generation of artists and engaging audiences with powerful storytelling, the organisation is vital to Australia’s cultural landscape.
Australian Open is playing as a part of the By Theatre Works programming stream. Other By Theatre Works productions in 2026 include Robot Song, Beyond the Neck, Mara, Red Sky Morning, Lazarus, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, The Wolves, and Lord of the Flies.
Australian Open
It’s the final set. The stakes are high. Hearts are pounding harder than the serves.
Ambition collides with desire in this razor-sharp queer comedy where love, reputation and pride are all on the line. Serving scandal, smashing egos, and dripping sweat – Australian Open is the fiercest game in town.
Brought to the stage by an exceptional team of actors and creatives, Australian Open dives headfirst into the chaos of competition and the messiness of human connection. Expect volleys of biting wit, dazzling performances and plenty of sweat-soaked drama – all played out under the glare of the world’s brightest spotlight.
Playing as part of the By Theatre Works programming stream during the 2026 Midsumma Festival, don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the highly anticipated return season of this engrossing Australian work.
Theatre Works is a vibrant hub for creative expression, fostering the development and presentation of innovative and daring performances. Committed to supporting the next generation of artists and engaging audiences with powerful storytelling, the organisation is vital to Australia’s cultural landscape.
Australian Open is playing as a part of the By Theatre Works programming stream. Other By Theatre Works productions in 2026 include Robot Song, Beyond the Neck, Mara, Red Sky Morning, Lazarus, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, The Wolves, and Lord of the Flies.
Maurice Fulton + DJ JNETT: All Night Long
Maurice Fulton and DJ JNETT are teaming up for an all-night-long back-to-back set at the Night Cat on 20 December.
The pairing brings together two figures who’ve been shaping dance music for decades, both known for their ability to keep crowds moving well past any sensible bedtime.
Maurice Fulton b2b DJ JNETT
- The Night Cat, 137-141 Johnston St, Fitzroy
- 20 December
- Tickets here
Check out our gig guide here.
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If you caught DJ JNETT’s recent marathon session with Marcellus Pittman, you’ll have some idea what to expect when these two old friends get behind the decks together.
Maurice Fulton has been a fixture in the house and disco scene since the early 90s, producing under countless aliases and earning a reputation for unpredictable, genre-hopping sets that pull from everything he’s absorbed over three decades of digging through crates. The Brooklyn-based Fulton has released music under a dizzying array of aliases over the years, including Syclops, Loose Joints and Mr Burnt, while his production credits span collaborations with everyone from Mu to Teddy Douglas.
DJ JNETT, meanwhile, has become one of the most respected selectors in Melbourne’s dance music community, with a deep knowledge of soul, funk and house that makes her sets feel like guided tours through decades of dancefloor history.
The back-to-back format means neither DJ takes a break, instead trading tracks and building off each other’s selections throughout the night. It’s the kind of setup that rewards stamina and rewards those willing to stick around past midnight even more. The Night Cat’s layout, with its stage in the round, should give plenty of vantage points to watch the action unfold.
Tickets are already on sale and the organisers are warning numbers are limited. Given the calibre of the selectors involved, this one’s likely to move quickly.
For more information, head here.