Discover Melbourne

Melbourne caters to everyone, be you a shopaholic, footy fanatic, foodie or culture buff. The buzzing laneway cafés and trendy bars are scattered through a city of elegant Victorian-era streetscapes and Manhattan-style skyscrapers.
Whether you prefer sport, galleries or opulent theatres, Melbourne has an activity and attraction that will interest you.

What you may not know about Melbourne…

• Batmania, Bearbrass, Bearport, Bareheep, Barehurp and Bareberp were initially bandied around as names for Melbourne.
• Thanks to the discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851, Melbourne has the best collection of Victorian architecture in Australia, largely due to profits pouring into the city.
• Melbourne was Australia’s political capital from 1901 until the completion of Canberra in 1927, and the Royal Exhibition Building in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton was in fact home to Australia’s first parliament.
• The population of metropolitan Melbourne is approximately 3.4 million and per capita, Melbourne has the highest concentration of Greek people of any city outside Greece.
• The city also has a large Vietnamese community – after Smith, the most common name in the Melbourne telephone directory is Nguyen.

STAGE & ART

Scratch the surface in Melbourne and you'll discover a city buzzing with dynamic, cutting-edge arts and cultural organisations, but Melbourne is also home to edgy design as well as internationally recognised artists.

Dozens of theatrical productions are staged each week in Melbourne, ranging from mainstream musicals at the beautifully restored Her Majesty's Theatre to local experimental works at the Arts Centre or Malthouse.


'Jersey Boys'
Broadway’s multi award-winning smash hit musical Jersey Boys: The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, is currently rocking the Princess Theatre, Melbourne. Jersey Boys is the story of how four boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. The famous Four Seasons quartet: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi wrote their own songs, invented their own sound and sold 175 million records worldwide, all before they were thirty! Jersey Boys is the winner of four Tony Awards® and a Grammy Award and features 20 hit songs including “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. So don’t miss your chance to see the show that “moves like a joyride in a stolen Cadillac!”

SHOPPING & ENTERTAINMENT

Melbourne's historic laneways and arcades have spring fashion all stitched up. You’ll find home grown designers, cutting edge boutiques and the season's best dressed trends in stylish Howey Place, fashionable Flinders Lane, the elegant Block Arcade.


Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is the hub of Melbourne's best waterside shopping and entertainment with bars, restaurants, markets, performance spaces, luxury hotels and cinemas.


Melbourne’s hidden Laneways & Arcades
Melbourne is renowned for its local designers and distinctive shopping precincts, all conveniently located within easy reach of one another. You'll find Melbourne's original retail vision in the city's laneways and historic arcades, where you can discover boutiques and specialist stores, meet the makers, and absorb the atmosphere of these buzzing shopping hubs.

Once the shopping is done slip into one of Melbourne’s hidden laneway bars. Single, unassuming doorways open into sumptuous and often spacious interiors. Some are designer cool, while others are miscellaneous mixes of carefully chosen shabby chic, and every one is worth the search!

SIGHTS

Eureka Skydeck 88 and The Edge
Nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the awe inspiring views from the world's tallest residential building, Melbourne's Eureka Tower. Skydeck 88 is Melbourne’s new “must see” attraction with two dedicated lifts shooting visitors to Level 88 in under 40 seconds.  Go to “The Edge” as you step out onto the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere and hold your breathe as a glass cube slides out from the building – with you inside!

Southgate / Crown Promenade
Located on the banks of the Yarra River with beautiful views of the city skyline, Southgate is the hub of Melbourne’s cosmopolitan arts and leisure precinct.  The Southbank promenade including the Southgate and Crown Casino is one of Melbourne's most popular shopping precincts. So take some time while you’re in town to wander the Promenade and discover 40 unique stores, over 4 levels and Melbourne’s favourite riverside restaurants, cafes and bars.

MORE MELBOURNE!

To find out more, head to visitvictoria.com for current events, a guide to Victoria’s wine and spa regions plus route planners for every holidaymaker.