Events

Melbourne Events 2008

Sail Melbourne International Regatta	26 Dec - 25 Jan
Australian Tennis Open	14-27 Jan
Melbourne International Music Festival	24-25 Feb
Melbourne Fashion Festival	2-9 Mar
Moomba Waterfest	7-10 Mar
Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix	13-16 Mar
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival	22 Feb - 8 Mar
12th FINA World Swimming Championships	17 Mar- 1 Apr
Melbourne International Comedy Festival	19 Mar - 13 Apr
Melbourne International Film Festival	Jul - Aug
Enterprize Day- To celebrate European settlement of Melbourne	30 Aug
Australian Rules Football Grand Final Day	Late Sep
Royal Melbourne Show	Sep
Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix	12-14 Oct
Melbourne International Festival of Arts	Oct
Melbourne Marathon	Oct
Melbourne Cup	6 Nov
MasterCard Golf Masters	Nov
Boxing Day Cricket Test Match	26-30 Dec

Cricket

Enjoy cricket at the MCG the 'people's ground'. During summer and autumn Melbournians and visitors from around the world flock to the 'G' to watch the world's greatest cricketers play test and one day matches at Australia's most popular sporting venue.

Tennis

January brings the top 200 tennis players to Melbourne for the season opening Grand Slam event at Rod Laver Arena. This new and world class venue offers spectators perfect facilities from which to view the best tennis has to offer.

Golf

Summer is the season for joining the galleries on Melbourne's 'sandbelt' links. Watch Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and a host of stars battle for the Australian Open while you enjoy local wine and cheese in the hospitality tents or follow the stars on foot.

Grand Prix

March is 'formula one' razzamatazz as central Melbourne roars into life with high octane visitors from the Ferrari, Renault and other racing stables

Surfing

See the surfing community's greatest battle the wildest coast of the Southern Ocean in the 'Rip-Curl' classic during spring.

Racing

Champagne, hoers d'oevres, elegant dressing and horse racing course through the veins of this cosmopolitan city each spring.

Arts festival

"Melbourne International Arts Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals and has an outstanding reputation for presenting unique international and Australian events in the fields of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia, free and outdoor events over 17 days each October.

First staged in 1986 under the direction of composer Gian Carlo Menotti it became the third in the Spoleto Festival series - joining Spoleto, Italy, and Charleston, United States. Melbourne's Spoleto Festival changed its name to the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts in 1990. Past artistic directors are John Truscott, Richard Wherrett, Leo Schofield, Clifford Hocking, Sue Nattrass, Jonathan Mills and Robyn Archer. In 2003, the Festival was renamed Melbourne International Arts Festival. The Artistic Director for 2005 - 2008 is Kristy Edmunds."

Melbourne International Arts Festival dates: October

See http://www.melbournefestival.com.au/ for more detail.

Fringe festival

"Melbourne Fringe was founded in 1982 and is an umbrella organisation supporting and advising a large number of independently run arts companies, artists and events.

Melbourne Fringe Festival, the principal activity of the organisation, aims to bring the most contemporary, innovative and trend-setting work created and presented by independent artists, to the broader Melbourne audience."

See http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/ for dates and times for these exciting programmes.

Comedy festival

"April is the cruellest month...", or the funniest! From March to April Melbournians lose themselves in a month of laughter as the world's most delightful comedians visit us and bring their warmth and humour to our autumn colours.

Go to http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/ for all the details and to make your bookings for this remarkable festival of fun.

© 2008
Lyceum English Language Australia is a division of Lyceum Education Centre Pty Ltd ABN 72070984002