February—the shortest month.
It might only be 28 days long and the last month of summer, but February is still a whole heap of fun. So, make the most of the daylight and the warm weather before the colder months come calling. (Featured image: cafuego)
1. Follow the Me and UooUoo Art Trail
The Me and UooUoo Art Trail is on display from 20 January to 21 March, giving intrepid city explorers two months to be able to track down every single UooUoo. Afterward, the UooUoos will go to auction in order to raise more funds and awareness of the amazing work that the RCH does.
2. Control the weather at Rain Room
Now in its second Melbourne run, Rain Room continues to draw people to experience the torrential rain like feeling. The experience is fully immersive and engages all of your senses; however, at the same time, you are protected from getting wet thanks to the motion sensors used to detect your whereabouts.
3. Hit up the QVM on a Wednesday for Food Truck Stop
Taking place every Wednesday in February (that’s four Wednesdays) from 5pm to 10pm, this all-star line-up of food trucks will be parked up alongside the Queen Vic Market near The Beer Garden so you can grab a bite and then grab a drink.
4. Go for a relaxing geothermal spa and movie night
The outdoor, bathe-in cinema experience will take place every Friday in February with a very special Sunday session for Valentine’s Day. Peninsula Hot Springs is also giving away a bathe-in cinema package for two that includes a delicious amphitheatre hamper. (If you don’t win, you can still treat yourself to a delicious hamper.)
5. Sail the High Seas
The Westin Melbourne is bringing back their very special high tea collab, High Seas, with Four Pillar’s Gin and, obviously, we’re excited because we love seafood and we love gin. And putting them together is a match made in heaven.
The High Seas ($89) high tea at The Westin Melbourne sets sail from February 5 and will continue through until Sunday, April 4 from 11am onwards in the Lobby Lounge.
6. Pair whisky and cheese at Eau de Vie
On Tuesday nights, guests will be treated to five whiskies matched masterfully to five kinds of cheese. What the pairings will be, we’re not sure but in the past pairings have included Aberlour 12 year old with French Delice, Glenmorangie Bacalta with gruyere, Bruichladdich Classic Laddie with D’Auvergne blue, even an Auchentoshan Three Wood with French raclette. Eau de Vie is not messing around.
7. See gigs with Melbourne Music Week Extended
When it comes to music, Melbourne is where it’s at. We’re one of the live music capitals of the world putting on something like 62,000 concerts and gigs annually. It’s no surprise then that Melbourne Music Week got Extended—no way we were going to miss out on shows because of a pandemic.
MMW Extended runs through to the end of February and has recently released the latest bands that will be performing across the city. There’s Happy Mondays at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, gigs at Max Watts, The Curtin and the Melbourne Recital Centre among so many others. For the full February line-up of shows, see here.
8. Immerse yourself in the process of Becoming You: An Incomplete Guide
We all know that growing up is confusing and difficult. But, what was it like for others? At Melbourne’s Immigration Museum, an immersive exhibition titled Becoming You: An Incomplete Guide seeks to tell 71 Australian coming of age stories that will have you feeling all the feels through light, sound, visual and interactive art. Well worth a visit and time to ponder the question: does the process of becoming an adult ever end?
9. Explore Photo 2021
Kicking off on 18 February, Photo 2021 arrives a year late but we’re not complaining since the inaugural event will see more than 40 galleries and cultural institutions hosting exhibitions as well as several public spaces being turned into outdoor art galleries themselves, including the 500 metres of hoarding that surround the Metro Tunnel sites. The theme for Photo 2021 is ‘The Truth’.
10. Go see the Triennial at the NGV
This year’s Triennial has been constructed with four themes in mind — Illumination, Reflection, Conservation, and Speculation — and intends to offer a thought-provoking look at the world in its current state in addition to contributing to the global discourse regarding our future.
11. Or go along for the party with Extra
Triennial Extra will run all the way through January until February 14 and will see the gallery stay open till 9pm with DJs spinning tunes as visitors bounce around the various pop-up bars and restaurants.
12. Treat yourself to a bottomless meat and cheese board
For $25 per head, you can gorge on the boards filled to the brim with selections of cheese, Prager ham, liverwurst, pretzels, gherkins, sauces and more for up to 90 minutes. Finish the boards off in under 90 minutes and they’ll be topped up for you again, and again, and again.
13. Catch a flick with Moonlight Cinemas
February kicks off on Tuesday the second with the first of the Spielberg series movies, Jurassic Park, which will be followed by E.T. and Back to the Future later on in the month. Not to be totally outdone by January’s advanced movie screenings, February has got three more in-store with screenings of Wild Mountain Thyme, Love, Weddings and Other Disasters, and Blackbird.
On Friday 5 February and Saturday 20 February, Wonder Woman 1984 will take to the screen. And to celebrate Moulin Rouge! The Musical hitting Australian shores later this year, Moulin Rouge is getting a showing as well.
14. Become part of the art at this immersive art gallery
Australia’s first immersive, trick-art gallery has been covered with over 1000 litres of paint by fifteen artists who have spent 800 hours to produce 80 artworks. The end result is a journey through 1400 square metres where visitors can interact with the art and capture the spectacular illusions created with just the right perspective.
15. Catch some of Melbourne’s finest DJs doing their thing
Melbourne’s Recital Centre has teamed up with Crown Ruler to put on shows every Thursday and Saturday up until March 27 showcasing some of Melbourne’s best DJs like DJ JNETT, College of Knowledge, Miss Goldie, DJ Yangos, Elle Shimada, dj pgz, DJ Jimmy James, Sophie McAlister and Gallery B.
16. And for the days or nights you want to stay at home, there’s always Netflix
On the off chance you’ve burned through all the movies, shows and documentaries on your Netflix to-watch list, the streaming giant has got us covered come February, which is great if Melbourne decides to become a furnace and all we want is aircon.