Week of Mon 14 - Sun 20 Sep 2026 · updated Saturday 19 September 2026
102 things worth doing, tracked this week.
Local history
Preston -- home to this week's Victorian Chess Championship round and VRDL bouts -- got its name almost by accident. Edward Wood opened a store at the corner of High and Wood Streets in 1850 to serve local farmers and gold-rush travellers; when it became the area's first post office in 1856, it was named Preston after a village in Sussex. The area just south of Wood's store kept its own separate identity as "Gowerville" into the 1880s, before the two blurred into the one suburb people now know.
Stellar Nights — Melbourne Observatory Guided Tour
Weekly Monday guided telescope tour of the heritage 1863 observatory, weather permitting -- current season runs 10 Aug-30 Nov 2026. South of the river, but a standing seasonal fixture worth the trip.
WhenMon 31 Aug (weekly, to 30 Nov), 7.30pm
WhereMelbourne Observatory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Birdwood Ave, South Yarra
Price$45 adult / $25 child
Getting thereAbout 30-40 minutes: tram 86 to the CBD then tram 8, or drive.
Small-group guided walk around the Ornamental Lake spotting coots, cormorants, spinebills and swans, with a take-home bird guide. South of the river, but genuinely well-run nature programming.
WhenWed 2 Sep (weekly through to 25 Nov), 9.45am, 1.5 hours
WhereRoyal Botanic Gardens Melbourne — meet at the Visitor Centre, Birdwood Ave, South Yarra
Price$20 adult / $18 concession / $15 child
Getting thereAbout 30–40 minutes: tram 86 to the CBD, then tram 8 to the Gardens, or drive.
Untutored drop-in session with a model — turn up, draw, no critique circle. All materials supplied; bring your own easel if you have one. Runs weekly to the end of the year.
Adults-only after-hours museum opening — curated talks, behind-the-scenes tours and a live DJ, with after-hours access to the Rome exhibition this month. A standing monthly social format worth returning to, not a one-off.
WhenThu 3 Sep (first Thursday, monthly), evening, until 9pm
Semi-contact bike polo on a hardcourt — genuinely niche and unpretentious, spectators can just turn up. Standing Friday pattern, not individually confirmed for this date.
WhenFri 4 Sep (most Fridays), 7pm
WhereFlagstaff Gardens, Melbourne CBD
PriceFree to watch, casual to join
Getting thereAbout 20–25 minutes by tram to the CBD.
Album launch with support from Seren O and Come Heavy Sleep, at the DIY warehouse bandroom on High St Thornbury — found on the standing High St strip sweep.
WhenFri 4 Sep, Doors 8pm
WhereCactus Room, 614 High St, Thornbury
PriceCheck ticket link
Getting thereAbout 10 minutes by bike or car from Northcote, or tram 86 then a short walk.
Victoria's premier title continues — ten-player round robin Premier Division and a Swiss-format Reserves Division, at Melbourne's historic chess club. CORRECTED 28 Aug 2026: Round 1 was 22 Aug; Round 2 is Sat 5 Sep, then weekly (12, 19, 26 Sep, 3, 10, 17, 24 Oct) — there was no round on 29 Aug.
Getting thereTram 86 to the city end of High St, then a short walk — about 25 minutes.
The published price is a player's competition entry fee (9 rounds), not a spectator ticket — whether you can walk in and watch for free wasn't confirmed. Check before turning up just to watch.
Guided bus field trip visiting five sites along Merri Creek, Moonee Ponds Creek and the Maribyrnong River, led by Monash and Melbourne Uni academics on urban waterway health, flooding, pollution and climate resilience.
WhenSat 5 Sep, 9.30am, guided bus tour
WhereDeparts/returns RSV Hall, 8 La Trobe St, Melbourne CBD
Price$25
Getting thereTram 86 to the CBD, about 30 minutes.
Darebin's own multiarts festival — live music, performance, installations, workshops and film across Darebin venues, eight signature programs plus 19 FUSE Funded and open-access events.
When5–13 Sep, See the full program
WhereVenues across Darebin, Northcote
PriceVaries
Getting thereMostly walkable/short-ride from Northcote.
Five-band local lineup (Loose Tooth / Techno 666 / Bizarrgo / Kosmetika / Banksy) at the DIY warehouse bandroom on the High St strip — free entry, small-venue experimental/DIY music.
WhenSat 5 Sep, Doors 1pm — free entry
WhereCactus Room, 614 High St, Thornbury
PriceFree entry
Getting thereWalk or a short ride up High St from Northcote.
Doom/goth bill (The Black Heart Death Cult / Buried Feather / Spawn) with visuals by Electric Light Brigade — same night and venue as the free DIY On High show earlier that afternoon, if you want to make an evening of it.
WhenSat 5 Sep, Doors 8pm
WhereCactus Room, 614 High St, Thornbury
PriceCheck the venue for door price
Getting thereWalk or a short ride up High St from Northcote.
50+ stallholders -- upcycled fashion, records, stick-and-poke tattoos, jewellery, baked goods -- in the Collingwood Yards courtyard, plus a bar and Hope Street Radio broadcasting live. Now confirmed as a genuine monthly (third Saturday) fixture directly via the venue's own page, resolving last week's CHECK FIRST flag.
Chogh چوغ, and three more — Bundoora Homestead Art Centre
Chogh brings together six Australian-Hazara artists on migration, identity and belonging; alongside Heidi Schoenheimer's everyday-suburb paintings, Requiem in Power's memorial to trees felled for a solar farm, and Sally Ann McIntyre's extinct-huia soundwork continuing from last month.
WhenOpen now, newly opened 24 Aug, Wed–Fri 11am–4pm · Sat 10am–4pm
WhereBundoora Homestead Art Centre, 7 Prospect Hill Dr, Bundoora
PriceFree
Getting thereTram 86 to stop 63 then 550m on foot — about 40 minutes door to door.
Group show by Banyule's community of open-studio artists in the library's own gallery, previewing who's opening their doors at October's full Open Studios weekend (10–11 Oct).
WhenOpen now, to Sun 13 Sep, Library hours
WhereLoft 275 Gallery, Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub, 275 Upper Heidelberg Rd, Ivanhoe
PriceFree
Getting thereAbout 20 minutes by car, or train to Ivanhoe (Hurstbridge line) then a short walk.
Cactus Room: Queer Punk Disco Tech — Grand Final Afterparty
Queer-specific club night at the DIY warehouse bandroom, timed as the AFL Grand Final afterparty — local DJs and performers (James Seedy, Ding Ding Ding, Erica Carrot Collision Hole, Bradd Edwards) rather than a generic pub crawl.
WhenSat 26 Sep, Doors 8pm
WhereCactus Room, 614 High St, Thornbury
PriceCheck the venue for door price
Getting thereWalk or a short ride up High St from Northcote.
Darebin's own multiarts festival returns 5–13 Sep with eight signature Darebin-curated programs plus 19 FUSE Funded and open-access events. Check the full program closer to the date for anything else that clears the bar.
When9–19 Sep, opening 10 Sep, Check FUSE program for session times
WhereNorthcote Town Hall Arts Centre, 189 High St, Northcote
PriceNot yet published
Getting thereWalk, or five minutes up High St.
Session times and price not yet published — check the FUSE program closer to the date.
Leyla Stevens turns from her usual moving-image work to sculpture, drawing and prints, built from material details of her family's temple in Kuta, south Bali.
WhenOpen now, to 17 Oct, Tue–Sat 11am–5pm
WhereGertrude Contemporary, 21-31 High St, Preston South
PriceFree
Getting there10 minutes by car, or about 20 minutes by bike from Northcote.
Early Impressions: Painters of the Heidelberg School
National Gallery of Australia paintings by Streeton, Southern, Buvelot, Conder and Roberts, on long-term loan and hand-picked for scenes of Heidelberg — the Heidelberg School brought back to Heidelberg.
WhenOpened 26 Aug, long-term loan, Library hours
WhereLoft 275 Gallery, Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub, 275 Upper Heidelberg Rd, Ivanhoe
PriceFree
Getting thereAbout 20 minutes by car, or train to Ivanhoe then a short walk.
Sources disagree on the closing date (one says Jan 2027, another Aug 2027) — treat as long-running and check before a late visit.
5-hour hands-on black & white film development and darkroom printing class — no experience needed. A standing offering worth returning to; a $35/week membership is also available for graduates.
WhenRuns most weekends — next date not confirmed, Typically 10am–3pm
WhereBrunswick Darkroom, 91 Nicholson St, Brunswick East
Price$250
Getting thereTram 19 up Sydney Rd then a short walk, or about 20 minutes by bike from Northcote.
No publicly browsable booking calendar found this run — confirm the next open date directly with the venue before planning around it.
John Woo's 4K-restored heroic-bloodshed classic, starring Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung -- one of the most influential Hong Kong action films ever made, on the big screen for one night only.
WhenWednesday 9 September, 7.30pm–10pm
WhereChinatown Cinema, Midcity Centre, Level 1/200 Bourke St, Melbourne
Price$14 members / $16 students / $18 adults
Getting thereTram or train into the CBD; about 20 minutes from Northcote via the 86 tram to the city then a short walk.
Vee Shi's veríté-style hybrid documentary about an ageing patriarch's stroke and the family left to care for him, back for a special screening with a director Q&A after selling out at MIFF 2026.
Sarah Mary Chadwick — well-regarded Melbourne singer-songwriter and pianist — with composer/musician James Rushford, at the DIY warehouse bandroom on High St Thornbury.
WhenFri 11 Sep, Doors 8pm
WhereCactus Room, 614 High St, Thornbury
PriceCheck the venue for door price
Getting thereAbout 10 minutes by bike or car from Northcote, or tram 86 then a short walk.
Door price not confirmed — check Oztix link before going.
Queer-run tabletop RPG social — D&D, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Big Gay Orcs and more, materials provided. A standing social/games-club format rather than a one-off spectator event.
Now Now plays a recurring slot at The Jazzlab (also seen Aug and Oct 2026) -- act name suggests an improvising/experimental outfit but full personnel and genre weren't confirmed this run.
WhenTue 8 Sep, Check Jazzlab site for door/show time
WhereThe Jazzlab, 27 Leslie St, Brunswick East
PriceCheck Jazzlab site for ticket price
Getting thereAbout 20 minutes by tram 19 from Northcote, or a 15-minute ride.
Act name and genre not independently confirmed beyond the venue's own listing -- kind classified as JAZZ based on the venue's usual programming, not confirmed for this specific act.
A Spanner in the Works — Alice Anderson (1897–1926)
Marks the centenary of Alice Anderson -- Australia's pioneering woman motor mechanic, entrepreneur and inventor who ran an all-female garage in Kew. Found on the standing Kew/Boroondara sweep.
WhenWed 16 Sep – Tue 27 Oct, Check Kew Court House for gallery hours
WhereKew Court House, 188 High St, Kew
PriceFree
Getting thereAbout 30 minutes by car, or tram 48 then a short walk from Northcote.
Kew Court House Live: Henry Wagons — monthly series
Musician and ABC presenter Henry Wagons hosts a monthly series of exceptional artists at the Kew Court House -- small-room format, not a big-venue show.
WhenThu 10 Sep, 7.30pm
WhereKew Court House, 188 High St, Kew
PriceCheck Boroondara Arts for ticket price
Getting thereAbout 30 minutes by car, or tram 48 then a short walk from Northcote.
Cult monthly residency with an ever-changing line-up each time — a standing gig worth building a habit around rather than a one-off ticket. Lineup for this date not yet published.
WhenSat 26 Sep (monthly), doors 7.30pm, show 8pm
WhereThe Jazzlab, 27 Leslie St, Brunswick East
Price$40–$45
Getting thereAbout 20 minutes by car or bike from Northcote.
Ten days of jazz, improvisation and boundary-pushing contemporary music across the city — direct hit for Mark's jazz interest, though venue/session program not yet checked in detail.
Live tribute night celebrating the music of Sade, on the standing Kew Court House Live small-room series -- a tribute act rather than an original artist, but genuine small-venue live music on the Kew search priority.
WhenFri 11 Sep, 7.30pm
WhereKew Court House, 188 High St, Kew
PriceCheck Boroondara Arts for ticket price
Getting thereAbout 30 minutes by car, or tram 48 then a short walk from Northcote.
Group show marking this small artist-run/cooperative gallery's third birthday -- genuine gap on Mark's High St strip, not previously in sources.md. Small, community, non-touristy exactly as the brief wants.
Ganbu Gulin: Burndap, neto! — FUSE Festival Opening
Festival-opening celebration of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creativity, with a live set from neo-soul artist MO'JU and Melbourne band Liv & The Dream, plus Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and Wurundjeri dance performances. Family activities run alongside, but the music and cultural program are the reason to go.
WhenSat 5 Sep, 1pm–4pm
WhereDarebin Arts Centre & Ray Bramham Gardens, 401 Bell St, Preston
PriceFree
Getting thereAbout 15 minutes by car or bus 903 from Northcote.
Free community festival opening — family activities run alongside the MO'JU set; the draw for a couple is the music and Wurundjeri cultural program, not the family program.
Naarm post-punk/synth-wave artist Simona Castricum plays a rare, intimate set in Triple R's own performance space to mark the release of her fifth album Villain, which maps queer relationships across utopian and dystopian urban landscapes — a genuinely underground, non-touristy gig from a defining voice in Melbourne's independent music scene.
WhenFri 4 Sep, 7pm-8pm
WhereTriple R Performance Space, 221 Nicholson St, East Brunswick
PriceFree (subscriber giveaway entry)
Getting thereAbout 15 minutes by car or bus from Northcote.
Entry is via Triple R's Subscriber Giveaways (open now) — you need to be a subscriber, or First Nations, to attend. Tune in on 102.7FM/app if you miss out on a ticket.
A standing drop-in drawing meetup for shy, introverted or socially anxious artists — bring any materials, sit and draw alongside 2,600+ members with zero pressure to socialise. Runs twice this week (also Saturday at Balam Balam Place) and most weeks year-round — exactly the kind of recurring, low-key group worth building a habit around.
WhenWed 2 Sep (weekly), 12pm
WhereO3Space, 268 Barkly St, Brunswick
PriceFree (O3Space requires a free app membership to enter)
Getting thereAbout 15 minutes by car or bike from Northcote.
Free RSVP on Meetup; described by organisers as a group for shy/introverted artists of any skill level — genuinely welcoming, no pressure to talk.
Same standing drawing meetup as Wednesday, this time outdoors on the grass at Balam Balam Place with a weekly set theme — picnic blanket or chair, any medium, all skill levels, genuinely low-pressure.
WhenSat 5 Sep (weekly), 11am
WhereBalam Balam Place, 15 Phoenix St, Brunswick
PriceFree
Getting thereAbout 15 minutes by car or bike from Northcote.
Free RSVP on Meetup; outdoors on the grass (moves to Brunswick Library if wet). Same shy/introvert-friendly group as Wednesday's O3Space session.
Live set from Triveni Quartet at this small neighbourhood bar on the High St strip, opened by a musician specifically to showcase local jazz/soul talent — exactly the kind of small-venue live music this page exists to surface.
WhenWed 2 Sep, 8pm-10pm
WhereJacket Bar, 719 High St, Thornbury
PriceNot stated — likely free entry
Getting thereEasy walk or short ride up High St from Northcote.
No separate events page — details come from Jacket's Instagram, which doesn't state a cover charge; small bar live sets here are typically free entry, but check on the night.
Xanthe brings her ‘silky smooth’ soul/songwriter sound to Jacket Bar — a small High St bar built specifically to showcase local talent, not a generic pub gig.
WhenThu 3 Sep (every Thursday in Sep), 8pm-10pm
WhereJacket Bar, 719 High St, Thornbury
PriceNot stated — likely free entry
Getting thereEasy walk or short ride up High St from Northcote.
No cover charge stated. Xanthe is now a standing Thursday-night fixture here through September, so if this week doesn't suit, she's back next Thursday too.
Project Orpheu closes out the week with a low-key Sunday evening set at Jacket Bar, the small High St bar built around local live talent rather than background music.
WhenSun 6 Sep, 7pm-9pm
WhereJacket Bar, 719 High St, Thornbury
PriceNot stated — likely free entry
Getting thereEasy walk or short ride up High St from Northcote.
No cover charge stated — check Jacket's Instagram closer to the night.
Northcote Social Club's standing free Monday series 'Social Sanctuary' gets a Darebin FUSE Festival takeover this week, with sets from Alice Skye, Tiana Khasi and Inanna Indigo — three notable First Nations/POC songwriters, free entry, on the High St strip.
WhenMon 7 Sep, 7pm
WhereNorthcote Social Club, 301 High St, Northcote
PriceFree entry
Getting thereWalk or short ride up High St from central Northcote.
Blak & Bright Writers Festival — EVERY:WHEN (full program)
Melbourne's First Nations writers festival returns with its 2026 theme EVERY:WHEN, centring First Nations understandings of time. Panels and conversations on censorship, sovereignty, queerness and storytelling with Evelyn Araluen, Melissa Lucashenko, Chelsea Watego, Tony Armstrong and others across four days at the Wheeler Centre.
WhenThu 3 – Sun 6 Sep, Sessions throughout the day
WhereThe Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne CBD
PriceVaries by session — many free, some ticketed
Getting thereTram to the city (any inner-north route via High St/Elizabeth St), ~25–35 min.
Women of Boroondara — History behind the Hedges walking tour
A guided walking tour tracing the trailblazing women who shaped Boroondara — mechanic Alice Anderson, artist AME Bale and others — from the cemetery to Town Hall Gallery. Genuine local heritage storytelling, not a tourist-trail tour.
WhenSelected Fri/Sat, 11 Sep – 17 Oct, 10am–12pm
WhereBoroondara General Cemetery, 430 High St, Kew
Price$60 ($40 ages 13–17)
Getting thereTram/bus to Kew via Studley Park Rd, or drive — about 20–25 minutes from Northcote.
Free lunchtime pop-up concert series in the gallery — this week Con Kalamaras brings Rebetika (the Greek Blues) on bouzouki. A genuine social-connection format: drop-in, all ages, in among the art.
WhenWed 16 Sep, 1–2pm
WhereHawthorn Arts Centre, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
PriceFree
Getting thereTram 109 or drive via Johnston St/Studley Park Rd, about 20 minutes from Northcote.
The Gallery Series: Erica Bramham — double bass & vocals
Melbourne composer/vocalist/double bassist Erica Bramham (Music Victoria Awards nominee) works between song, soundscape and improvisation, looped and folded through electronics — free lunchtime concert in the gallery.
WhenWed 23 Sep, 1–2pm
WhereHawthorn Arts Centre, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
PriceFree
Getting thereTram 109 or drive via Johnston St/Studley Park Rd, about 20 minutes from Northcote.
Stellar Nights — Melbourne Observatory Guided Tour
Weekly guided tour through two of the Observatory's historic telescopes, with a chance to use a telescope yourself on the viewing lawn, led by ASV guides. Standing Monday series through to 30 Nov.
She Shapes History: The Women of the Abbotsford Convent
A 2-hour walking tour told through the women and girls institutionalised at the Convent's laundries -- unpaid labour, discipline, resistance. Not a sanitised heritage tour; addresses the site's history of sexism and institutionalisation directly.
WhenSat & Sun (weekly), 2pm
WhereAbbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
Price$60
Getting there~15-20 min drive from Northcote, or bus/tram plus a walk from Victoria Park station.
A self-guided sound walk across the Convent grounds by Japanese sound artist Akio Suzuki (Documenta, British Museum) with dancer Hiromi Miyakita -- a map-and-journal kit for slow, deliberate listening to the site. Genuinely unusual, not a typical activation.
WhenAny day (self-guided), Daylight hours, 45-60 min
WhereAbbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
Price$5
Getting there~15-20 min drive from Northcote, or bus/tram plus a walk from Victoria Park station.
Kit is collected from the Convent office, Mon-Fri 9am-4pm only -- confirm opening hours before visiting on a weekend.
Debut solo exhibition by Gumbaynggirr artist and muralist Aretha Brown (KISS MY ART Collective, National Indigenous Art Triennial) -- an explicitly queer, Blak, unsentimental exploration of love and romance. Opening night 25 Sep has live sets from Nate Lust, Milika and Caution.
When26 Sep - 4 Oct, 10am-6pm daily
WhereMagdalen Laundry, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
Price$19
Getting there~15-20 min drive from Northcote, or bus/tram plus a walk from Victoria Park station.
Contains nudity and mature themes, per the organiser's own note.
Naarm artist collective Platform Presents' open-format birthday show -- 35+ artists across painting, textiles, new media, photography, sculpture and performance in six gallery spaces plus the courtyard. A distinctive one-off rather than a themed group show.
WhenSat 10 Oct (opening) & Sun 11 Oct (low-sensory day), 2-8pm / 12-5pm
WhereThe Store, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
Price$20+bf opening, donation Sunday
Getting there~15-20 min drive from Northcote, or bus/tram plus a walk from Victoria Park station.
Cheap, high-calibre solo recitals by Australian National Academy of Music's graduating musicians -- intimate single-instrument programs (cello, trumpet, bassoon, tuba) in a heritage auditorium.
When7-23 Sep (multiple sessions), 11am / 1.30pm / 3.30pm on scheduled days
WhereRosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
Price$10 per recital
Getting there~15-20 min drive from Northcote, or bus/tram plus a walk from Victoria Park station.
Long-running (since 2012) Sunday board and card game meetup at a Thornbury pub -- Euro-style strategy games like Power Grid and Lords of Waterdeep alongside gateway and party games. Exactly the kind of standing group you can go back to and start recognising faces.
WhenSelected Sundays, 12pm
WhereThe Croxton (Croxton Park Hotel), 407 High St, Thornbury
PriceFree to join
Getting thereWalkable or a short ride from Northcote.
Runs on selected Sundays, not every week -- confirm the next date on the group's page before turning up.
Queer Histories, Queer Futures -- self-guided audio walk
A 14-episode geolocated audio walk through Brunswick and Coburg's queer history -- Pentridge Prison, drag at Brunswick pubs, a beat murder at Clifton Park, Queer Nation activism, tram depot organising. Serious and specific, not generic Pride content.
WhenAny day (self-guided), Flexible, ~90 min
WhereStarts near Brunswick Library, cnr Dawson St & Sydney Rd, Brunswick
PriceFree
Getting there~15 min drive from Northcote, or train to Brunswick station.
Award-winning illustrator and journalist Sam Wallman (comics on workers' rights and border detention) on turning archival research into comics, ahead of his book All Out: Pink Bans and Blue Collars.
WhenThu 24 Sep, Evening (check site)
WhereVictorian Archives Centre, 99 Shiel St, North Melbourne
PriceCheck site
Getting there~20-25 min drive from Northcote, or train to North Melbourne station.
Exact time and price weren't confirmed directly on PROV's page this run -- check before booking.
A 90-minute facilitated life and architectural drawing class under the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building, led by Florence Academy-trained artist Richard Payne. Bring your own materials or use what's supplied.
A repertory season spanning four decades of Japanese anime centring female protagonists -- 4K screenings of Princess Mononoke and Angel's Egg, plus Millennium Actress, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Belle and Suzume.
Yorta Yorta song-woman, bassist and producer Allara performs a reflective sound-and-storytelling piece on cultural reclamation and intergenerational healing, presented by Liquid Architecture.
WhenSun 6 Sep, 6.30-9.30pm
WhereAunty Alma Thorpe's Gathering Place, Preston
PriceCheck Humanitix
Getting there~10 min drive from Northcote, or bus 566.
Ticket price wasn't shown on the listing fetched this run -- check Humanitix before booking. Exact street address for the venue wasn't confirmed, so it isn't mapped.
Architecture of Transition -- a talk by Marina Tabassum
Internationally renowned Bangladeshi architect and Aga Khan Award winner Marina Tabassum gives her first Melbourne public lecture, on displacement, climate migration and her 'architecture of transition' philosophy.
WhenTue 8 Sep, 6.45-7.45pm
WhereGlyn Davis Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville
PriceCheck Eventbrite
Getting there~20 min drive from Northcote, or tram 19.
Price/free status wasn't confirmed on the Eventbrite link this run.
Quarterly citizen-science bird survey along Merri Creek -- a standing program worth returning to. Exact meeting point wasn't resolvable from the listing this run.
WhenSun 13 Sep, 8.45-10.30am
WhereAlong Merri Creek (meeting point via link), Merri-bek/Darebin
PriceFree (assumed)
Getting thereVaries by meeting point along the Merri Creek corridor -- check the link.
Meeting point and booking details need confirming via the source link before the day.
A panel of authors from Science Victoria magazine's Materials Revolution edition on next-gen materials science -- plastics recycling, carbon capture, solar and quantum materials. Note: RSV Hall is stair-only, no lift.
WhenTue 15 Sep, 6pm
WhereRSV Hall, 8 La Trobe St, Melbourne
PriceCheck Humanitix
Getting there~20-25 min drive from Northcote, or train to Melbourne Central.
Ticket price wasn't shown on the RSV page this run -- check the Humanitix link.
Two of Australia's leading bushfire scientists (Trent Penman, Uni Melbourne; Phil Zylstra, Curtin) debate Australia's fire future, moderated by ABC RN's Gregg Borschmann.
WhenMon 21 Sep, 6.05-7.30pm (doors 6pm)
WhereRoyal Society of Victoria, 8 La Trobe St, Melbourne
PriceCheck Humanitix
Getting there~20-25 min drive from Northcote, or train to Melbourne Central.
Ticket price wasn't shown on the RSV page this run -- check the Humanitix link.
Zdeněk Liška, Composer and Co-Auteur Extraordinaire
A new Cinémathèque season on the prolific Czech film composer Zdeněk Liška -- his experimental electronic scores for animation and sci-fi -- presented with the Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia, closing with the 2017 documentary Music by Zdeněk Liška.
VRDL-hosted open skate and roller disco -- games, food, prizes, music, gear hire included. A general community skate night adults clearly attend on their own terms, not a kids program, despite an under-16 price tier.
After-dark late opening of NGV's Cartier exhibition with a rotating live-music residency curated by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra musicians from 11 Sep -- opens with 'Diamonds for the Diva', a Melbourne Opera performance honouring Dame Nellie Melba, one of Cartier's original clients. South of the river, included as an exceptional case.
WhenFridays from 11 Sep to 2 Oct, 6-10pm
WhereNGV International, 180 St Kilda Rd, Southbank
Price$41-50
Getting there~30 min drive from Northcote, or train to Flinders St then tram.
20,000+ new and used records from Melbourne's vinyl dealers, DJs spinning on vinyl all day, food and drink stalls -- a specific one-day event, not a generic craft market.
WhenSat 12 Sep, 9am–4pm
WhereD Shed, Queen Victoria Market, Queen St, Melbourne CBD
PriceFree
Getting thereAbout 20-25 min: tram 86 to the CBD then a short walk, or drive.
A no-pressure daytime 'rave' for readers: a community book swap, free tea and coffee, beanbags and a curated playlist for reading, writing or drawing. Part of Fed Square's RESET festival -- a genuinely odd, specific format rather than generic library programming.
WhenSun 13 Sep, 10am–2pm
WhereAtrium, Fed Square, Swanston St & Flinders St, Melbourne CBD
PriceFree
Getting thereTram or train to Flinders St Station, or drive.
Panel discussions on plastic, data centres and upcycled fashion, a live zero-waste cooking challenge, a Repair Cafe, Mending Circle and clothes/book swaps -- substantive sustainability programming, not just a stallholder market.
WhenSat 12 Sep, 12pm–7.30pm
WhereThe Atrium and The Edge, Fed Square, Melbourne CBD
PriceFree
Getting thereTram or train to Flinders St Station, or drive.
Free fan zone at Fed Square for Australia's first NFL game: live NFL matches on the Big Screen (Seahawks v Patriots Thu, Rams v 49ers Fri from the MCG), plus a live NFL Post Game Show with talent, analysis and audience interaction. A genuine one-off spectacle, not routine programming -- corporate/NFL-backed, but a specific and uncommon thing to actually go and do.
Inaugural market bringing 50 emerging Australian small businesses (fashion, beauty, homewares, food) to the Convent for a one-day pop-up -- new and specific, not a recurring generic market.
WhenSun 20 Sep, Check listing for hours
WhereAbbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
PriceFree entry
Getting thereTram to Victoria Park then a short walk, or drive.
Exact opening hours not yet published -- confirm via Abbotsford Convent's own listing before heading out.
Miles Nautu and his band play Triple R's Performance Space as part of its busiest Live at RRR season yet -- a genuinely non-touristy, independent Melbourne artist showcase.
WhenThu 24 Sep, Evening (time TBC)
WhereTriple R Performance Space, 221 Nicholson St, East Brunswick
Getting thereTram 96 or bus to Nicholson St, or drive.
Access is via Triple R subscriber (or First Nations) giveaway, not open ticket sales -- entries reportedly open Fri 11 Sep. Confirm exact time and entry details on Triple R's site.
Commemorative Memory Acts — a performance (Requiem in Power)
A live performance by the artists of Requiem in Power (RIP), the exhibition memorialising mature trees felled for the La Trobe Solar Farm alongside neighbouring Preston Cemetery — a one-off enactment of the show's themes of ecological grief and ritual, not just a floor talk.
WhenSat 17 October, 1–2pm, 1–2pm
WhereBundoora Homestead Art Centre, 7 Prospect Hill Dr, Bundoora
PriceFree
Getting thereTram 86 to stop 63 then 550m on foot — about 40 minutes door to door.
Much-loved Melbourne '80s guitar-pop band Huxton Creepers return to the Triple R Performance Space for a rare live set as part of the station's 50th birthday celebrations, playing songs from their reissued debut 12 Days to Paris alongside brand new music -- their first in over three decades.
WhenFri 11 Sep, Evening (time TBC)
WhereTriple R Performance Space, 221 Nicholson St, East Brunswick
A week out from releasing her new album The Gem -- her first recorded entirely in Melbourne, the city she's called home since 2017 -- acclaimed singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin plays an intimate set in Triple R's own performance space, previewing new songs alongside her back catalogue.
WhenWed 16 Sep, 6pm
WhereTriple R Performance Space, 221 Nicholson St, East Brunswick
Naarm DIY five-piece Season 2 -- drawing members from Parsnip, The Stroppies and Phil and the Tiles -- play songs from their debut album Power of Now, a ramshackle, melodic guitar-pop record in the lineage of The Feelies and The Clean.
WhenFri 18 Sep, Evening (time TBC)
WhereTriple R Performance Space, 221 Nicholson St, East Brunswick
Photography Walk: Edwardes Lake (Darebin FUSE Festival)
A free, beginner-friendly photography walk around Edwardes Lake led by local photographer Maria Colaidis, closing out Darebin FUSE Festival — tips on landscape light plus a draw to win a disposable camera.
WhenSun 13 Sep, 10-11.30am or 12.30-2pm
WhereEdwardes Lake Park, Reservoir
PriceFree
Getting thereAbout 15-20 min drive from Northcote, or bus/tram plus a short walk.
A reunion of pianist Barney McAll with bassist Yunior Terry and drummer Ebs Daramola for a night of fearless, spontaneous improvisation — small-room jazz at its most direct.
WhenThu 17 Sep, 7.30pm, doors 7pm
WhereThe JazzLab, 27 Leslie St, Brunswick
Price$30-$35
Getting thereAbout 15 min drive from Northcote, or tram 19 to Sydney Rd.
Cuban bassist, violinist and composer Yunior Terry leads his own project fusing jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms — a distinctive small-venue booking, not a standard covers night.
WhenWed 16 Sep, 7.30pm, doors 7pm
WhereThe JazzLab, 27 Leslie St, Brunswick
Price$30-$35
Getting thereAbout 15 min drive from Northcote, or tram 19 to Sydney Rd.
Sydney's Jess Green (guitar) and Sandy Evans (sax) launch their debut album 'Even Quiet Embers Carry Fire' with Melbourne drummer Dylan van der Schyff — a co-op gig, not a touring headline act.
WhenSun 20 Sep, 7.30pm, doors 7pm
WhereThe JazzLab, 27 Leslie St, Brunswick
Price$25-$30
Getting thereAbout 15 min drive from Northcote, or tram 19 to Sydney Rd.
Drop-in life drawing with a live model and a themed still life -- no experience necessary, poses from 5 to 20 minutes, drawing boards provided. September's theme: springtime on the French Riviera.
WhenSun 27 Sep, 7pm–9pm
WhereThe Brunswick Green, 313 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
PriceTicketed (check Eventbrite)
Getting thereTram 19 stops right outside; about 20 minutes from Northcote.
Independent theatre using magical realism, poetry and live music -- written, directed and performed by Ala'a Al Qaisi, inspired by two Palestinian sisters killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza in 2024. Part of a short Melbourne and regional Victoria season; this is the closing Brunswick show. A portion of ticket sales is donated to a Gaza-based organisation.
WhenSun 20 Sep (closing Melbourne show), see Humanitix for session time
WhereBrunswick Mechanics Institute, 270 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
PriceTicketed (general admission / concession) -- see Humanitix
Getting thereAbout 10-15 minutes by bike, tram 19 or car from Northcote.
Exact session time and ticket price not confirmed from search results -- check Humanitix before relying on this.
Entangled Transmissions: closing artist talk (Blindside x Liquid Architecture Sound Series)
Closing artist talk for the 2026 Sound Series exhibition 'Entangled Transmissions': Pratyay Raha and Jahan Xanlü in conversation with DA Calf about their sonic/sculptural works spread across Blindside's two floors. An annual, artist-run North Melbourne program running since 2014 -- exactly the kind of exhibition-tied artist talk worth building an afternoon around.
WhenSaturday 19 September, 2pm
WhereBlindside gallery, 54 Errol St, North Melbourne
PriceFree
Getting there~20 min drive from Northcote, or tram/train via the city (~35-40 min)