There was a time when winter entertainment in Melbourne meant the footy, the footy and….well, the footy. For those so inclined, these days there are many and varied sports on show at AAMI Park and Hisense Arena, but without strolling too far from Melbourne’s CBD there are a huge array of winter entertainment options in the Yarra River Precinct.
A great place to start is always Federation Square, which hosts about 3,000 community events a year; everything from Friday night sports telecasts on the Big Screen to colourful multi-cultural days. This winter kicks off in Fed Square with the annual Winter in Light Festival – a month long homage to light. In fact, 2015 is the International Year of Light and this festival celebrates the newest and oldest sources of light. Head into Fed Square at 5.30pm each night from 1 June to experience Chris Levine’s laser-based installation Molecule of Light.
‘Flower of Life’, another works by Chris Levine
From 15 June, the oldest source of man-made light is juxtaposed with the newest when a Welcome to Country lights up Leempyt Weeyn’, the campfire. This year the campfire will be bright with performances and talks at lunchtime and dusk in a fantastic lead-up to festival favourite, the Solstice Celebration. Come and warm yourself by the fire as Fed Square’s family of diverse communities and artists share their culture and tell their stories of light and enlightenment.
Woiwurrung Children’s Language Choir
For those old enough to remember, David Bowie provided a kind of ethereal light during the 1970s. This winter theAustralian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Fed Square is devoting its temporary exhibition space to ‘David Bowie’ , an acclaimed exhibition from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. It chronicles 50 years of one of the era’s most influential artists in rock, pop, fashion and performance. The exhibition includes over 50 legendary costumes, original stage set designs, handwritten lyric sheets, album artwork, rare film, video and photographs, interviews with collaborators, and spectacular sections showcasing Bowie’s impact as a live performer and screen star. It opens on 16 July.
For a daily run-down on things to do and see in the Yarra River Precinct, simply head to www.yararriver.info or www.yarrariver.info/events.
