Get ready to find your creative state this October with a bumper season of creative events on offer set to attract 1 million people, including a festival for each and every day of the month and a huge line of regional live music events in flood impacted communities.
October’s epic creative season kicks off with Melbourne International Games Week, which this year introduces Big Games Night Out a major new free event that will see Fed Square and ACMI transform into a games wonderland on 5 October with all ages activities, tournaments and music, performances and more.
Drawing thousands of people into the city from twilight until late into the night, the Big Games Night Out line up will include free performances by the likes of multi-talented musician and avid gamer Montaigne performing alongside comedy trio and lauded games composers Tripod.
Big Games Night will kickstart Creative October – a massive month of creative festivals and events taking place across Melbourne’s CBD and in regional communities across the state.
The Victorian Government has boosted a range of much-loved October events and supported the establishment of exciting new drawcard events to create a bumper season that will keep the economy buzzing and support jobs within performing arts, backstage crews, hospitality, security and more.
Creative October will feature something for all tastes and all ages, from bigger than ever Melbourne International Games Week and Melbourne Fringe programs to Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Melbourne Fashion Week and the inaugural Eighty-Six festival, alongside the Wheeler Centre’s Spring Fling program of talks and events and regional live music events that will bring flood impacted communities together and boost local businesses.
Alongside Big Games Night Out, the Victorian Government’s funding boost will support Melbourne Fringe to supersize this year’s festival including adding dedicated programs in Melbourne’s west and Queen Victoria Market.
Additional support to Melbourne International Jazz Festival has secured the Australian-exclusive performance by US music superstars Chaka Khan and Nile Rodgers & CHIC at Sidney Myer Music Bowl alongside local acts Kaiit and Horns of Leroy.
October will also be a huge month for music with the government-backed Eighty-Six festival taking over Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Sound Tracks taking music lovers on a music-fuelled steam train journey from Melbourne to Charlton and a line up of live music events in flood impacted communities in regional Victoria in partnership with Music Victoria.