What's On? September 2019

September features something for everyone from fine art to fine food, footy to fashion across Melbourne and regional Victoria.

NGV Friday Nights6, 13, 20, 27 September, NGV International

Join the masses at NGV Friday Nights and discover China’s ancient terracotta warriors alongside new works by one of the world’s most exciting contemporary artists, Cai Guo-Qiang.

Indulge at the Hutong Dumpling Bar, enjoy after-hours access to Terracotta Warriors x Cai Guo-Qiang and boogie the night away Australia’s best bands and performers play live in the Great Hall. Taking to the stage this month are the Audreys, Maribelle, LÂLKA and GRAACE.

Melbourne Fringe Festival12-29 September, across Melbourne

Melbourne Fringe Festival is a celebration of cultural democracy and art for anyone.  By embracing diversity and a spirit of independence, the Fringe create a unique space for artistic self-expression linked to the life of this great city. That is why it is the most adventurous, inclusive, all-encompassing multi-art form festival in Australia. Melbourne Fringe Festival love the weird and strange, the different and queer, the misfits and the freaks. They are here to challenge perceptions and shake up the hierarchy, to be brave and unafraid, to explore the boundaries of art and to change the way you see the world.

Archibald Prize 2019From 14 September, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville

TarraWarra Museum of Art is the exclusive Victorian tour venue for the Archibald Prize 2019, Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art award. The annual portrait exhibition provides a snapshot of Australian culture, from politicians and celebrities to sporting heroes and authors. Since its inception in 1921, the prize has been awarded to some of Australia’s most important artists, often inciting controversy while chronicling the changing face of Australian society and evolving definitions of portraiture. Among the 51 works in the exhibition are paintings which portray significant Australian subjects including renowned actor David Wenham by Tessa MacKay; director of Queensland Ballet Li Cunxin by Jun Chen; Anh Do’s portrait of artist George Gittoes; Vincent Namatjira’s tribute to his friend and fellow artist Tony Albert; and media commentator Annabel Crabb by Jordan Richardson.

Australian Ballet: The Nutcracker17-28 September, Arts Centre Melbourne

There is nothing like a traditional Nutcracker to get people in the mood for the festive season and there is no traditional Nutcracker as magical as that of Peter Wright.Tchaikovsky’s last great score for ballet, with its lively motifs and bewitching melodies, draws us into the story of Clara, a young ballet student celebrating with her family on Christmas Eve. When the clock strikes twelve, we enter the realm of dream and Clara is whisked to the Land of Sweets in the arms of her Nutcracker Prince. With the holidays around the corner, there is no better way than The Nutcracker to rediscover the childlike joys of the season, or to create a family tradition.

White Night Ballarat21 September, City of Ballarat

White Night will return to the regional city of Ballarat for a third consecutive year on Saturday 21 September, from 7:00pm to 2:00am. Local, interstate and international artists, musicians and performers will weave a spell over the city in a celebration of art, culture and creativity. Under the artistic direction of David Atkins OAM, White Night Ballarat invites visitors and locals to make their journey around Ballarat’s iconic buildings, cultural institutions and streets, in celebration of reclaiming and reimagining the city through projection, installations, performance and music.

AFL Grand Final 28 September, Melbourne Cricket Ground

If the Melbourne Cup is the race that stops the nation, the AFL Grand Final is the match that stops Melbourne. The culmination of the Australian rules football season, the AFL Grand Final pits the two best teams against each other to decide the premier of 2019. Melbourne comes to life with activity across a long weekend of celebration, with pubs across the city and its neighbourhoods the best place to live like a local and enjoy the action live and loud.

Come From AwayNOW SHOWING, Comedy Theatre

Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of thousands of stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland, Canada that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. Do not miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony and Grammy nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by this year’s Tony winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley with musical staging by Tony nominee Kelly Devine. On 11 September, the world stopped. On 12 September, their stories moved us all.

Balenciaga: Shaping FashionNOW SHOWING, Bendigo Art Gallery

Cristóbal Balenciaga was one of the most innovative and influential fashion designers of the 20th century. His exquisite craftsmanship and pioneering use of fabrics revolutionised the female silhouette, setting the scene for modern design. Revered by his contemporaries, including Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, Balenciaga was referred to as ‘The Master’. This exhibition explores the work and legacy of this renowned couturier, showcasing more than 100 garments and hats crafted by Balenciaga from the 1950s and 1960s – arguably the most creative period of his career – through to the work of his protégés and contemporary designers. Alongside iconic garments are archive sketches, patterns, photographs, fabric samples and catwalk footage, providing a unique insight into Balenciaga's salons and workrooms. The results of new, forensic investigations into the garments – including a collaboration with X-ray artist Nick Veasey and a digital pattern making project with the London College of Fashion – reveal the hidden details and processes which made Balenciaga's work so exceptional.

Ballarat International Foto BiennaleNOW SHOWING, Ballarat Art Gallery

The Foto Biennale returns, shifting its focus to photographers who present the world in unconventional ways and in unpredictable circumstances. Featuring the work of some of the biggest international names in photography, the program delves deep into photographic explorations of human behaviour and human intervention, traversing the terrain of ecology, rights, race, capital and conflict. Headlining will be an exhibition of work by photographer and social activist, Liu Bolin titled Camouflage, alongside a mid-career retrospective of key photographic works by revered Indigenous Australian artist, Dr. Fiona Foley.