Sit back, relax, and experience Melbourne at home.
There’s no doubt about it, Melbourne is a bustling city full of art and life. And a lockdown isn’t going to change that. There are still plenty of things on offer that you can see and do from the comfort of your own home. From the educational to the artistic, here are some of the top things for you to see and do in Melbourne during lockdown.
For something musical, try the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has uploaded a Lockdown Special on their YouTube channel. This hour-long special features music from Beethoven’s Second Romance and his Eroica, which the MSO describes as “a masterpiece that carries a timely message about triumph over adversity”. As these performances are pre-recorded, you won’t have to feel the stress of suppressing an ill-timed sneeze. Pop in some headphones and listen while you go about your workday, or give it your full attention in the evening. Either way, it’ll sound pretty epic.
In addition to the Lockdown Special, the MSO has an on-demand service called MSO.LIVE. It’s a membership-based platform that allows you to watch virtual concerts, special events and other musical experiences at home. As well as concerts from the MSO, they have performances from smaller Australian arts organisations, audio recordings from the ABC archives and a talks program called Ears Wide Open. Some of the content is free for you to get a taste, and the rest is paid for through the membership program. Pay-per-view is also available.
For something cinematic, try At Home.
Beloved Melbourne cinemas, the Lido, Classic and Cameo, as well as Sydney’s Ritz Cinema, have a video on demand platform called At Home. This service features a curation of films from both local and international distributors. As well as recent releases, they also have hidden gems and content that is exclusive to At Home. As these cinemas take part in festivals like the Jewish International Film Festival and Fantastic Film Festival Australia, you can also find movies from past festivals and relive some Q&A sessions. New content is released every Thursday and there are no joining fees. Simply browse through their selection and pay to rent a film.
To browse through their selection, click here.
For something wild, try the Zoo.
Head to the Zoos Victoria website for some virtual animal encounters! They have live animal cameras that are on 24/7. They range from the cute, like penguins and snow leopard cubs, to the majestic, like lions and giraffes. Now, the habitats that these animals live in are too large for one camera to capture, so the zoo has also provided info on their feeding times so that you can catch them in the action. Otherwise, you can also click backwards on the video to see what you’ve missed. You can watch about 12 hours of the most recent footage.
In addition to the live animal cams, there are also the “special guest” features. These were one-time only live streams so that you could have a glimpse at the lives of some other interesting animals, like meerkats and red pandas.
If you’re missing the feel of the zoo, you can also do virtual zoo tours to reminisce about your childhood or watch some keeper talks to learn more about animals that you’re interested in.
For the full range of options, visit the Zoos Victoria website.
For something artsy, try NGV
The National Gallery of Victoria has a variety of interactive, self-guided tours for you to experience at home. Of particular note this week is their collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. It is a part of their showcase for National Reconciliation Week, which ends on Thursday June 3.
There are plenty of other exhibitions for you to explore, such as Collecting Comme, which looks at the fashion designs of Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons fame. If you missed the Triennial 2020 last year, you can catch up through these self-guided tours, and finally understand what all your friends have been talking about.
Start your virtual tour here.
For something educational, try Museums At Home.
Museums Victoria, which cover beloved educational spaces like Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and the Immigration Museum, have a series of virtual tours for you to explore. Learn about dinosaurs, the planet and marine life from the comfort of your living room. View their series, Unboxing The Museum, as staff take you behind the scenes to unbox some of their favourite objects. There’s also a whole heap of activities to keep little ones educated and entertained.
Check it out here.