Have you heard of the
Melbourne Festival? I hadn't and wondered if we'd been blessed with another great Melbourne event. Upon further investigation, I discovered this simple, but catchy name now officially refers to the Melbourne International Arts Festival, which has been a stellar Melbourne attraction since it launched as Spoleto Melbourne Festival of the Three Worlds in 1986, so named because it linked in with sister festivals in Spoleto (Italy) and the USA.
Semantics aside, this is a fab festival offering a sensory extravaganza comprising a multitude of fresh, exciting events and performances from October 8th to the 23rd. Held at various locations in and around Melbourne, including the
Arts Centre, the cultural hub of Melbourne, the festival inspires and uplifts through a series of moving indoor and outdoor performances by national and international artists and companies.
And, you know what else? Many of them are
free, so there's no excuse for not getting out, about and involved. It is spring, after all, a time of energy and inspiration.
Events in the jam-packed
program include breathtaking Australian and international dance, theatre, music, opera, film, visual arts, multimedia, discussions, and Australian and international premiers.
You can search the online program by date or by genre, or download the
whole program.
I suggest you hop to it, as some of the more popular events might sell out. It's a wonderful time of year for enjoying one of the world's best multi-arts festivals – right on our very doorstep.
