What a way to celebrate my bday. This festival blew my mind at every corner. I didn't want it to…read moreend! It's been a very long time since I went to a festival that was over the top spectacular. Nothing compares to Melbourne's special night. It felt like all of Melbourne came out to play and play nice! The city lights up even brighter in a family friendly event all across the city starting in the CBD. The news said about 650,000 came out but it looked like a million. Restaurants stayed opened, food trucks, so much entertainment. The artists in Melbourne are remarkable. So much to see and experience even down the Yarra river. The views from the bridge left me in awe. I was nerding out every other second. Fire breathing gigantic dragon, illuminated bird that flew along the river, projection art with a lovely message of friendliness love and togetherness. The frisky dancers and on my street corner. A young gentleman playing his sexyphone on the balcony. Across the street piano players and guitarists on a rooftop and so much more. All I could say is thank you Melbourne for an unforgettable bday at White Night. Mel M Yelp 18:42

Wow! First to review White Night?! This is one of my favourite nights in Melbourne. And I'm not…read morealone -over half a million people turn out for the all night art event this year. Running from sunset to sunrise, the event gets the creative juices flowing with music, dance, film, large scale art installations, performances, and projections. (Plus a number of unique quirky experiences - giant foam sculpture or 3am synchronised swimming anyone?) Many bars and restaurants stayed open late and food trucks were dotted around the city, helping revelers stay fortified throughout evening. A major tip for making the most of the evening is to stay up late or get up early. There are various hubs around the city, stretching from the Carlton Gardens, past Federation Square, and down to the NGV and Birrarung Marr. But expect large, dense crowds and long lines during prime hours before midnight. (There are 500,000 people out in the city!) By contrast, at 5am we waltzed right into the Melbourne Baths without a queue in sight. Central to White Night aesthetic are the spectacular, large scale projections on major city buildings. White Night is a memorable night out, with different experiences each year. I'll definitely be back in the crowd again next year!

Northcote is pretty much hipster central. For those yet to venture over to the north side; think…read morequirky cafes, organic supermarkets and edgy locals. So it's only natural that Northcote's annual street festival, High Noon, was absolutely packed with Melbourne's trendiest. The streets were teeming with energy as hordes of vintage stalls, delicious multicultural delights and a thriving music scene jostled for the crowd's attention. Inside the cordoned off drinking areas, merry folk queued for ciders under the sun, whilst munching on smashed avocado ciabattas and kangaroo burgers. This being Northcote there was, of course, only the most gourmet fare on offer. Not a sausage sizzle in sight. Local pubs, such as the Wesley Anne and the Peacock, were packed to the limit, with bands playing to packed dance floors late into the night. Held on Sunday the 18th of September, it's a date to be penned into your well-worn leather diary. So pull on your skintight denims, grab your fixie and head on down to High Street Northcote.

I have never seen as many pedigree dogs within the confines of the Northcote stretch of High Street…read moreas I did on the day of the High Noon festival in September. Whether that's a gauge of how cashed up Northcote has become or how laid back the festival is I have no idea but it is what it is. Inexact dog barometer aside, the High Noon festival is a damn good free festival - offering food, music, arts and crafts - in a very interesting area which does a very good - and hugely well organised - job of showing off Northcote's many talents. Boasting three sponsored stages with an eclectic music lineup of local bands covering genres including reggae and rock; countless pop up food and craft stalls; and a very lovely crowd, High Noon festival is definitely worth a visit. The festival draws so many people to the area that local bars can become hugely crowded and there is the occasional queue for food, but all in all High Noon is a hugely well executed free festival that I would definitely return to next year.

I was lucky enough to read about the Melbourne International Jazz Festival while researching things…read moreto do during my visit to Melbourne. The Opening Celebration Concert at Federation Square was a lovely free event showcasing some of the artists and bands from around the world who would be playing some shows the week ahead. Can Melbourne get any cooler? I think not! Great jazz vibes on a beautiful day at the iconic Fed Square...definitely a bonus to my time here!

The best cinema experience I have had in ages. My son goes here all the time and swore we would…read morehave a great time seeing a new film here, and he was absolutely right. We went to see "See How They Run" last year while in town and I had almost forgotten how enjoyable it is to experience a new film with an appreciative audience. Definitely plan to visit again. Plus, the neighborhood is delightful. You can't go wrong on Lygon Street.

Welcome to the art house complex for film! Do you feel like getting all dressed up as an ode to…read more being artsy? In the mood to watch a widely reviewed festival film? How about catching that movie you've had on your radar and it just so happens that it's not showing anywhere else, but Cinema Nova? What about that moment you just wanted to watch a movie make it a little bit better with some vino and a homemade choc top? Yes, yes! You can do all this and more when you come on down to Cinema Nova! No, this isn't the type of theater that feels the need to keep with the times trying to impress the audience with the wows of modern cinema. This cinema is too cool to even care that others are competing with each other. Cinema Nova sits back and does it's own thing. The hipster of cinemas, if you will. It smirks at the idea of fancy reclining seats, shrugs off allocated seating, laughs in the face of extra leg room, and rolls it eyes to 567000 surround sound systems. All Cinema Nova calls for is simple, film goers and what going to movies used to be all about, film. It's a classic theater and will continue to stay that way and stand it's ground, the exact way cinemas should be, focusing all about what's on the screen.

Melbourne apparently didn't get the memo that DEI is bad We were lucky enough to be on hand for…read morethe annual MOOMBA parade, celebrating all aspects of the vibrant community that makes up Australia's diverse population.

Such a great time! beautiful floats and costumes as far as the eye can see and a lot of talented…read morestreet performers come out to catch the buzz from the crowd. If your looking for a night full of adventure and culture I would truly recommend visiting this spectacle of moving art

After much consideration, on my part, over the price of the ticket to this festival, I finally…read moredecided it was worth the money. After all, shows in this city are easily $40+, so I figured if I saw three or more of my top bands, the price really wasn't so bad. I must say, I am happy I trusted my love of good music over my bank account balance. Laneway Festival certainly delivered, and I left after a 10 hour day of fun in the sun - surrounded by good music, good friends, a shit load of hipsters, and plenty of babes - happy...and very tired. A few of the stages weren't my thing as they were surrounded by concrete with no where to stand...especially if the act was big time. My favorite stage was the one where you got to hang out on the grassy hill and observe the happenings below and around you. There's really nothing better than hanging outside on a beautiful day at a music festival. The energy really seeps into your soul. It's a blissful feeling. Some things I didn't like about St. Jerome's - too many people...they really over sold this one. By the evening you could barely move for the crowds. This scary amount of people resulted in scary amounts of trash...everywhere. Gross. Some things I loved about St. Jerome's - the music (what a sweet line up this year - Alt-J, Flume, Bat for Lashes, Polica, Nicolas Jaar, etc.), the fact that waiting in line for a beer was an absolute breeze, the food on offer was plentiful and delicious, and the layout of the venue was pretty great. Excellent sound too top it all off! Will I go next year? Absolutely. But, first I'll go through the inner turmoil of 'to spend or not to spend'...is that even a question when it comes to music? Nah.

If you've mean in Melbourne for a decent length of time, you'll know that festival season truly is…read morea special time of year. And Laneway Festival is one of the best (if not the best) day festivals around. Having started in the narrow laneways of the city at St Jerome's, it has grown into a significant event both in Melbourne and across Australia and worldwide with festivals in Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Perth, Adelaide and even Singapore! Despite the original Laneway Festival moving to the streets surrounding the Footscray Community and Arts Centre, it has not lost any of its charm. In 2010, the way the event was run, the atmosphere of all the revelers and the impressive lineup, made it an event to remember. I can't recommend it enough. Get your tickets before it is too late for 2012. The date is Saturday 4th Feb. The line up has been announced. Feist and Neil Finn are playing amongst a sea of others. Visit their website to see the full cast.

Tired of the same old festivals? Big lines, dirty toilets and overpriced drinks are never fun, but…read morewhere can you get that same warm and fuzzy festival feeling? Answer: FESKYVAL. No, it's not a typo, this festival revolves around one glorious, beer-chilling invention - the esky. Pack yours full of whatever you want and bring it down to Ceres and enjoy an afternoon of relaxed tunes from some of Australia's best artists. But wait, there's more! This years Feskyval involved a zumba competition (yours truly was the winner), an esky race and even a frisbee session. BUT WAIT, THERE'S STILL MORE! All proceeds go to Kids Under Cover - so while you're getting drunk in the afternoon, you can still feel like a do-gooder! Check the website for dates for the next annual Feskyval and lineup announcements.

Bundle up and set out on an exploration of Gertrude Street. The Projection Festival features both…read moresmall and large scale projections - from small works lighting up shop windows to whole sides of buildings awash in colourful light. There are plenty of cosy venues along the route to duck into for a warming drink or a cold beer if you're feeling the chill in the air. The scale and 'wow factor' aren't as massive as the Christmas and White Night projections, but the crowds aren't as big either. This event is more suited to conversation and casual strolling at your own pace. With the bright lights and friends & families roaming the street, it almost feels like Christmas... in July!

This festival of light happens annually in July on Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. I first heard about…read moreit through tram advertising and then read more advertising in the local street press. I highly recommend becoming a viewer next year. Whole buildings are turned into projection screens that have static and moving light displays. Also used are smaller projections within store windows and even projections on to the footpath and trees. No space is spared and the imagination of the artist is limitless. I love the concept of light as art and this festival has chosen wisely and collaborated with some fantastic artists. It is a fun and innovative festival that is free for the general public to view. Normally a five-minute walk form Nicholson St to Smith St - this exhibition takes about an hour to take in and appreciate. A small amount of time that will leave a large impression.

You've got your rock festivals, you've got your dance festivals and hell, you've even got your…read morecountry-folk festivals. But what do the hip-hop and R&B lovers out there do? Youtube will only suffice for so long! I was very excited to head to Supafest this year. I love me a good hip-hop number and this lineup was the best of now and the best of way back when - does anyone remember Nelly or Lil Bow-Wow?! Now it seemed a LOT of other people were just as excited as me but the organisers made the silly mistake of making it an 'all-ages' gig. So what's the problem? Well, it meant that 90% of the patrons were forced to stand in a small caged area to sip on their alcoholic beverage and try and watch the show from there, while the rest of the under-agers got free roam of the joint! They also underestimated how thirsty we all were... 5 bartenders for 10,000 people? I don't think so. Supafest runs twice a year so be sure to hit up the website to see what classic 90s star will be returning next time, and fingers crossed they've got their act together this time 'round!