What's On November

Melbourne Fringe Festival

12 – 29 November

Melbourne Fringe Festival, 2020 has been is built on a foundation of boundary pushing, that’s highlighted how resilient, innovative and adaptable artists are. This is a festival with art online, in homes, on the streets of Melbourne, delivered to letterboxes, in a bath, via a call to a hotline, in the rain, in a virtual gallery with 3D furniture and more. Melbourne Fringe Festival 2020 is a celebration of the tenacity and spirit of artists, of our community’s need for connection and creativity, and of Melbourne’s extraordinary resilience. Get ready for 18 days of non-stop art with 250+ events that turns an impossible situation on its head.

MPavillion 12 November – 5 April

MPavilion 2020 kicks off with an exciting season of free events happening across a series of sites, both physical and online. Including talks and panels, workshops, performances, installations and kid-friendly experiences. The November program is entirely online, while December to March will be delivered both online and in COVID-safe locations. The virtual opening night will include a performance by Ngoogar violist Aaron Wyatt of a specially commissioned piece by Deborah Cheetham AO, the first BLAKitecture event of the 2020 season, and a video message from MPavilion founder Naomi Milgrom AC, past MPavilion architects.

International Rose Garden Festival14 - 15 November

The 2020 International Rose Garden Festival will be held both virtually around the world and in person for locals. The virtual event will be broadcast live on 14th and 15th November featuring interactive talks, workshops, and children’s entertainment where guests will be able to engage with the presenters, post questions, take part in polls and live chats from the comfort of their homes. The AGL light installation will run over two nights for locals to explore (subject to restrictions) and will showcase the top half of the rose garden. Entry to the virtual event is free and the first 100 Australian residents to register for the virtual festival will receive a festival show bag.

Urban Blooms14 - 27 November

Spring into the city for a flower encounter like no other. Rediscover iconic landmarks, laneways and boulevards in full bloom, as Melbourne’s florists stage a spectacular take over. Rendezvous under the botanic archway adorning Flinders Street Station, or stroll among the garlands of kaleidoscopic colours along Evan Walker Bridge. Dazzling displays burst forth from shopfronts, windows and facades in a feast for the senses. Follow a themed trail of large-scale horticultural handiwork from Arts Centre Melbourne to the North Melbourne Post Office, Lygon Street to Hosier Lane and a dozen blossoming locations in between.

Melbourne Fashion Festival23 – 29 November

This year has seen the industry re-set, adjust and adapt how to support local designers and retailers all while highlighting a love for fashion. M/FW ’20 is a new celebration of the physical and digital new worlds of fashion. Online shows will feature collections exclusively from Melbourne’s top designers, talks with industry experts unpack timely topics for guests to discover and celebrate Melbourne’s fashion scene.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV AustraliaFrom 23 November

Art lovers can rejoice with the opening of several new exhibitions at NGA Australia. Opening 23 November, Ivan Durrant: Barrier Draw traces the evolution of Durrant's diverse artistic career. Including early folk paintings, realist paintings, short films and sculptures of the 1970s and 80s. In addition, Durrant has produced a new larger-than-life sculpture to astonish visitors to the exhibition. Celebrate the unique art and culture of the Tiwi people of Melville and Bathurst Islands and explore the dynamic trajectory of Tiwi art across time and across media, from 1911 to now at the new exhibition, TIWI. Discover Destiny Deacon, one of Australia’s boldest and most acclaimed contemporary artists in the exhibition DESTINY. It’s the largest exhibition of the artist’s retrospective work to date marks the first solo show in over 15 years. Federation Square, Flinders St &, Russell St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000.

Virtual Perfume Masterclass 25 November 2020

Learn the art of perfumery from the comfort of your home with Samantha Taylor from The Powder Room in Melbourne. The Powder Room is a boutique consultancy educating people about the art of perfume through Perfume Master Classes which have gone virtual due to covid. Guests to the virtual masterclass will learn of the origin of perfume, perfume throughout history, perfumers training and will be able to experience rare raw materials, the building blocks of perfume. As part of the class guests will be able to create their own fragrance using the Olfactorium and will keep a small bottle of their creation.

NGVWA Virtual Garden Day26 November

The NGVWA are holding their first Virtual Garden Day offering a unique online guided tour of artists’ and collectors’ private gardens, with exclusive insights into their art and collections. Guest will hear from garden owners, including artist Bill Henson, discuss their favourite plants and most treasured spots in the garden. In another first, several gardens featured are in regional Victoria offering the chance to see much larger scale planting and design ideas. The much-anticipated NGVWA produce stall will this year move to Minimax in Malvern Road, Hawksburn. A wide selection of preserves and chutneys will be available to purchase from 15 November until sold out.

Rutherglen In the City – Re-Imagined28 November, 10:30am - 6:30pm

Following three extremely successful years of bringing regional Rutherglen wines to notable city hubs, Rutherglen in the City is back again for 2020, albeit re-imagined. Winemakers of 16 Rutherglen Cellar Doors will host virtual events via Zoom on Saturday the 28th of November from 10:30am - 6:30pm. Participants can attend winery masterclasses throughout the day, all from the comfort of their own home. The online event will also include live tastings, wine chats and the opportunity to ask questions to some of the region’s most renowned winemakers.

VisitorsUntil 28 November

From the company behind immersive soundscape experience Flight, Darkfield has created an at-home show, Visitors, to turn your home into a haunted house. Visitors is a 20-minute, immersive audio encounter for two people to experience together in their living room in their home. Participants will turn out the lights and close their eyes while the soundscape and their imagination takes them on a wild journey.