The Events You Need to Know About in November

This month’s top events, include Melbourne Cup Day, Sydney’s Wine Island and The Wizard of Oz. Compiled by Samantha O’Brien.

VIC

Melbourne Cup Day

There’ll be 95,000 spectators on the ground and $6.2 million in the purse. The race that stops a nation includes some of the world’s finest thoroughbreds.

When: 7 November

Where: Flemington Racecourse

Midnight Oil: The Great Circle 2017 World Tour

Performing hits such as Beds Are Burning and Power and the Passion, the band take their Oz rock on tour for the first time in 15 years, hitting Wollongong (13 November) and Sydney (17 November), too.

When: 6, 8 and 15 November

Where: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Stevie Nicks

The Fleetwood Mac alum comes to Melbourne for her 24 Karat Gold Tour with The Pretenders, playing hits from her songbook, including Landslide and Gypsy, which she penned for her former band.

When: 16 November

Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

The Merry Widow

Melbourne-born, internationally recognised soprano Danielle de Niese leads the cast as the widow at the centre of Franz Lehár’s operetta, directed by Graeme Murphy.

When: 15-25 November

Where: State Theatre, Melbourne

Sia

Performing only two Australian dates for the year, Sia brings her extraordinary voice to Melbourne and Sydney (2 December).

When: 30 November

Where: AAMI Park, Melbourne

Del Kathryn Barton: The Highway Is a Disco

The psychedelic world of the two-time Archibald Prize winner comes to life in this exhibition.

When: 17 November-12 March 2018

Where: The Ian Potter Centre, Melbourne

NSW

Paul Kelly

The beloved Australian musician showcases more than 40 years of experience and hits, including To Her Door and How to Make Gravy, in support of his new album, Life Is Fine. From Sydney, the tour heads west to Adelaide (22 and 23 November) and Perth (25 and 26 November).

When: 19-20 November

Where: Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Wine Island

Clark Island is transformed once again with this boutique wine festival’s tastings, masterclasses, music and plentiful food, all set against Sydney’s stunning harbour.

When: 10-12 November

Where: Clark Island, Sydney Harbour

The Sleeping Beauty

In this spectacular work set to Tchaikovsky’s score, American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland joins The Australian Ballet for select performances.

When: 11-25 November

Where: Capitol Theatre, Sydney

200 Treasures of the Australian Museum

This permanent exhibition in the restored Long Gallery highlights the most significant items from the museum’s 18-million-strong collection, including a 120-million-year-old pliosaur named Eric.

Where: Australian Museum, Sydney

Muriel’s Wedding The Musical

Featuring songs by singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke (and ABBA, of course), the new musical about Australia’s favourite daydreamer will have its world premiere in Sydney.

When: 6 November-27 January 2018

Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay

Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean

A portfolio spanning 30 years is on display, including the Swiss experimental multimedia artist’s earliest video works and installations such as Pixelwald (2016), an enchanting “forest” of hanging lights.

When: 1 November-18 February 2018

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

Ones Country: The Spine of Our Stories

Travel from Arnhem Land to the Torres Strait Islands in this modern exploration of myths and stories choreographed by Bangarra dancers and directed by Stephen Page.

When: 24 November-2 December

Where: Carriageworks, Eveleigh

ACT

Mamma Mia!

Mamma mia, here we go again... a new production of the ABBA musical kicks off in the national capital before heading around the country in 2018.

When: 24 November-17 December

Where: Canberra Theatre Centre

David Hockney: Prints

An influential figure in the world of contemporary art, 80-year-old David Hockney’s latest exhibition includes prints from 1961 to today.

When: 11 November-27 May 2018

Where: National Gallery of Australia, Parkes

Lorde

The talented Kiwi plays at the Spilt Milk festival, as well as Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

When: 25 November

Where: Commonwealth Park, Canberra

SA

Take That

Sharing the stage with Dannii Minogue, one of the most successful boy bands in British chart history touches down in Oz with three original members.

When: 13 November

Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Hindmarsh

Toruk: The First Flight

Cirque du Soleil brings Pandora – the world from filmmaker James Cameron’s Avatar – to life in its latest extravaganza.

When: 16-19 November

Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Hindmarsh

Professor Brian Cox Live

England’s favourite particle physicist explores the universe using state-of-the-art multimedia.

When: 14 November

Where: Adelaide Convention Centre

QLD

The Ashes First Test

The latest instalment in this 140-year-old Test saga kicks off another summer of cricket as we find out whether Australia can reclaim the Ashes in 2018.

When: 23-27 November

Where: The Gabba, Brisbane

The Wizard of Oz

This enchanting classic, with new music by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, lands in a different Oz in November for a national tour.

When: 4 November-1 December

Where: Lyric Theatre, Brisbane

Art Yayoi Kusama: Life Is the Heart of a Rainbow

A number of Yayoi Kusama’s works, including The Obliteration Room, an interactive installation developed for children, have been assembled for this special exhibition.

When: 4 November-11 February 2018

Where: QAGOMA, Brisbane

NT

Sport Rugby League World Cup Quarterfinal

International rugby league’s best teams contest the 2017 World Cup quarterfinals in the Top End.

When: 17 November

Where: Darwin Football Stadium, Marrara

TAS

Sport Peaks Challenge Cradle Mountain

This is no cycle in the park. Wind your way through majestic Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park from Devonport during this challenging 235-kilometre circuit.

When: 5 November

Where: Devonport