Events You Need to Know About this July 2019
All the top events across Australia in July 2019.
VIC
Much Ado About Nothing
17-27 July | Arts Centre Melbourne
The witty quarrels between courting couple Benedick and Beatrice take centrestage as Shakespeare’s beloved rom-com comes to Melbourne.
Aura
Until December 2019 | Sovereign Hill
In this new immersive theatrical extravaganza at Sovereign Hill, 26 hectares of gold-rush territory are brought to life with 3D light projections and walk-through historical exhibits.
Midawarr: Harvest
Until 14 July | Melbourne Museum
This collection of works by Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley reflects the artists’ experiences of the Yolngu country’s harvest season over the past five years.
Shakespeare in Love
15 July - 14 August | Arts Centre Melbourne
Fresh from giving Muriel’s Wedding the stage treatment, Simon Phillips has turned his attention to Oscar winner Shakespeare in Love. It plays for a limited season in Melbourne.
Turning Points: Contemporary Photography from China
Until January 2020 | Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Showcasing the wave of Chinese photography produced since the 1990s, the works on display depict themes such as self-identity and connection to traditional culture.
NSW
Shaun Gladwell: Pacific Undertow
19 July - 7 October | Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
Spanning two decades of the artist’s practice across painting, drawing and video, this retrospective also features augmented and virtual reality pieces that aim to highlight technology in 21st-century art.
Whiteley
15 - 30 July | Sydney Opera House
The life of legendary artist Brett Whiteley is painted across a new canvas: the stage. His tumultuous personal story is set to music by composer Elena Kats-Chernin.
Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial
26 July-13 October | Mildura Arts Centre
This National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition includes pieces by 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists created in response to the 50th anniversary of the 1967 history-making referendum.
NAIDOC in the City
13 July | Hyde Park, Sydney
Observe the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages at the Harbour City’s NAIDOC celebrations featuring live performances, kids’ activities and a marketplace with local arts, crafts and produce.
David Hockney: Prints
13 July - 8 September | Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Gymea
More than five decades of the experimental printmaker’s work is on its way around the country, showing in southern Sydney before a final stop on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
ACT
Contemporary Worlds: Indonesia
Until 17 October | National Gallery of of Australia, Canberra
Highlighting the incredible recent art emerging from Bali and Java, this exhibition includes both up-and-coming and established artists whose work explores topics such as family, sexuality and the environment.
Bangarra: 30 Years of Sixty Five Thousand
18-20 July | Canberra Theatre Centre
Marking 30 years of innovative Indigenous dance theatre, the acclaimed Bangarra company visits the nation’s capital to perform a limited-run program of three contemporary works.
SA
A View from the Bridge
12 July-3 August | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide
Playwright Arthur Miller’s tale of family drama in 1950s Brooklyn has long been lauded as one of the most important works in American literature. Sixty-four years after it was first staged, the State Theatre Company is bringing the classic story to life.
Ned Kelly
Until 4 August | Riddoch Art Gallery, Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier gets its chance to see iconic works by one of Australia’s most revered artists when this travelling exhibition of Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series rolls into town.
WA
Revelation Perth International Film Festival
4-17 July | Various venues, Perth
More than 120 feature-length, short and documentary films from around the globe will screen at an array of venues across the city during this two-week event.
Sweeney Todd
13-20 July | His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Ben Mingay steps into the title role of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The Tony Award-winning musical thriller follows the twisted story of Todd and his accomplice, insane pie-maker Mrs Lovett.
QLD
Regional Flavours
20-21 July | South Bank Parklands, Brisbane
A family-friendly roster of celebrity chefs, live music and kids’ activities will descend on South Bank, along with a bumper market filled with provedores peddling fresh produce, wine, jams, cheese and more.
School of Rock
From 12 July | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane
Class is now in session! Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest hit musical re-creates the 2003 film starring Jack Black and features a cast of super-talented youngsters.
Groundwater Country Music Festival
26-28 July | Broadbeach, Gold Coast
Lee Kernaghan and Beccy Cole join the line-up of homegrown and international artists at this free outdoor event.
NT
Australian Outback Marathon
26-28 July | Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara
Runners hit the red dust, passing the iconic Uluru and Kata Tjuta during the full and half marathons or the less-intense fun runs (11 and six kilometres).
Beer Can Regatta
14 July | Mindil Beach, Darwin
Now in its 45th year, the classic Territory race sees boats made from cans, plastic bottles and milk cartons built to varying degrees of seaworthiness. Don’t miss the sandcastle and thong-throwing competitions.
TAS
Huon Valley Mid-Winter Fest
12-14 July | Ranelagh Recreation Ground, Huon Valley
Held in the middle of Tasmania’s wilderness in the depths of winter, this event will have you singing at an apple tree, sipping on the state’s best apple cider and watching as a two-storey-tall wicker man burns on a cold night.
Devonport Jazz
25-28 July | Various venues, Devonport
The hills of Devonport will be alive with the sound of (jazz) music when this beloved North West festival returns with a slew of Australian and international musos.
The Best of Rodgers and Hammerstein
4 July | Federation Concert Hall, Hobart
6 July | Albert Hall, Launceston
Few people have made more of an impact on the world of musical theatre than Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. Sing along to songs from their biggest hits – The Sound of Music, The King and I and Oklahoma! – played by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
