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Splash around at Melbourne’s Hot Tub Cinemas

Movies, Mojitos and hot tubs! Sound like a good time? Then you’ll want to put Hot Tub Cinemas into your calendars. Already a favourite in London and New York, it’s finally Melbourne’s turn this April.

Setting up at The Common Man, in South Wharf, Hot Tub Cinema will run for 6 weeks and will show all your old time cinema favourites (including Labyrinth, Ghostbusters, 21 Jump Street to name a few). There’ll be 10 portable inflatable spas to choose from and of course a waiter/waitress serving Mojitos and Martinis to you in your 40 degree hot tub!

If you’re all about the #squadgoals then you can hire out the whole tub with a hot tub bling/vip ticket for you and your 5 friends or make some new friends and book a wet ticket, and share the hot tub with others. For those who are not sure about getting into the tub there’s always a dry ticket – chair seating with no hot tub access.

Bikini season isn’t over yet – see you there!

When: April 21 – May 29

Where: The Common Man, South Wharf

Visit the website here.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing list here to stay in the loop.

MARCS Laneway Festival

Published by We Know Melbourne

Summer is almost over for another year, but in typical Melbourne style, Melbourne has a few festivals on this week to close out the season with a bang.

This Sunday, the MARCS (Melbourne Art Restaurant Cocktail Sound) Laneway Festival will be taking over ACDC Lane and Duckboard Place to celebrate the essence of ‘what is’ Melbourne’s culture and lifestyle. There’ll be free children’s activities, hawker food stalls, bars, amazing street artists, cocktails, local and International street artists, DJ’s, local Melbourne bands, poker tournaments plus much more.

When: 12pm- 7pm, Sunday 28 Feb

Where: ACDC Lane

Visit the website here.

Opera in the Market

Published by We Know Melbourne

For one memorable night, the historic Queen Victoria Market will be transformed into a theatre like no other – the famous fruit and veg stalls will make way for front stalls as Opera in the Market takes centre stage. You’ll enjoy all the drama and spectacle of some of the world’s favourite operas as you sample fine wines and wonderful food from a selection of Melbourne’s famous food vans.

When: Gates open at 5.30pm. Concert begins at 7.45pm, Monday, 22 Feb

Where: Queen Vic Markets

Visit the website here.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing list here to stay in the loop.

Moth StorySLAM

Published by We Know Melbourne

If you’ve jumped onto the podcast wagon like the We Know Melbourne team have, then you’ll want to bookmark The Moth, an acclaimed not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide and since August last year, Melbourne now has it’s very own monthly StorySLAM.

Launching different themes each month (previous themes have included love hurts, strange encounters, payback and celebration), The Moth have opened up the Melbourne stages to all storytellers near and afar. Presented as on open-mic theme, the story-tellers will get the chance to get intimate with the audience sharing their deepest, emotional, spellbinding tales.

“Each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience.”

The next Melbourne StorySlam is on March 7 and the theme is Lost. Think about a time you were lost; physically, physiologically, spiritually – when you looked around and nothing was familiar. When you were off course or led astray, map-less or unmappable, up a creek or otherwise unable to see the light. When all was lost, how were you found? We can’t wait to hear what you come up with!

When: Monthly (7 Mar – Lost; 4 Apr – Jokers; 2 May – Kin; 6 Jun – Borders)

Where: Howler, 7-11 Dawson St, Brunswick

Visit the website here (or for Melbourne updates here)

We Know Melbourne exclusive: Win a double pass to the March 7, StorySlam at Howler Bar. To enter, fill out your details below. This competition is now closed.

Melbourne Tomato Festival

Published by We Know Melbourne

This weekend, The Melbourne Tomato Festival will take over the Edendale Community Farm in Eltham to celebrate ‘National Italian Day’.

On the back of a sell-out event in its inaugural year, The Melbourne Tomato Festival 2016 will be a gathering of local farmers selling produce, speakers, agriculturalists, cooking demonstrations, Italian food, artisan producers, special guests, history, workshops, entertainment and of course, the main event passata making!

When: Sunday, 21 Feb 10am – 4pm.

Where: Edendale Community Farm, Eltham

Visit the website here.

The Dress Collective Runway

Published by We Know Melbourne

On February 13, 2016, The Dress Collective will merge the digital world with the tangible, presenting an interactive runway to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute, a not-for-profit organisation and world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Featuring 100% Australian made and independent fashion, The Dress Collective Runway will present our exclusive range of emerging and established designers including:
Sophia Martin, Chip The Teacup, Kabel Apparel, Vincent Li, Cameron and James, Harlow, That Dapper Chap, Orocéo Castro, AlcieMay Designs + more!

The Dress Collective Runway is an official event of the 2016 Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival Offsite Runway Series.

When: Saturday February 13, 2016

Where: 524 Flinders Street

Visit the website here.

Transitions Film Festival

Published by We Know Melbourne

Transitions Film Festival returns to Cinema Nova next Friday and if you’re a documentary buff you’ll love this year’s program. With films covering an enormous spectrum of controversial and empowering topics including, activist grandmas, global tax avoidance, the history of climate change, and so much more, this year’s Transitions Film Festival places a strong emphasis on ideas and impact.

To kick off the program there will be a pre-festival outdoor screening at City Square in partnership with The New Joneses, and Federation Square in partnership with Pause Fest, before the opening night screening of Catching The Sun at Cinema Nova on the 18th of February.

Film highlights include Overburden, a film about the need to transition away from coal, HipHoperation, which sees a charismatic group of eighty plus year olds compete in an international hip hop tournament, and 10 Billion What’s on your Plate, which explores the revolutions needed in the food system to feed a growing planet.

Catch a film during the two week program and find out what it means to be human.

When: 18th Feb – 3rd March

Where: Cinema Nova, Melbourne

Visit the website here.

An Interview with Brigadier David Allfrey

Published by We Know Melbourne

Melbourne is abuzz with the excitement of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. In its 65-year history, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has only ever left its Scottish homeland three times touring to New Zealand in 2000 and Sydney in 2005 and 2010. Now it’s Melbourne’s turn. The show is set to take over Etihad stadium for five shows where 1,200 musicians and dancers from ten regiments in the UK plus bands from Switzerland, Norway, Tonga, Fiji and all across Australia (and even as far flung as the Shetland Islands) will perform in front of a packed out stadium.

This morning, the We Know Melbourne team were invited to have breakfast wtih the Producer & Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Brigadier David Allfrey MBE. Talking to Brigadier David, it was easy to see why he had such a passion for bringing The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to Melbourne. A charming and engaging storyteller, Brigadier David recalled the history of the Tattoo up to it’s present day.

The very first Tattoo was held in 195o, after the depression of the second world war and since then more than 14 million have attended the Tattoo. Consistently selling out for the last 17 years, the annual audience is around 220 000 people (and an annual television audience of 100 million), and it’s not just the Scottish who get excited about the show. People from all around the globe attend the Tattoo with a show normally consisting of a 30-37% international audience.

Brigadier David then went on to talk about the mass appeal of the Tattoo from tourism and culture, through to trade investment, defence and foreign affairs. As Producer & Chief Executive, the show has taken him to many countries across the globe including one of his favourite trips to Mongolia four years ago (because why wouldn’t you want to go find Genghin Khan?!) where he had to negotiate and convince the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Mongolia to lend the Tattoo the Mongolian Army Band (which he succeeded in).

So what can we expect from the shows this weekend?

Brigadier David says, “mass, remarkable technology and sound.. and plenty of pipes and drums.” Expect to be blown away by the enormity of the show, taking 3 years to make, there’ll be a full size replica of Edinburgh Castle (which took 20 trucks to freight in), 40 tonnes of lighting and the Massed Pipes and Drums of Scotland’s famous Regiments. Also the audience will also be able to see and hear the Australian Defence Force showing off their pipes and drums for the very first time. With 37% of the audience travelling interstate or even internationally and the show consistenly selling more tickets than any other rock concert (including U2, AC/DC and even One Direction), “this will be an event Melbourne will remember for a lifetime.”

When: Sunday 14 February – 1pm (NEW SHOW);
Friday 12 February – 7pm;
Saturday 13 February – 1pm;
Saturday 13 February – 7pm
and Sunday 14 February – 7pm

Where: Etihad Stadium

Visit the website here.

The Beat of Brunswick St

Published by We Know Melbourne

A brand new event is about to hit the streets of Fitzroy. This February, The Beat of Brunswick St will see over 55+ bars, cafes, established music venues and stores on Brunswick St and immediate surrounds filled with live music and DJs spinning the beats.

The BEAT OF BRUNSWICK STREET is supported by the City of Yarra and encourages everyone to visit Brunswick Street on the day to experience what is on offer.

Stay tuned for more details.

When: 1pm – 1am, Sat, February 27

Where: Brunswick St

Visit the website here.

Booze and Eats at Fat Tuesday New Orleans Festival

Published by We Know Melbourne

In New Orleans, a “Fat Tuesday” celebration is a day where everyone in the state will come together to celebrate the last day of the Carnival season! Coming together with floats, masks and good food and drinks, it’s the perfect chance to celebrate before the fasting period of Lent begins.

Last night, Po’ Boy Quarter and Ding Dong Lounge partnered together to give Melbourne a taste of a typical New Orleans Fat Tuesday celebration. Set up in Argyle Square, Carlton, (which in our opinion is a much underused outdoor space) the festivities kicked off early at 4pm. With the afternoon sun beating down, crowds flocked to the sidelines for a bit of shade and to save their dancing feet for later in the evening.

Food trucks to choose from included BlueBonnet BBQ, Gumbo Kitchen, Po’ Boy Quarter and Girl with the Gris Gris, serving up delicious cuisine including Louisiana Gumbo, Po’ Boys, Texas BBQ, Tacos and more. We got to chatting the man behind the Gumbo at Gumbo Kitchen learning the ins and outs of making the stew that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century, and of course we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try their delicious gumbo fries (a first for us)! Topped with cheese and gumbo, this dish is was cooked to perfection and had us craving seconds.

RocKwiz Supremo Brian Nankervis was the MC of the night, delighted the crowd between the trombones and tubas of Horns of Leroy, the songs of The Always for Pleasure Allstars with Kerri Simpson and the tunes of The Gumbo Blues Band which got the hips shaking and feet tapping in what felt like a true Carnival celebration.

And in case you were wondering who won Melbourne’s first King and Queen of Mardi Gras, the festival’s Wonderwoman awarded the prize to the Velvet woman in black, and the young boy who was the biggest Richmond fan.