Arts and culture via Melbourne

Inspiring arts and culture
From cutting-edge architecture and blockbuster musicals to art exhibitions and popular festivals, Melbourne is a city where cultural pursuits are woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Capital culture
Visit the birthplace of Australian Modernism at Heide Museum of Modern Art, and explore the two homes of the National Gallery of Victoria; one celebrating Australian art and the other showcasing permanent and touring collections of international art. Dozens of theatrical productions are staged each week in Melbourne, ranging from mainstream musicals to experimental works and the city's museums tell the story of how Melbourne became the city it is today.

Regional treasures
Australia’s largest regional gallery, the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, houses one of our most significant collections of Australian art. Head south to the Mornington Peninsula and you can visit the sites where Dobell, Boyd, Nolan and Drysdale painted. Head to Geelong to discover the city’s historic waterfront bollards and the National Wool Museum. Eastwards you’ll find the Tarra Warra Museum of Modern Art in the Yarra Valley.

Keeping it local
Melbourne is home to thriving communities of local artists with small, artist-run galleries and open workshops. Not to be outdone, companies in the fields of theatre, ballet, classical music and opera mount a broad variety of high-quality productions across the state. 'Blood under the Southern Cross' for example, brilliantly brings the Eureka Stockade to life and is one that shouldn’t be missed.

Art, architecture, theatre, history – the likes of which you haven’t seen before – are all just a stone’s throw away.