14 things to see and do this summer

Summer in the city isn’t just about the tennis (although we do love it), it’s also about taking the time to catch up on the stellar exhibitions, concerts and events that are filling our city right now. From the dotty delight that is Yayoi Kusama to Kylie and a return season of 37, we have you covered.

EXHIBITIONS

1. Yayoi Kusama No, you’re not seeing things. The plane trees down St Kilda Road really have been wrapped in pink and white polka dots. It seems the NGV alone cannot contain the eccentric vision of Yayoi Kusama. The Japanese artist’s obsession with polka dots is well known (Kusama even affixed dots to nude humans in some of the more orgiastic pop art happenings in the 1960s) and now it has invaded the gallery’s famous waterwall and spilled outside the venue. The blockbuster exhibition pays homage to all things Kusama – the dots, yes, but also everything from juvenilia to recent work: a five-metre-high dancing pumpkin sculpture, a re-creation of the enigmatic Narcissus Garden (originally conceived for the Venice Biennale in 1966), and Kusama’s famous Infinity Mirror Rooms, beguiling environments that have drawn audiences from around the world to experience their fleeting and immersive illusions of wonderment. NGV International, until April 21.

2. The Future and Other Fictions Futuristic visions have taken over ACMI, with an exhibition devoted to how screen culture imagines what lies ahead for humanity. You won’t need to say more than “detailed costumes from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” to hook in Marvel Universe fans, but the exhibition explores futurism not just through film, but also video games, and interactive and contemporary art. Other attractions include concept art from science fiction films such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Blade Runner 2049, and the diaphanous dress (designed by Gucci’s Alessandro Michele) worn by Björk in The Gate music video. The free permanent exhibition at ACMI is always worth checking out while you’re there, and currently features an exhibit devoted to a behind-the-scenes look at Untitled Goose Game, the indie video game hit. ACMI, until April 27.

3. Antopia Budding entomologists rejoice. The Melbourne Museum is hosting an exhibition that shrinks audiences to the size of ants. Through sculpture, projections and lighting, adventurers will explore the finer points of life in a colony of the world’s most fascinating superorganism. A day in the air-conditioned splendour of Melbourne Museum can be the perfect summer outing for families. Over the month of January, the exhibition will feature the roving interactive performance Ants from Polyglot Theatre, plus a summer holiday program of engaging activities for younger audiences. Keep an eye out for the Museum Sleepover, too, where kids can spend the night with dinosaurs and see the Mufasa: The Lion King at IMAX. Melbourne Museum, until March 10.

4. Rekospective: The Art of Reko Rennie You can still catch this bold retrospective of Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie free at Fed Square. Rennie grew up in the western suburbs of Melbourne, and his path into art was unorthodox – he took inspiration from tagging, graffiti and stencilling, the street art of his youth, and worked as a journalist at The Age before dedicating himself to art full-time. Rennie is vivid and rebellious contemporary artist with an expansive sense of the sacred. This retrospective highlights a career that rejects received ideas of what First Nations should be and expands the canvas in favour of bold colours, eclectic subculture and subtext, and a dynamic engagement with the identities, culture and politics suffusing urban Aboriginal experience. NGV Ian Potter Centre, Fed Square, until January 27.

SHOWS

5. 37 Back-to-back seasons are a rarity at the Melbourne Theatre Company, but if any play deserves the honour, it is Nathan Maynard’s 37. An uplifting, big-hearted tribute to the unifying power of footy, the show wowed audiences earlier this year, and I’ve yet to meet anyone – whether they love AFL or hate it – who hasn’t raved about it. Set in a beleaguered regional football club, it follows two young Aboriginal stars who join a team, hoping to win an elusive premiership. Touching on racism in sport and the Aboriginal history of the game (which was called marngrook, and sometimes played for days), 37 is one play every Australian should see, and tickets to its return season would make a perfect gift for footy-mad family or friends. Melbourne Theatre Company, January 24 to February 22.

6. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg With renovations under way at Arts Centre Melbourne, opera has been in an unsettled state, but Melbourne Opera has been punching well above its weight since it roared out of pandemic lockdowns by staging individual operas from Wagner’s Ring Cycle (eventually staging the cycle in its entirety in Bendigo last year). Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg should continue to gladden the hearts of Wagnerites. It offers a rare chance to witness a large-scale performance at the Royal Exhibition Buildings, a suitably majestic venue for an opera framed by sweeping choral set pieces and a troubadour hero (sung by Warwick Fyfe) who enters a song contest rich in musical history and philosophy. Melbourne Opera, Royal Exhibition Building, February 16-22.

7. Truth Internationally decorated playwright Patricia Cornelius opens the Malthouse season with a new play about Julian Assange. It promises an investigation into attempts to control truth and the price of revealing it, interleaving aspects of Assange’s story (such as growing up as a hacker in Melbourne in the 1980s) with others who have leaked government secrets, including Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Expect a dramatic exploration of the individual going up against the vast powers of the state (and increasingly corporate actors) to control information, of our collective responsibility to the truth, and of the complex and sometimes conflicting truths at work in the lives of such polarising figures as Assange. Patricia Cornelius, Malthouse Theatre, February 13 to March 8.

8. And Then There Were None Ten strangers lured to a solitary island mansion. No prizes for guessing what will happen next – it is Agatha Christie we’re talking about here. The eternal queen of the murder mystery also holds the West End record for the longest running show of all time, The Mousetrap. Having toured a production of that recently, director Robyn Nevin returns with a talented cast for an adaptation of Christie’s And Then There Were None. This kind of commercial theatre can be unadventurous, and it requires a production as perfect as one of Christie’s expertly knitted plots – with stern technique, unselfish ensemble performance, and excellent timing – to pull it off. You’re in safe hands with Nevin at the helm where murder is concerned. Comedy Theatre, February 16 to March 23.

CONCERTS

9. MSO Chinese New Year Concert The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has an annual Chinese New Year concert, and it’s a fine way to usher in the Year of the Snake. Featuring renowned conductor Lü Jia and pianist Haochen Zhang, the program offers a fusion of music from Eastern and Western traditions, with Chinese composers Zhou Tian and Zhao Jiping alongside Beethoven and Strauss and Australia’s Elena Kats-Chernin. The MSO has other popular summer fare – Raiders of the Lost Ark live in concert (MCEC, January 25 to February 1) will be well attended, I’m sure – but this one’s an ideal addition to the vibrant lunar new year celebrations around Melbourne’s Chinatown every year. Hamer Hall, February 8.

10. Kylie Minogue: Tension Tour There’s nothing quite like seeing Kylie live on her home turf. If it’s anything like the other Kylie concerts I’ve seen in Melbourne, the Tension Tour will be something special. From singing budgie to global pop icon, Kylie Minogue has been more sure-footed than any pop star over her long career, embracing effortless reinvention and a musical evolution that always seems to stay one step ahead on the dance floor. Rod Laver Arena, February 20-22.

11. New Order Showing my age with this pick, but the legends of synth pop New Order are touching down in Melbourne as part of their Australian tour. Formed after the suicide of Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division, the band blazed a trail into post-punk and early electronic pop and proved hugely influential. Although tickets are pricey, this is probably your one chance to hear bangers such as Bizarre Love Triangle, Blue Monday and Temptation performed live. Sidney Myer Music Bowl, March 8.

FESTIVALS

12. Midsumma Melbourne’s festival of queer arts and culture Midsumma always strikes while the sun is hot. Major events include the Midsumma Carnival, a sprawling annual gathering of the rainbow tribes at Alexandra Gardens on January 19; Pride March through St Kilda on February 2; and a street party on the queerest corner of Fitzroy to close festivities on February 9. Performances and exhibitions can be found across Melbourne, largely at independent venues from the Abbotsford Convent to Gasworks Arts Park. The Arts Centre will bring the dark queer comedy Feeling Afraid as if Something Terrible Is Going to Happen to the main stage, but the beating heart of the festival is the indie scene. Across Melbourne, venues from the Abbotsford Convent to Gasworks Arts Park will be brimming with drag, cabaret, comedy, dance, theatre, exhibitions and more. January 19 to February 9, midsumma.org.au

13. Asia TOPA There hasn’t been an Asia TOPA since before COVID, and the triennial festival has been missed. In 2017 and 2020, the celebration of Asian performing arts also highlighted the ongoing cultural and creative dialogue between contemporary Australian performers and their peers across Asia. Previous festivals have programmed work from across the region Melburnians wouldn’t otherwise get to see. An expansive program of overseas artists in 2025 includes a VR experience from Taiwan that lets you experience dark matter, and a breathtaking contemporary Chinese cyber opera called Opera for the Dead. It will be full of fascinating performance. February 20 to March 10, asiatopa.com.au

14. St Kilda Festival This music festival by the beach at St Kilda attracts hordes every year. It’s a free, all-ages event, and a party atmosphere overtakes the suburb for most of the weekend, extending from open stages to markets and streets, beaches and parks along the St Kilda foreshore. It’s a classic Melbourne summer experience, but this is one beach party where everyone’s invited, so you’ll need to plan carefully to stay sun-safe and avoid the worst of the crush. February 15-16, stkildafestival.com.au