Calendar of Events 2010

Tourism Victoria 1 January 2010

Calendar of Events 2010

January

Twilights at Melbourne Zoo, 16 January - March 2010
From mid January, enjoy one of Melbourne's best-loved summer events, Twilights at Melbourne Zoo. The popular twilight festival features great entertainment including big bands, rock, jazz, tribute bands, swing ensembles and show bands, weekends from 6.30pm until 9.30pm. www.zoo.org.au

Midsumma Festival, Melbourne, 17 January - 7 February
Midsumma is Victoria's premier gay and lesbian arts and cultural festival, showcasing the finest queer performing arts, visual arts, cabaret, spoken word, film, forums, food and wine and family events. Presented over five municipalities and in more than 60 different venues across Melbourne and Victoria. www.midsumma.org.au

Australian Open Tennis Championships, Melbourne, 18 - 31 January
Summer, January and Melbourne add up to tennis at the Australian Open. Renowned internationally as the people's grand slam, this event provides two weeks of colour, movement, frivolity and world class tennis action at the spectacular Melbourne Park precinct.
www.australianopen.com

Australia Day Celebrations, Melbourne, 26 January
Join in the many, mainly free, activities across Melbourne to celebrate Australia Day. The formal flag raising will start at 10.30 am, outside Melbourne Town Hall, followed by the People's March. Vintage cars and activities will fill the Kings Domain and the Waterfront City Stage will offer a range of family and multicultural entertainment. www.australiaday.vic.gov.au

February

KFC Twenty20 International, 5 February, and Commonwealth Bank One Day International Series, MCG, 7 and 19 February
The KFC Twenty20 International against Pakistan is followed two days later by the opening Commonwealth Bank Series match against the West Indies. Fans can get behind their team at the iconic MCG.www.ticketek.com.au or www.cricket.com.au/travel

St Kilda Festival, St Kilda Foreshore, 6 - 14 February
This year the St Kilda Festival presents nine days of entertainment. The festival culminates with Festival Day on Sunday 14 February when more than 50 bands perform. www.stkildafestival.com.au

Grampians Jazz Festival, Halls Gap, 12 - 14 February
Musicians and lovers of jazz are invited to Halls Gap in the Grampians, for the annual Grampians Jazz Festival. The town's streets will ring to the sounds of saxophones, trombones, banjos and trumpets when a record number of bands perform over the long weekend.
For more information: www.grampiansjazzfestival.com.au

Sustainable Living Festival, Melbourne, 12 -14 February
Come to Federation Square and be part of the annual Sustainable Living Festival. There will be a huge range of information and inspiration to improve your lifestyle and the health of our planet. The festival will feature a dynamic range of displays, exhibits, artworks, performances and demonstrations to inspire a sustainable culture. www.slf.org.au/festival

Summer Fun in the City, Melbourne, until 14 February
Melbourne is the place to be this summer with the City of Melbourne hosting its annual Summer Fun in the City program jam-packed with 12 fun and exciting interactive events. Best of all - it's free! Staple summer favourites include the highflying Aerial Antics, the Sunset Concerts with groovy melodic sounds and the popular Mr Sandman built from golden sands and erected in the Docklands. www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

Echuca-Moama Riverboats, Jazz, Food and Wine Festival, 19 - 21 February
Celebrate jazz and blues, contemporary food styles and great Aussie music beside the mighty Murray River, during Echuca-Moama's Riverboats Jazz, Food and Wine Festival. Highlights of the three-day festival include the Riverboat Ramble - with jazz musicians on board paddle steamers, a jazz concert and a jazz picnic. For more information: www.echucamoama.com/jazz

Bruthen Blues and Arts Festival, Gippsland, 19 - 21 February
For one weekend in February the sleepy village of Bruthen's 640 inhabitants wake to the sound of rockin' rhythm and blues at the Bruthen Blues and Arts Festival. There are stalls, music in the street, workshops, garage sales and music at the Bruthen Inn Hotel. Bruthen overlooks the Tambo River 300 kilometres east of Melbourne. For more information: www.vicnet.au/bruthen/blues

Otway Odyssey Mountain Bike Marathon and Forest Festival, 20 February
This event involves a 100, 50 or 15 kilometre mountain bike race through the Otways, some of the toughest terrain in Victoria. Organisers expect between 2000 and 4000 people. Starting at the ocean in Apollo Bay, competitors will ride into the mountains through rainforest, around lakes and across rivers and along forest trails. For more information: call (03) 5261 2489 or 0408 035 261 go to www.otwayodyssey.com

Movie Extra Tropfest 2009, Myer Music Bowl Melbourne, 21 February
Movie Extra Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival and features 16 final films. This year the festival includes Trop-Junior short films, made for and by kids, to be screened in the afternoon. The films will be beamed live via satellite from Sydney's Domain to festival sites in Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Hobart and Brisbane. For more information: visit www.tropfest.com.au

The Suzuki Night Market, Queen Victoria Market, until 24 February
Enjoy a memorable evening at the Queen Victoria Market on Wednesday nights (except Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve) from 5.30pm - 10.30pm. The night market showcases cuisine from around the world accompanied by wines from regional Victoria. www.qvm.com.au

Sidney Myer Free Concerts, Melbourne, 17, 20, 24, 27 February
The annual Sidney Myer Free Concerts series is one of the highlights of Melbourne in summer. Presented by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra the concerts feature glorious music and talented Australian and international artists. Gates at the Myer Music Bowl open at 4pm and the shows start at 7pm. www.mso.com.au

2010 Yamaha Superbike World Championship, Phillip Island, 26 - 28 February
Phillip Island's Grand Prix Circuit stages Victoria's prestigious and challenging Yamaha World Superbike Championship. The Superbike World Championship provides the best competition racing in the world, while bringing together the seven major motorcycle manufacturers, production bike technology and high-profile international riders. www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

The Age Harvest Picnic at Hanging Rock, near Mount Macedon, 28 February
More than 100 small food and wine producers from around Victoria gather to promote, sell and showcase their delicious array of goods against the magnificent backdrop of Hanging Rock. Taste exotic barbecue flavours, magnificent regional wines, unusual cheeses, fine preserves, full flavoured ice cream and a great variety of delicious small goods. For more information: call (03) 9521 8844 or go to www.harvestpicnic.com.au

March

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, 12 - 23 March 2010
This March Melbourne and Victoria will burst with hundreds of flavoursome food and wine events. Lovers of all things food and wine can choose a long lunch, extravagant dinner, wine tasting or casual bite, among many more tempting events on the menu. Novice and discerning bon viveur alike, learn the secrets of top chefs and winemakers from around the world at MasterClass. The largest of its kind, each year the Festival attracts experts from the globe over, including celebrity chefs and famed winemakers, growers, purveyors, authors, commentators and critics who present alongside Australia's best.

L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, Docklands, 14 - 21 March
Held annually at Docklands, the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival heralds the launch of Australia's autumn/winter collections to the public, the fashion industry and the media. The festival includes runway shows, business forums, performances, art exhibitions, film screenings, retail events and, of course, plenty of glamorous parties. For more information: www.Imff.com.au

Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 24 March to 18 April
This coming March looks totally foolish with the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival rolling from the 24 March until 18 of April - the greatest comedy caper in the Southern Hemisphere. For more information: call 03 9417 7711/1300 660 5540 or visit www.comedyfestival.com.au

Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne, 25 - 28 March
The Albert Park track in the heart of Melbourne will echo to the sound of thunder as Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and maybe even Michael Schumacher battle for victory. With awesome support races including the Aussie V8 series this is an event not to be missed. The FORMULA 1^TM ING Australian Grand Prix brings together the country's premier motor sport event with a world-class entertainment offering, all set in the country's most stylish city.

Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach, Great Ocean Road, 30 March - 10 April
Sports action takes to the water when the Rip Curl Pro kicks off at Bells Beach on the Great Ocean Road. Regarded as Australia's longest running professional surfing event, the Rip Curl Pro is the place to see the world's top surfers complete for honour and glory.
For details: www.surfingaustralia.com

April

Cubism & Australian Art, Heide Museum of Modern Art, until 8 April
See more than 200 works by 80 artists from the 1920s to the present day in this major exhibition. Exclusive to Heide, the exhibition explores the influence of Cubism on Australian art and its ongoing relevance to artists today. For more information: visit www.heide.com.au

May

Australasian Quilt Convention & Expo, 29 April - 2 May
The Royal Exhibition Building hosts the four-day Australasian Quilt Convention & Expo, where visitors can browse and buy intricate textile art from over 75 exhibitors. There is a daily programme of free seminars on quilting techniques like appliqué or candlewicking. http://www.aqc.com.au/

June

Good Food & Wine, Melbourne, 4 - 6 June
Held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, this event features an unprecedented celebrity chef line-up, organic and speciality produce and thoroughly stocked pavilions of wine. The show provides three days of culinary heaven before the whole edible edifice moves on to Sydney, Perth and (later in the year) Brisbane. http://www.goodfoodshow.com.au/

National Celtic Festival, Portarlington, 11 - 14 June
Australia's largest celebration of Celtic culture takes place in Portarlington, on Victoria's beautiful Bellarine Peninsula. Music, dance, poetry arts and crafts are all on the menu.The festival's opening ceremony usually begins with a church service and dignified lantern procession. The rest of the weekend can be spent browsing the traditional Celtic goods at the undercover markets, learning to play instruments at a workshop or dancing at lively Ceilidhs. http://www.nationalcelticfestival.com/
Winter Wine Weekend, Mornington Peninsula Vineyards, 12 - 14 June
The Mornington Peninsula wineries embrace winter with hearty local food, music, special events and the latest release of premium cool, climate wines during the annual Winter Wine Weekend. The menu includes the tasting of more than 150 local wines and popular seminars hosted by local winemakers. http://www.mpva.com.au/

July

Melbourne International Film Festival, 23 July - 8 August
The Melbourne International Film Festival brings high-profile premières and lively parties to central city venues. Australian cinema is featured heavily in the screening programme and the international section is also impressive, representing around 50 countries.The festival screens around 350 features, shorts and documentaries every year, under many different categories. http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/

August

Chocolate Rush Festival, 14 - 15 August
A celebration of chocolate, Chocolate Rush provides a weekend of pure indulgence and includes a variety of hands-on chocolate workshops, tasting classes and live entertainment. This year the Festival is expanding its market, bringing more international chocolatiers to demonstrate and creating an even greater variety of classes. www.chocolaterush.com.au

Taste of Melbourne, 26 - 29 Aug
The city's top restaurants serve sample-sized plates of their signature dishes, which visitors can enjoy whilst sipping a glass of regional wine. Visitors can learn more about beer and wine in masterclasses, or simply enjoy socialising whilst listening to the festival's live music. http://www.tastefestivals.com.au/australia/

Melbourne Writers Festival, 27 August - 5 September
One of UNESCO's only two Cities of Literature (the other one is Edinburgh), Melbourne will host its annual Writers Festival from 27 August - 5 September 2010. The passion for books and ideas is brought to life with 300 events including author readings, in-depth discussions with authors, panels, master classes, idea forums and debate. www.mwf.com.au

September

Melbourne Fringe, 22 September - 10 October
Melbourne Fringe Festival is one of the largest independent arts festivals in the world. Featuring more than 4,000 artists, nearly 300 events and over 170 venues every year, it celebrates the most cutting edge art in the city, presenting an astonishing range, from circus to visual arts, cabaret to dance, and theatre to comedy. www.melbournefringe.com.au

October

Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, 15 - 17 October
A three-day festival of speed and entertainment, every October the picturesque Phillip Island becomes the setting for some of the most fierce and close battles in motorbike racing. This year the circuit celebrates its 20th anniversary since it first hosted the international version of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. www.motogp.com.au

Melbourne International Arts Festival, 8 - 23 October
Renowned as Australia's cultural capital, Melbourne has embraced this Festival with such passion that it is now the country's greatest annual arts festival. From theatre and dance to visual arts, opera and music, the Festival has consistently delivered since 1986 a programme of top international and Australian performers to enthusiastic audiences. http://www.melbournefestival.com/

November

The Melbourne Cup TBC
Billed as ‘the race that stops a nation' -and a public holiday for Melburnians- the Melbourne Cup is the richest and most prestigious two-mile handicap in the world, attracting more than 100,000 every year. The prestigious Fashions on the Field, in search of the most stylishly dressed women in Australia, draws as much attention as the race itself. www.melbournecup.com

Queenscliff Music Festival, 26 - 28 November
If great music, stunning views and fantastic food is your thing then the Queenscliff Music Festival is a must. Known for its friendly and chilled out vibe, Queenscliff is much loved for its depth and diversity of musical talent as well as its picturesque seaside setting between the shores of Swan and Port Phillip Bays close to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road, just over an hour's drive from Melbourne. Offering the very best of original contemporary music in Australia, as well as a sumptuous local food and wine Queenscliff is a truly unforgettable experience. www.qmf.net.au

December

Falls Festival, 29 December - 1 January 2011
The Falls Festival is a live music and camping event held around New Year's Eve at the Falls Festival Farm in the Otway rainforest. An Australian institution, with over 50 acts, it entices worldwide visitors to embark on an annual pilgrimage of summertime partying. www.fallsfestival.com.au
Pyramid Rock Festival, Phillip Island, 29 December - 1 January
The Pyramid Rock Festival will be held over the New Year's weekend and will feature top national and international musical acts performing rock, hip hop, blues and roots, dance and electronic music. www.thepyramidrockfestival.com

Melbourne City's New Year's Eve Party, 31 December
Join the city's largest free New Year's Eve party. Enjoy free entertainment including DJs, live bands, performers, family fun and children's entertainment at various locations. The highlight of the night will be the fireworks display that will bring the city to life and welcome the New Year with a big bang. www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

For more information on Melbourne and Victoria visit www.visitmelbourne.com/uk

- ENDs -

For media enquiries contact Amy Skelding, Lucy Pennington, Debbie Hindle askelding@bgb.co.uk / lpennington@bgb.co.uk / dhindle@bgb.co.uk 0207 9022990

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